Depending on the kind of bridal shower that you are planning and who will be attending, selecting the menu may be a pleasant experience, or a daunting one. You are fortunate in that there is a vast assortment of appropriate foods that you may use, making meeting everyone's needs much less challenging than you expected. You should take into consideration several aspects including: the bride, the guests, and your budget, when making your menu selections.

Obviously, the bride should be the primary person to be considered when selecting the food offerings for her shower. If the foods chosen are foods that the bride dislikes, she probably will not be able to enjoy her own bridal shower. She may have subtly mentioned items that she would like to see served, or you may know what she likes to eat. This will make choosing a menu easier. If you are the hostess, you should be well aware of what foods she will find enjoyable.

The next item to consider is the guest list. Here you have a couple of matters to address. First of all, taking into consideration the bride's likes and dislikes should not entirely dictate the menu. If the bride is the only one who will eat the food, that will not make for a very festive party. There will be many hungry people for you to contend with. In the case that the top menu choice of the bride is an item that no one else at the party will eat, you may think about opting for her second favorite and not serving the first at the bridal shower. You will also need to keep in mind the individual requirements of attending guests.

You may have guests on your list who are allergic to certain items or have dietary restrictions. You do not want to offer a menu filled with sweet foods, if you will be entertaining diabetic guests. Likewise, a menu predominately comprised of meats would not be appetizing to vegetarians. The object is to provide sufficient variety such that everyone there will have enjoyable choices, even if there are some items which people just do not like.

You will certainly need to plan a bridal shower that falls within your budget constraints. The bride may desire caviar and champagne, but your financial resources may only allow tuna and apple cider. You can try to develop the menu using foods that you might typically purchase for your family. You might limit the purchase of these items for special occasions, but don't spend a lot of money on foods you would never otherwise purchase.

You can look at planning the bridal shower menu much as you would look at preparing a menu for a get together at your home. Special arrangements should be made for the guest of honor, for your bridal shower, that would be the bride. Remember to take into account your guests' preferences and any individual special needs. Don't lose sight of your budget constraints, and buy food items that your finances will accommodate without leaving yourself short for necessary items. Planning a bridal shower can be a challenging task, but limiting the complexity of your menu will make your whole party much smoother.