If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you might have heard the term “honeymoon shower” tossed around – but what does it actually mean?

A honeymoon shower is a type of pre-wedding celebration that provides couples with gifts specifically for their honeymoon trip. It is an optional event and not considered a mandatory tradition.

Some people choose to have a separate honeymoon shower and bridal shower. However, this can be a time and money burden on your guests. Most couples choose to replace a traditional bridal shower with a honeymoon shower.

Unlike a bridal shower party, a honeymoon shower is attended by both the bride and groom and the gifts are things they both can use.

Why Do People Want to Have Honeymoon Showers?

In the past, bridal showers existed to provide the bride with physical things she might need as a married woman. Common bridal shower gifts included kitchen appliances, linens, cookware, home décor, glassware, and other household items.

However, most couples today usually live alone before getting together, so they likely already have these things at home (and you might not want your great aunt Linda picking out your “good plates”).

Honeymoon showers have evolved in response to the question, “What does the couple really need?”

In most cases, the one area where a soon-to-be-married couple could use assistance is financing their honeymoon.

Yet, gifting cold, hard cash really does come across as a cold gift and most gift-givers want to present something that is more tangible and has meaning.

Or, at the very least, they want to ask “Did you enjoy the ______ I gave you?” not “Did you enjoy spending the money I gave you?”

In short, it’s a mix of necessity, changing cultural norms about living with your fiancé before marriage, and a growing desire by many couples to build experiences together instead of accumulating things.

What Kind of Gifts Do You Give at a Honeymoon Shower?

Now that you know what this new term means, let’s talk about what makes a good gift and how to give it. Many couples have a honeymoon registry where you can select the gift you will give, while other couples leave it up to you.

To all the couples reading this: please, please, PLEASE make a honeymoon registry! You’ll avoid getting something you really don’t want and it’s helpful guidance for your guests.

You can choose between giving something tangible (like a suitcase, a pair of hiking boots, or a travel kit) or something experiential (like a romantic dinner, a couple’s massage, or a sightseeing tour).

If you choose to give the couple an experience, you can print out a picture of the experience you are giving and include it in the card that you give at the honeymoon shower. Or, you can give a token item that matches the experience.

For example, if you’re gift is a day at Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand, you could give a plushie elephant at the party.

Material Gifts for a Honeymoon Shower

A note to the couple: Make sure you specify the color, size, and pattern if applicable when putting these items on your registry:

• A luggage set or suitcase
• Noise-canceling headphones
• A power bank or portable charger
• Good walking shoes for city exploring
• A digital camera
• A polaroid camera
• Packing cubes
• A Kindle
• An international power adapter
• A travel-sized perfume or cologne sampler
• A weekender bag
• Beach Towels
• Passport Holders

Experience Gifts for a Honeymoon Shower

For couples planning their honeymoon shower, check Airbnb Experiences, highly rated tour providers in the area, and the offerings from your resort to help you discover interesting experiences in your honeymoon destination.

Here are a few examples of experience gifts:

• A romantic dinner
• A couple’s massage
• A pre-flight mani-pedi (for 2)
• A food tour
• A cultural class (cooking, jewelry making, ceramics, traditional dance, painting, macramé, fabric dyeing, and more)
• Airfare
• One night in a hotel or resort
• 2 airport lounge passes
• An excursion (for example, if Bali is the destination, book a sunrise hike up Mt. Batur or a visit to a coffee plantation)
• An ethical animal encounter (whale watching in California, birding in Costa Rica, a camel safari in India, or diving with manta rays in Bali)
• A day at a beach club (or private cabana rental)
• A foot massage after a day of city exploring
• An adventure tour (zip lines, dune buggy rides, bamboo rafting, ATVS, windsurfing, or skydiving)

How Do You Organize a Honeymoon Shower?

A honeymoon shower is just like any other wedding shower except it uses the couple’s honeymoon destination as a theme.

For example, if the couple is planning to honeymoon on the beaches of Thailand, the shower could include Thai food, tropical decorations, and a beachy dress code.

Usually, a close friend (or friends) of the couple acts as the host and organizes the event. However, it’s important that the happy couple creates the honeymoon registry on their own because only you know what you want.

It’s actually easier to organize than the perfect bridal shower (or even a bachelorette party) because you already know that the couple will love the theme (they picked the destination after all). Some people like to host an activity-oriented shower, while others stick to a more relaxed vibe.

If you are planning the event, we recommend adding a few personal touches. For example, you can research a local dessert in the honeymoon destination and see if a bakery can make it. Creating a playlist with local music also goes a long way toward creating a fun party mood.

Bridal shower etiquette dictates that the host should provide party favors. This tradition carries over to honeymoon-themed showers, too. We recommend choosing something that’s fun on the day of the party or something that can be used every day.

What Are Some Activities You Can Do at a Honeymoon Shower?

It can be hard to come up with bridal shower games, but you have to be even more creative when hosting a honeymoon-themed event. When in doubt, think about your theme! Here are a few activity examples:

• Have a passport cover decorating station
• Play a round of trivia about the country (or state) the couple will visit
• Include a game where you have to guess the meaning of words in the local language and give clues (it’s kind of like Pictionary)
• Have a local alcohol sampling station

Who Do You Invite to a Honeymoon Shower?

You should invite close friends and family members of the couple, but it’s unnecessary to invite all of the people on the wedding guest list. It’s a good idea to check in with the bride and groom once you create the guest list to make sure you aren’t missing anyone important.

The host (or hosts) should send out the invitations 6 to 8 weeks before the event. However, if your guests are located far away, you should give them a couple of months’ warning so they can plan.

When Should a Honeymoon Shower Take Place?

This is entirely up to you, but make sure that you plan enough time on the day of so that guests can spend quality time with the couple and each other.

Can You Ask for Cash as a Honeymoon Shower Gift?

Of course, you can ask for cash, but it might come across as greedy or unappreciative by your guests. It’s better to create a list of items or experiences that you want so your guests truly feel like they are giving you something meaningful.

They can feel good knowing that they treated you to a really nice dinner and they can imagine how happy that made you feel. But giving the gift of money doesn’t allow your guests to imagine the joy or use you’ll receive from their gift.