It’s Bridal Shower Inspiration Week here at Style Me Pretty and we are busting out the bubbly and celebrating with five days of inspiring details galore and steel worthy ideas perfect for incorporating into all those pre-wedding parties; showers being one of our favorites. What’s not to love about being surrounded by all the important people in your life and celebrating soon to be nuptials with great food and yummy drinks? AND when photography by Pictilio is thrown into that festive mix, it’s an all out pretty party. See it all in the full gallery.
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From The Bride… The bridal shower is just that: a day when the bride can sit back, relax, and enjoy being showered with love by all of her closest family and friends. My bridal shower was no exception. I put faith in my maid of honor, who has a penchant for planning (and who understands my obsession over details and design!). In the end, I was glad I did because the day was perfect and made me feel so loved. Together with my moms, she created a bridal shower that was beyond anything I could have imagined. The décor — blush pink hues that shone from the flower arrangements to the macaroon favors and place settings — was perfectly planned and executed down to the last detail. The menu, which featured a crostini bar and panini bar, was unbelievably delicious and unique. The dessert table was filled with an assortment of delectable goodies and was displayed so beautifully on white footed platters. But aside from the food and décor, what really made the shower special was the fact that I was surrounded by such incredible family and friends. In my eyes, that is the most important part. Getting married is such a special time, and it was amazing to have so much love and support from all these inspiring women in my life. I can’t thank my family enough for putting together such a beautiful shower.
From the Matron of Honor… Being an older sister is not easy. You always want what is best for your sibling, and most of the time, they don’t even know it! I had it pretty easy though. My little brother met and started dating a wonderful woman named Taleen right before he went off to college. As my brother started falling in love with Taleen, we started becoming close friends. We are both very detail-oriented, so throwing a party isn’t just a couple calls here and there, it is a definite process. We had a kick-off meeting at my house with the moms, her sister-in-law, our beautiful bride and me. The purpose of the kick-off meeting was to pick Taleen’s brain for her “wish list” for a shower. I didn’t want to keep her completely in the dark because I know that she, like me, likes to know what is going on. After the kick-off meeting, I had a good idea of what she wanted and that is when we got started.
My goal was to make Taleen the happiest bride in the world. We looked into various venues, but what seemed to fit our vision the most was her parents beautiful backyard set in the Saratoga hills. Choosing the venue was step one, then we had to decide how to decorate it. The backyard has a very contemporary villa feel, so we wanted it to be simple yet chic and classy. We chose these beautiful blush-colored tablecloths and napkins from Wildflower Linens in San Francisco. We even added a special chair cover just for our bride-to-be. We added a complementary sheer linen overlay for our dessert table filled with mini desserts, both homemade and store-bought. Everything from the flower centerpieces to the butterfly straws was carefully planned with our bride and end goal in mind. As guests arrived, they were greeted with champagne punch and asked to write a note to our bride on the flower advice notes, then pin them on the corkboard. Following an Italian-themed lunch, we played a game called “Bridal Runway.” With the help of my mom (groom’s mother), we went to the fabric store and bought different types of fabric, including satin, lace, chiffon and organza; ribbons; scissors; hair accessories; bobby bins and safety pins. We then bought fabric storage boxes and made packages so that the women could split into groups and design a bridal gown for a different spin on the standard toilet paper bride game. We then played music and had the brides model down the runway — the women all had a BLAST. The weather was beautiful, our bride was stunning, and our guests were happy. All in all, it was a fantastic and successful shower.
Photography: Pictilio / Venue: The Bride’s Parents’ Home in Saratoga, California / Floral Design: Avenue Florist / Catering: Elegant Event Catering / Cake + Desserts: Nothing Bundt Cakes + DIY / Linens + Bride’s Chair Covering: Wildflower Linen / Dress: BCBG / Shoes: She She Shoes / Makeup: MAC