Legend has it that the first bridal shower was given by a young Dutch girl's friends when her father refused to give her a dowry, so unhappy was he with her choice of husband. Showers today are given among close friends, not only to help the bride stock her new household, but to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. Because the bridal shower is such a joyous event, parlor games have become traditional over the years. Shower games can be entertaining, poignant, or just plain silly, but they are a great way to break the ice and for everyone to get to know each other before the wedding.

Shower games may take place immediately, as guests arrive, or after refreshments are served. Whether or not you choose to play traditional games, or create your own, the idea is to keep them fun, personal, and focused on the bride. So… let the games begin.

Traditional Female Bridal Shower
While bridal showers are often co-ed in this day and age, some brides opt for an old fashioned ladies-only shower where they can bond with female relatives and girlfriends. Tea showers are still popular, along with luncheon showers, and they can be as formal or as informal as you like. The following are some traditional games that might have been played at your own mother -- or grandmother's -- bridal shower.

Purse Bingo. Each guest holds her purse in front of her while someone reads a list of items that might be found inside. Whoever pulls the item out of her purse first wins a prize. The list begins with common things such as a hairbrush or lipstick, but gets wild when unusual objects are announced, from a sewing kit to a toothbrush. The more uncommon the object, the bigger the prize.

Ribbon Bouquet. As the bride opens her gifts, one of her friends, perhaps her maid of honor, collects the ribbons to create a "ribbon bouquet" for the bride to carry at the rehearsal. Traditional folklore holds that however many ribbons the bride breaks while unwrapping packages is the number of children she will have.

Safety Pins. Each guest is given a safety pin upon her arrival, which she affixes to her clothing. If she mentions a predetermined word, such as "wedding," "church" or even the groom's name, one of the other guests (whoever is quickest) can take her safety pin. The guest who winds up with the most safety pins wins a prize.

Marriage Recipe. Give everyone recipe cards and ask them to write down their recipe for a good marriage. Then have the bride read them aloud and try to guess who wrote what. This can be very funny, depending on how creative your guests are.

Couples Wedding Shower
Some men are just getting accustomed to the idea of attending an event that has been historically limited to "womenfolk," while others are thrilled to finally be a part of the celebration. In either case, it probably isn't a good idea to suggest that the guys partake in the safety pin game over tea. Instead, try a cocktail party shower or outdoor barbecue in which guests shower the couple with theme-related gifts. As for the games, try one of the following:

Celebrity. As each guest arrives, stick the name of a famous person on his or her back, so that while they can look at everyone else's tag, they are unable to see their own. The name of the game is for each guest to figure out who they are, by asking yes or no questions to others.

The Dating Game. Before the shower, ask the bride a list of questions about herself and the groom (i.e., "When was your first kiss?"), making sure that she keeps her answers a secret. At the shower, give everyone a list of the questions and let them fill out what they think the answers are. Have guests "grade" each other as the couple sit on chairs in front of everyone and the groom answers each question, "Dating Game" style. Whoever gets the most answers right wins a prize. This can get pretty funny, or not, depending on how many answers the groom gets wrong.

Games That Count
If you want more than entertainment, consider games that will help the bride prepare for the wedding.

Rice, Birdseed or Lavender Bag Race. Many brides are overwhelmed with so many tasks before the wedding, such as making those little mesh bags of rice, birdseed or lavender. Help her out by having shower guests make the bags. Have everyone sit around a table with squares of netting, ribbons and either rice, lavender, or birdseed (depending on what the bride wants). Whoever makes the most bags within a five or ten minute period wins a prize.

Just Like Old Times
Some of the best shower games are sentimental. The following could work for either a couples or ladies-only shower:

Photo Album. Ask each shower guest to bring a photo of herself and the bride. Buy a special photo album for the occasion, and ask each guest to paste her photo inside, while explaining the story behind it. The "game" will be fun and almost certainly poignant, and the completed album will be one of the bride's most cherished gifts.

Stories. Each guest tells a story about the bride, either something amusing or something poignant that they remember from the friendship. Guests can tell funny stories from their childhood, or perhaps one about the couple when they first met. It can be fun for guests to get to know the bride and groom through so many different eyes.

If you are hosting a shower, choose games that fit the couple's personality. Bob for apples or play strip poker, if you must. Whatever makes them happy. If they hate games, don't play them. Simply have a party in their honor. No matter what you do, they will be moved by such a display of love, and their shower will soon become a precious memory.