Me, my seven-months-pregnant-sister Katie and my mom at my bridal shower in Seattle.
Toasting with West Coast family who can’t make the wedding.
By Molly O’Brien
Home is great. There’s nothing like being home. This last trip to Washington was all about me. In April Glen and I flew home to Seattle to visit my family, enjoy some fresh Pacific Northwest air and have a shower…or two. The bridal shower was for me (sorry, Glen).
It was pretty weird because I don’t really like being the center of attention, but it was fun for a day. My sister Katie worked so hard to make a shower possible. What made this feat even more incredible is that Katie did it seven months pregnant!
Friends and family gathered at Katie’s house for a mid-morning brunch. It was a lovely sunny day so we were able to utilize the living room and the patio outside. (No, it doesn’t rain EVERY day in Seattle.) We had a nice brunch, coffee and, of course, mimosas.
I’m not always a big fan of showers, but this was really important to me for a few reasons. Glen and I are getting married in Rhode Island and many of my dear family members will not be able to attend the wedding. The shower was my opportunity to see them, catch up and to enjoy their company before the big day.
Another reason the shower was special: Three guests brought stowaways. My sister, my cousin Megan and my friend Dana will not be able to attend the wedding because they have much more important jobs to do: They have to finish cooking their babies and become moms. My beautiful cousin Megan will welcome a baby boy in early August and my longtime friend Dana is overjoyed to welcome a baby girl in July. Katie is due at the end of June and I cannot wait to meet my new little niece. Next time I come home I’ll be a married woman and an aunt…talk about life changes!
Getting back to the shower, I think it’s hard to have an event be focused on you because you have to mix and mingle and I never feel like there is enough time to see and talk to everyone. I didn’t feel like I had any one solid conversation. I think people understand though (I hope).
It was a little different from a traditional bridal shower where people sit around the bride as she open gifts. I traveled 3,000 miles, so taking gifts with me wasn’t an option. Instead, I got a bunch of really nice cards and gift cards to Target and Macy’s and a few tangible gifts. It was a really neat day that I’m very fortunate to have had. A BIG thank you to my mom and my sister for putting it all together, and a big thank you to everyone for coming. Hopefully everyone got their thank you cards (I still have a few to write!).