A Spring Bridal Shower

A couple of months ago, we held a bridal shower here for one of my nieces.  I thought you might enjoy seeing some pictures from the occasion.  Beginner blogger + newbie photographer= very few photographs, and when you have 50 women running around your house, you get kind of crazy busy! So some of these photos were taken of the “leftovers” after the shower, but they still give you a good feel for the occasion.

T H E    M O O D

The wedding was set for early spring, but it was late winter.  We wanted the party to appear spring like.  You know that feeling at the end of one season when you are just dying for the next season to arrive?  Well that was my state of mind at the time of planning the decor.  Bright yellow tulips (with a few white ones) seemed to be the perfect flowers to use for arrrangements.  I do not like “arranged” arrangements so I usually just throw a mass of flowers in a container (in this case - a cookie jar) and voila!  an un-arranged arrangement appears..casual and pretty.

The rolled up kraft paper in the photo actually served a purpose (besides diverting your attention from the well used countertop in the photo).  The paper was used as a runner down the middle of the table. We placed several markers about, and the guests were instructed to write words of “marriage wisdom” for the engaged couple.  I think they did a good job…advising them to remember to laugh, be patient, hold hands, and other such sweet things.  When the party was over, I rolled up the paper, tied it with a yellow ribbon, attached the invitation, and wrote the date of the occasion on it.  This was my niece’s first bridal shower, so I think it will be a nice way to remember the event.

 

T H E   M E N U

The menu was full of delicious goodies - ALL of it homemade – not by me though.  I did “the house” and the drinks, and the other hostesses did the food prep.  This was the menu.

 Here’s my Sunshine Punch (It is sadly in need of ice in it though.)

and the coffee.

Ignore the jars of cereal.  They stayed out for the party.  Since all my cabinets and closets are quite full I had nowhere to hide them. 

I drink my coffee straight up black, but here’s the set up for those people who like to muddy up theirs with cream and sugar.

Here are a few of the leftover pecan tarts.  For some reason, they did not rise in the middle, so we just disguised those little holes with a dollop of whipped cream. They tasted delicious.  (I think whipped cream makes everything taste better, so I was glad for the reason to use it!)

The grape salad was a winner, but somehow I did not manage to get ONE SINGLE BITE of it (too busy talking to everyone I guess.)  Anyway, I made a batch later so that I could have some (recipe coming soon.)

T H E   M U S I C

I always think about a play-list when planning any event.  The company is the essential factor; the food is important, and the setting is significant, but I think all of the senses should be considered…even down to which scent of candle will be burning during the party, if any - Henri Bendel’s lemon verbena for this one. (I know I go overboard in planning.)  Anyway, in thinking about a bridal shower I like to do love-songs, and then I consider the age of the group attending.  Our guests ranged in age from 17 to 87, so I decided it would have to be classic love-songs – some with a contemporary edge.  Here is part of my music pairings for this bridal shower:

At Last by Etta James

Come Away with Me by Norah Jones

It Had to be You by Frank Sinatra

I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You by Ingrid Michaelson

The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra

When I Fall in Love by Natalie and Nat King Cole

The Look of Love by Diana Krall

Everything by Michael Buble

Stardust by Harry Connick Jr.

I have an old cd – Forever Yours  (sold by Hallmark and available here) that has most of these standards performed nicely by Julie Crochetiere.  Another choice, and somewhat more upbeat, is the soundtrack to You’ve Got Mail (available here.)  And finally, nothing beats Pandora to me.  The “Michael Buble station” works well for a bridal shower, especially when you have such a variety of ages in attendance.

 T H E   M E N

What did men have to do with this party, you ask?  Well, we were all having a wonderful time – sitting everywhere all over the house … eating all the party food, laughing and talking.  It was supposed to be a “drop in” shower, but no one left after they got here.  They just found themselves a place to sit, and they stayed.  (I take that as a sign of a good party and a compliment to the hostesses that no one wanted to leave.) 

Late in the afternoon, while we were enjoying ourselves talking and eating, the phones started ringing.  It was the men.…husbands, and grandfathers, and fathers, all calling to tell us about a severe storm headed our way.  I went to check the radar,and it did look very bad.  Many of the guests had driven a couple of hours from out of town so they had to hurry to get back home.  You have never seen a bunch of women move so fast! (well maybe at an After-Thanksgiving sale at Target, but that’s a different story..)  Everyone started packing up the gifts in boxes and bags as fast as we could and then running them out to my niece’s car.  All the food was hurriedly cleaned up and furniture put back where it belonged.  All the guests made it out before the storm hit, but some of the hostesses were drenched.  One even had water up to her calf just to get in her car.  For the next hour my husband, daughter, and I watched the news of hail, flooding, and tornadoes in the area.  We were quite blessed to have been able to enjoy the party, get everyone out safely,and have no damage to our home from the weather.

Oh, and one last thing..this niece’s older sister got married a few years ago, and ironically one of the heaviest rainstorms we have ever seen came up 20 minutes before her wedding started.  Most of us got soaking wet just trying to get in the church!

So… have you ever had any weather emergencies interrupt one of your big events?