Can you still call it a bridal shower if it is held after the wedding?

Question

My sister is getting married at the end of August and wants only family and close friends to attend. They have discussed getting married off and on for several years and there are MANY people who want to know when, where, etc. so they can come...but she wasn't planning to invite them. So she thinks it will be easier to just wait until after she is married to let everyone "she is now married". For this reason, I am respecting her wishes by not giving her a bridal shower prior to her wedding. But I do want to have a celebration of some sort.

Answer 1

You can have a bridal shower whenever you want to, but it's suppose to be help before the wedding day so that everyone can celebrate the engagement and things like that.

I doupt if anyone comes, though. If she didn't want them to come to the wedding then why would they want to celebrate with her.

Answer 2

This is called a "wedding reception"....but how big is the wedding?  If you are having 100 of your closest friends, then the  party a few weeks later will be "everyone not good enough to be invited to the real wedding", and they will all know it.  

If the wedding is just a few people, say 20 or fewer, then have a reception party sometime after the wedding to honor the newly married couple and give everyone an opportunity to wish them well.

Answer 3

i think that's perfectly acceptable to still call it a shower.

Answer 4

Well, at this late date, you will have to have it after the wedding.

HOWEVER, only those who attended the wedding and were invited to the wedding ceremony should also be invited to the shower.

Unless, you have family that is very understanding and this is a way that they can "celebrate" (as you say), then go ahead.  It is just really odd, and, frankly, very rude,

to invite people to a wedding shower AFTER the weddng has taken place and those people were not given the opportunity of attending the wedding.

Answer 5

Its rude to invite people to a shower and not to the wedding so if shes having a small wedding only those people could be invited to the shower anyway. I personally feel its not right to have a shower after the wedding.

Answer 6

I think its fine to have a gathering afterward...but I wouldn't call it a "bridal shower," so much as an "announcement.," or "reception."  I think its fine to invite people to it that aren't invited to the wedding if this is going to be an intimate wedding like it sounds. Most of my gals at my "Girls Night Out," dinner were not invited to my wedding because it was an intimate destination wedding, and they were fine.

Answer 7

After the wedding, it should be called a "reception."  

It is an etiquette no-no to invite folks not invited to the wedding to a bridal shower.  

So make it a post-wedding celebration, or reception, or BBQ . . . and invite both genders.

Or make it a "housewarming party" and have it at sister's new home.