Wondering what a bridal shower devotional is? You may have heard the term in passing or maybe someone has asked you to do a bridal shower devotional at a bridal shower. Whatever the reason for your question, here’s my answer.
Full disclosure: I’m not a certified bridal shower devotional expert. I just think things through. But then, there are no certified bridal shower devotional experts anyway so I guess my answer is as good as anyone else’s. 😉
What Is a Bridal Shower Devotional?
Let’s unpack this.
What Is a Bridal Shower? A bridal shower is a celebration to shower a bride-to-be with love and gifts.
What is a devotional? A devotional is something of a spiritual nature. Devotional time, for instance, is a period of time during the day spent with God in reading, study, prayer, and/or reflection.
A devotional is usually a short reading or talk of a spiritual nature. For example, a devotional book consists of short readings (usually one for each day) with a spiritual lesson of some kind. A devotional at an event might be a short talk such as a story with a spiritual lesson, or it might be a sermonette (a miniature sermon).
A bridal shower devotional, then, is a fairly short time of spiritual emphasis during a bridal shower.
The nature of a bridal shower devotional will depend on factors like expectations, circumstances, and goals.
Expectations
Do the bride, the hostess, or guests have expectations of what a bridal shower devotional is? If they have experience with bridal shower devotionals, they may have a more specific definition.
If you have been asked to do a devotional at a bridal shower or you are thinking of asking someone to do one at a shower you are planning, check on the expectations of key people (don’t forget the moms!) before deciding what type of devotional to do.
It is okay to be different but sometimes it’s not okay to do something weird . . . or to disappoint someone just because you didn’t have the same thing in mind. If no one has expectations, feel free to be creative!
Circumstances
The nature of a shower devotional can depend on varying circumstances like:
- The spirituality of the bride
- The make-up of the guest list. Are they all Christians? Mostly non-Christians or unknowns? A complete mix? Are they used to spiritual emphasis at events like showers?
- The style or theme of the shower
Goals
By “goals” I mean WHY is there going to be a bridal shower devotional. Is it because they’re traditional so you gotta have one? Is it because you saw the idea and thought it was neat? Is it because you want the bridal shower to be more spiritual than typical? Is it because you want to witness to non-believers at your shower? Is it because the bride needs advice? 😀
Be honest about your why (or whys) because they will affect the what and the how.
Types of Bridal Shower Devotionals
There are probably endless ways to do a shower devotional. However, there are a few basic types to consider, based on three factors:
1. The audience
2. The topic
3. The purpose
The audience would be either the bride, the guests, or both. The topic could be marriage, homemaking, or personal (one’s personal life and relationship with God), or a blend of more than one. The purpose might be to encourage, to inspire, or to educate. Are you trying to remind someone of something? Give advice? Or what?
You can combine these in anyway you choose that fits the occasion, but I’ll give you a few recipes that will work well for most showers.
Type 1: A devotional aimed at the bride that gives encouragement and advice on the topic of marriage. That is, bride + marriage + advice.
Type 2: A devotional aimed at the bride that gives encouragement and advice on a spiritual topic in general (but probably also applied in some specific ways to her new role). That is, bride + personal + advice.
Type 3: A devotional aimed at the guests (bride included) on the topic of marriage for the purpose of encouraging wives in a particular direction (a bit of a combination purpose). That is, guests + marriage + inspire/educate.
Type 4: A devotional aimed at both guests and the bride on a particular theme (love, patience, Proverbs 31, cooking) with a spiritual lesson related to marriage and life in general. That is: both + theme + spiritual lesson all can apply to their lives in some way.
Don’t get overwhelmed or confused! Think about who you want to talk to, what you want to talk about, and how you want the devotional to impact your audience. Use one of the above types if you don’t want to have to think too much. If you’re up to more, tweak one of them or start from scratch with the three factors.
There are lots of different ways to do a devotional. Check out this post for more ideas: Four Ways to Deliver a Bridal Shower Devotional.
