How to Survive a Bridal Shower

Weddings come in all sizes, tones and shapes. But bridal showers tend to have one setting: girly fun.

If you're not a girly-girl, or a guy who has gotten roped into the proceedings, attending a bridal shower might be stressful and exhausting. And, unlike a wedding, the bridal shower is less likely to have the trappings that make even the most uncomfortable wedding fun. (Namely the booze, food and the sight of people making fools of themselves on the dance floor.)

If you're staring down the barrel of an afternoon of finger foods and high-pitched laughter, here are some hints about how you can survive:

PICK YOUR BATTLES: There are bridal showers you care about, and there are ones you couldn't care less about. Go to the ones you actually want to go to. Sure you might get a few dirty looks at work if you don't attend the shower for Sheila in accounting. But the energy you save can be put towards something that means more to you.

KNOW WHAT'S PLANNED: If you know who is hosting the shower, ask what they've got planned. If you're not sure if you want to go, knowing the schedule will help you make that decision. If you have to go regardless, understanding the schedule can help you plan accordingly. Larger showers can give you the cover to download games and movies on your phone. Shorter showers mean you can plan something you actually want to do later in the day as an incentive. And showers held in a hotel or party center give you more ways to slip out the back.

CUT THE GUYS LOOSE: Misery may love company, but it's inhumane to drag a guy into these kinds of events. I've never seen a single guy at a bridal shower who didn't look like a prisoner of war. I mean this up to and including the groom. Unless it's going to be a 50/50 co-ed shower, cut the guys loose. Thinking a guy will like a traditional bridal shower is just as delusional as believing the bridesmaids will wear their Pepto-Bismol taffeta dresses again.