Setting the stage for our wedding with a playful bridal shower.
By Erika Lynde
With the last couple months having been total chaos and my maid of honor across country, I’m lucky that my amazing mother and baby sister assumed the task of throwing me a bridal shower. The wedding is finally our number one priority once again, and the invites for this event were urgent. Proper etiquette says invites should be sent a little more than a month in advance to give guests fair warning to clear their schedules. Facebook saved the day with its easy way to post events. I took advantage of social media and added my event to my page and invited my entire guest list virtually with an official invite to follow. Whew! This way I won’t sweat rushing the postal service if/when my address book goes missing in one of my unmarked boxes lying around the new abode. (This is happening as I type.)
We envisioned the shower taking place in early October amid the changing leaves and the cool air of fall. It’s the perfect time for an outdoor tea party. We were in need of some invitations right away and there was only one place I knew I could trust: Vistaprint. They did such a great job with my save the dates, I knew they wouldn’t fail me now. We picked out the cutest high tea party invites and just added “bridal.” They are adorable, and I’m happy with their service once again. As I sealed each envelope I started to brainstorm about the kind of party I’d really like to have. Besides having lots and lots of tea and decadent desserts, we’ll have to have adorable tea sandwiches and savory soups, all homemade. (Did I tell you I’m a really great cook?)
Liam and I are really a silly couple, and I want to bring that to light at my shower. I want to show everyone what a great time they can expect to have at our wedding. I hope my mom doesn’t mind all my big plans because besides having my backyard look like a rustic elegant tea party with a bunch of DIY paper flowers and vintage teacups, I’m hoping for a real jovial atmosphere. I was thinking maybe we could have a dress up station where the ladies can bring out their childlike nature with big hats and long gloves (maybe even some feathered boas!). Oh, and have floral ice cubes fill the glasses of each peach champagne flute in every guest’s hand. I love a good girls’ day full of whimsy and cocktails. This is going to be a lot of fun joining the families with delicious food and games.
It’s been nice letting go of that big load I’ve been carrying on my shoulders for the past few months. We were so lucky to get the chance to buy a beautiful home for our family, and now everything’s starting to come together. If you are a little more curious to see how I hope this day will all come together, take a look here at my Pinterest board full of tea party bridal shower foods, games and themes and maybe gets some ideas of your own.