If you’re planning a bridal shower for someone you love, the first thing to do is choose a theme. Your theme can be something pretty, something fun or something the bride loves. If she loves travel, it’s a perfect theme for her bridal shower. If the couple is planning a destination wedding or an exotic honeymoon, you can make the theme specific to that location. If they don’t have a favorite place, you can use a travel theme, like globes or maps. Or you can use a travel-centric motto as your theme.

If you’re planning a bridal shower, there’s a lot to keep track of. Especially if you’re going to DIY the food. The best way to get organized is with a good list. If you don’t have one already, here’s a set of lists to get you started.

Looking for bridal shower ideas? If you choose a theme, it’ll make it easier to pull everything together, from your invitations to your favors. Most popular theme: Lemons! You can choose your decor with lemon colors and shapes. Plus, you can brighten up your menu with lemon flavors. Your guests will love lemon pasta, cakes and cocktails. Don’t forget a lemon themed favor and your shower will be a hit!

If you’ve never been in a bridal party, or hosted a shower before, you might have a lot of questions. First of all: who’s supposed to throw the shower? Usually the maid of honor is in charge and the rest of the bridesmaids will help. If the bride isn’t having a wedding party, her mother, sister or friend can host a shower for her, instead. There’s no hard and fast rules. Basically, if you’re a person who loves the bride, you are fully qualified to throw the shower. If you’re not sure how to do it, keep reading for a step by step breakdown.