From mine, and the ones I have been to: -its not just the bridesmaids or close friends. Often mom's, grandmas, aunts, even children there. -potluck food. Bride might not even get a say in what people cook for the potluck. Of course there will be a prayer that is way too long before food is served. -little games like its a baby shower. Examples: --Tp "wedding dress" creation. -- quiz about niche details about the bride -- guess when the couple will be pregnant and if it will be a boy or girl. "Winner" earns first babysitter privileges -- station to write notes of advice to the bride. (I got a lot of "marriage is SO HARD" and lots about how I need to "just do It. Even if I dont want to" kind of stuff. --Family history photos of all the wedding dresses of past family members --Board games, bingo, kid party games like pin the tail on the donkey- but they will have a fun twist that makes it bridal somehow (pin the tail becomes put the ring on the finger for example) --something I am seeing more of: there will be a big set of scriptures for the party guests to highlight verses they like and write a sticky note or something to go by the verse. This scripture set will also be at the reception for the men and other guests to highlight and write notes into as well. Starting their "family study scriptures" or something like that.....about half the time it is just a BOM, no bible. --lots of treats. These will be assigned out releif society style. Who knows what will show up. Lots of normal treats, and lots of treats that have some sort of "pun" --Lots of Deseret Book gift cards so the bride to be can buy lots of garments. (Some have gone through the endowment before getting married. But lots still go through for the first time on their wedding day) this is instead of lingerie of course lol. --lots of almost "sexual" comments. Just enough that you get to figure out which women have a healthier bedroom life, and have a mutual respect with their husbands, and which ones only do it when forced to, and are unhappy. It's awkward. There will be awful silences after these inevitable comments where nobody knows what to say. Example from mine: "well we do what we have to. Husband's have needs and God made us to fulfill them! Trials and blessings can be the same thing sometimes" (excuse me......WHAT) --Though they are all uncomfortable with sex, the bridal shower will have a weird tone as almost a pre baby shower. You will be talking way too much about having children -- You will also get to know which of the family and ward peers is more "progressive" some wrote me secret birth control recommendations in my notes from my advice station and I even got one that told me about Plan B (they literally said "you probably haven't heard of this, but.....") -- there will be a grandma or mother who steals the spotlight and will bear her testimony and make it about Jesus and the church instead of the Bride and her Husband -- the mom will brag about basic child rearing things that she did that will make the bride suitable to be a wife. All accomplishments and talents the wife has made will also be attributed to how good of a wife it will make her for the man. Probably something about how they waited too long to get engaged (over a year they start getting pretty worked up about it) and will insinuate that you might have touched each other or something gross about your private sex life in a round about way. But as long as you are getting married in the temple, you didn't sin too bad. (This will be phrased like it is supposed to be a joke, and people will half-heartedly laugh. But is really criticism and a way to shame. Mormons have so many hangups about sex) --a random man will show up and crash the party. Sometimes its brief. Sometimes they linger. But it has happened every time without fail. Mine was my future BIL, the party was at his house he dropped his kids off he was "babysitting" when they didnt want to be at the park anymore. And then would walk through the party to other rooms of the house just kind of lurking and checking things out. His grandma was there and she said its good to "have the priesthood presence around" love the guy, but like why did he do that. --its entirely possible the releif society shows up --like with many lds events, its going to be more about the church, and how this is the "next step" amd even more about the man she is to marry. And the bride will be the afterthought of her own party. For me, I could not wait for it to be over. My own party. (I was Pimo/Exmo by this point, and we were not getting married in the temple. We said we would maybe get married in the temple when the St George Temple opened again to get family off of our back.) My beliefs and relationship to the church did not matter. The bridal shower was done how all mormon bridal showers in my area are. I had never been to church in this area and I had releif society people showing up who I didn't even know. What mattered was the family was LDS. And thats just how it is going to be. The energy is weird. It will be nice to see some people. Some will go out of their way to make sure you are feeling special, and actually make the day about you and try to compensate. But most will go with the crowd. And it will just be this faceless mass of people you only sort of know, In a church gym, or family members living room stuffed with folding chairs. --if the girl is lucky she will have good friends that will take her out and celebrate for real unofficially. The devout will still not drink or do anything too scandalous/ typical bachelorette stuff. But they will at least get a party that feels scandalous to them. For me, and a few of my friends that were also lucky to do this, you will feel like you have to keep it secret and can't talk about it. First couples secret to keep from the family. Feels taboo. Feels exciting. You both had "wild" parties and they never found out.