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After all of those April showers, I am excited to be seeing the beautiful May flowers (and warm sunny days!) As we head into late spring I cannot think of a better bridal shower theme than a garden party. The bright colors of fresh flowers and the aroma of home-grown herbs can add such beauty and vibrancy to a create a lovely bridal shower.
Source: Martha Stewart Weddings
Nothing is better than a home-cooked meal. Not only does the finished product often leave you wanting more, but the time spent having fun, talking and laughing over a glass over wine as you cook with friends and family is just wonderful. Even though I am often delegated to menial tasks that never require the use of sharp objects, I love time spent in the kitchen. If you are planning a special shower for a bride-to-be, why not throw her a cooking shower?
A cooking shower is conversational, a fun learning experience, and is great if you are inviting guests of all ages… not the mention that your end result will be delish! Set the theme by sending out mini-cutting boards or recipe cards as invitations. Either hire a chef to come to your designated shower location, or look into classes at DC favorites such as CulinAerie or Hell’s Kitchen.
Pictures: Martha Stewart Weddings
Try to schedule or create a class that is centered around the bride’s favorite foods, or something new and adventurous you know she would love. Once everyone is satiated, enhance the fun-filled day with gifts such as an adorable apron- who says you can’t be fashionable while cooking?
Lilly Pulitzer on Etsy
As wedding trends are continually evolving with time, why not put a new spin on bridal showers as well? Instead of hosting a party to celebrate only the bride, why not host a fun-filled occasion with both the bride AND groom at a couple’s shower??
Following the planning process for a traditional bridal shower, it is important to keep the bride and groom’s shared interests in mind while planning a couple’s shower. If they both enjoy the outdoors, perhaps plan an outdoor barbeque with sangria and lawn games, or have everyone come together to rent a beach house for the weekend! For a thank you take-away, how fun are these personalized BBQ sauce bottles?
Credit: Beau-Coup
What if the couple is honeymooning in Morocco? Use their destination as a party theme- you can apply the location to the décor, food, games, and even gifts that the couple can use on their travels.
Credit: HostesswiththeMostest
As the couple’s shower is co-ed, try to keep all activities gender-neutral and upbeat, so that everyone feels included and has a great time. What if the bride and groom do not share a similar group of friends? Well, what a fantastic time for everyone to get to know each other before the wedding! Have you attended or planned a fun couple’s shower lately – what did you think?
So many celebs these days have launched their own signature scent, even the lovely Jennifer Aniston! I have always felt that your signature perfume is a big reflection on your personality. Are you bold and strong, or perhaps more delicate and floral? I have always been a user of Dior’s Miss Dior Cherie- it just fits me!
Now, for all your ladies planning a fabulous bridal shower, why not host a perfume party? I am just too excited by this idea. Kamilyin is a fragrance, lotion and soap company that will actually send you all the necessary ingredients to put together the perfect DIY perfume party! You can create customized labels and choose from over twenty scents with instructions on how to blend the oils. Feel free to take a little direction from Kamilyin or go crazy on your own!
Credit: greenweddingshoes.com
Not only will this fun learning and conversational party for your guests, but it will also create wonderful gifts for everyone to take home – a fabulous signature scent in their own personalized bottle!
Bride Blogger MaryAnne had updated us last on her “big pieces.” Next up, it is all about the details…
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I cannot believe our wedding is less than two weeks away! As the March 12 approaches, we — and the bridal party — are in the midst of finalizing a detailed itinerary for the rehearsal day preceding the wedding, and of course, the wedding itself. The detailed itinerary, much of which involves ensuring that the “little things” are in place, has led me to reflect on the details of the wedding. Details can be troublesome; they usually need to be carried around, they often seem tiny in the grand scheme of things, and sometimes — perhaps it’s a borrowed item or a family heirloom — you have to take extra care to ensure they’re accounted for. So what’s so great about details, anyway?
Details, as I exclaimed to my patient fiancé at one point in our planning process, ensure that your wedding is a *wedding* and not something resembling a random party or corporate conference. Details ensure that the wedding you’ve put so much time and effort into planning is actually recognizable and memorable to your guests as *your* wedding. Many of the details we’ve chosen to focus on have enabled us to place special emphasis on the importance of family in our lives. I encourage all brides-to-be to determine what important area in your lives could be shared with your guests through small but meaningful details, and go from there!
Our invitation suite illustrated our love for the beautiful city we now call home, but what about our hometowns? In addition to giving a nod to New York and Texas with signature cocktails, we’ve named each table after a favorite place — be it a bar or a monument — in our hometowns. At least one guest seated at each table will be able to share the story behind the table name with the other guests! To honor our parents and our childhood years, we created an escort table arrangement designed by one of my best friends: blossoming branches in hurricane vases that will display family photos of of us as children, and our parents’ weddings. Our parents even have a role in our attire for the big day! My mom made my veil by hand, and Chris selected a custom tuxedo that is identical to the one his father wore at his wedding.
Credit: Flickr
The details aren’t simply aesthetic; they can also be delicious! Alongside a traditional wedding cake, we opted for cupcakes — a foodie trend I absolutely LOVE — baked by a dear friend who, luckily for us, is a pro. They’ll be in chocolate (my favorite) and carrot cake (Chris’s favorite). My favorite part of the carrot cupcakes is the candied carrot shavings that Adrienne places atop the cream cheese frosting. I’ve found the tiny-yet-amazing, innovative touches to be the most memorable aspects of special events!
District Weddings Editor