3 things I wish I knew before attending my own bridal shower

This past weekend, I attended my first bridal shower. Don't get me wrong, I've attended many as a guest but never as a guest of honour. I am a HUGE fan of planning and hosting showers, but when it comes to attending one that someone is throwing for you, it can get a little uncomfortable (at least for me anyways).Let me start this off by saying that registering for a wedding is a different experience within itself (and probably warrants its own blog post). Going to a shower and being told to ensure I have enough space in the car to bring everything home just makes me feel super awkward and greedy. The night before, I could hardly sleep and was so nervous about whether I would be good enough at opening presents and making people feel appreciated. I didn't know what I was going to say when I opened a present that I had picked out for myself and asked someone else to buy for me. Needless to say, I was a little obsessed with the whole present part that I completely forgot to think about the shower as a whole. It went by without a hitch, and I can honestly say I had a wonderful time.These are the three things that I wish someone told me about attending my own bridal shower:1. This party is about you. Get used to it.It doesn't matter whether you like to be the centre of attention or not, or if you're sick of talking about wedding details. This party is about you and your upcoming nuptials. You will be asked to go first when the buffet is opened and will be the one cutting the cake when it's dessert time. Your friends and family are there to show their love and support, so take this time to appreciate the amazing support network you have, and embrace the party being thrown for YOU!2. The shower is about more than just the presents.Leading up to the shower, I was so obsessed with the whole gifting aspect of the shower, and found myself wishing there was another way. What I didn't realize, was that the present part is just one small part of a shower. There is food, laughter and good conversation. I loved spending time with friends and family, and enjoyed catching up on new engagements, apartments, homes, and babies on the way. It reminded me of why I always loved it when my cousins started getting engaged and having babies: it meant that with all the showers I was invited to, I got to see my family more often than just at Christmas! ...which leads me to my next point:3. People who attend showers want to celebrate a huge life milestone with you.Chances are, your family and friends have all been to showers before and will go to them again. They know the drill, and are happy to be included in the celebration of two people they love very much. The people who attend showers are there because they want to be, and have a lot of fun catching up with friends and family and contributing some way to the future of the two people getting married. Don't feel bad about receiving gifts or taking up their Sunday afternoon. This is their way of showing their support.Once it was all over and done with, the one thing I really appreciated was that Will came and introduced himself to everyone he hadn't yet met. I think this is a tradition in my family, but tradition or not, it was wonderful having him there. (Sometimes I feel a little bad about having all the attention on me... I feel like some people forget that it's his wedding too!) Riding home, I couldn't help but feel so blessed to have had such an amazing day.I can't even believe I was nervous in the first place!