If you ask me, it doesn’t get better than city views and champagne. Filled with plenty of both, this destination brunch at the Hudson Hotel was perfectly planned from the pops of gold (the Bride’s favorite color) to the paintings given as presents.. Shot by Kayla Poole, this gathering of girlfriends serves as perfect inspiration for any party, big or small.
From Cate Malone, owner of Little White Dress Bridal Shop in Denver, Colorado…My daughter, Kelly, is getting married this October in Beaver Creek, Colorado. She lives in Philadelphia, and her bridesmaids, family and friends live all over the country (and world), so we decided to hold her bridal shower in a place that would be fun and beautiful and also accessible to many of the women traveling to her shower. New York City fit the bill perfectly! For a June shower, I searched for a rooftop venue with great views, a convenient location in Manhattan, and spectacular service (particularly important since Kelly’s maid of honor and I were planning long distance!) Thankfully I found the Hudson Hotel’s Sky Terrace, which was absolutely gorgeous and wonderful to work with.
We opted for a brunch shower, complete with mimosas, bloody mary’s and pastries, and a color palette of gold, blush, and poppy to complement the lush greenery on the rooftop terrace. To keep an intimate feel we had one long table for brunch, then moved into the garden gazebo-style area for gifts and games. Afterward, the outside lounge area with eclectic furniture was the perfect place to for Kelly to relax with her guests over glasses of champagne.
Kelly has a passion for photography, and I knew that getting great photos of her shower would be important to her. Thankfully we came across Kayla Poole Photography, and she did a fantastic job capturing all the details and special moments of the day.
From The Bride…My shower was more beautiful than I ever could have imagined! My mother and maid of honor had told me where it was going to be, but kept all the other details a surprise for me. I love that the spectacular summer city setting is such a contrast to my Colorado mountain wedding this fall. It was so fun to walk out onto the roof terrace and see all the details they came up with, from the banners overlooking the incredible New York City view, to the gold touches everywhere (gold is my favorite!), the photos of me and my fiancé over the years, and the incredible table setting. The only request I had for my mother and maid of honor when they were planning the shower was to have it in New York City, so the fact that they found the perfect location and created so many touches that were very “me” all on their own was really a testament to how well they know me.
My nieces and nephew even made little paintings for me in the shower colors, depicting special scenes – the Love statue in Philadelphia (where I live), flowers for my shower, and the mountains for my Colorado wedding. My youngest niece (four months old) was there at the shower, and she was definitely the biggest hit of the party!
A few of the most special gifts I received were a white sapphire necklace that was passed down through the generations by my great-great-grandmother, a tote bag with the Colorado flag embroidered with mine and my fiancé’s names and our wedding date, and a globe marked with all the locations around the world that my fiancé and I have lived in or visited together. Another wonderful surprise during the shower was the delivery of a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from my fiancé, with a very sweet note from him.
I wanted something a bit different and colorful for my shower dress, so when I found the blue and white dress from Anthropologie I knew it would be unique but still “bridal”. My beautiful Twigs & Honey headpiece is from Little White Dress Bridal Shop (I’m the luckiest bride in the world to have such an incredible bridal shop as my family’s business!). A fun addition to my look was the Kate Spade “MRANDMRS” license plate clutch – and how perfect that it says New York on it!
Until my own shower I never fully understood the importance of the tradition of the bridal shower. But after being surrounded by so much love (and pampering) from the most important women in my life, I feel more ready than ever to get married and I really understand why the shower is a kind of “rite of passage” for brides. Besides choosing my wedding dress (of course from Little White Dress!) it was the first time I really felt like a bride. It was so fun to see my closest friends and bridesmaids – all from different places and times in my life – get to know one another better, and to share the excitement of my future wedding and marriage. The icing on the cake was being given such a beautiful, no-detail-overlooked shower in one of my favorite cities!
Photography: Kayla Poole Photography | Floral Design: Whole Foods Market Preston | Catering: Clift Hotel | Hair Stylist: Dry Bar | Hotel: Clift Hotel | Bride's Bracelet And Earrings: The Perfect Petal | Bride's Clutch: Kate Spade | Bride's Dress: Anthropologie | Bride's Headpiece: Twigs & Honey | Bride's Headpiece: Little White Dress Bridal Shop | Rentals: Clift Hotel