What is the bridesmaid's party? Is it the bridal shower or a special party for the bridesmaids?

A bridesmaid's party is a get-together to thank the members of your wedding party. You can give your attendants their thank-you gifts and go over the wedding schedule. It can be anything from an informal luncheon to an up-scale dinner party and anything in between, like breakfast, desserts or crackers/cheese at your place. If some attendants are traveling from out of town, you can even do this the morning or afternoon of the wedding or the day before. If they all live around you, it's probably more relaxed to do it a few days or a week before the wedding. Another possibility is to give them gifts before the rehearsal or at the rehearsal dinner, although this is less intimate because there are generally more people present. And there is less time to just chit-chat with only your bridesmaids. Bridal Showers are for you to receive presents and the focus is on you. They are probably not the place to give your attendants their special thank you gifts.