I’m finally sitting down to share all the special details from my bridal shower with you all. While I am going to focus on how beautiful it was, I also want to share it from a bride’s perspective - (AKA not having to plan any of it) which was probably the best part!
My mom, sister, cousin, bridesmaids and mother-in-law planned the most beautiful bridal shower for me this past October. My cousin hosted in her beautiful home in Orlando, Florida that was able to give us the most stunning indoor/outdoor feel for the day.
It was truly a dream and there aren’t enough words to express how unbelievably thankful I am to everyone that made it possible. I am going to show you everything in photos, but first I want to give a few pieces of advice for my future to-be's when it comes to your shower.
Give your ideas and then let go
As a planner, this was extremely hard for me. But I plan a lot of things (as you may know). I knew this was truly my opportunity to let someone else do it for me and I’m so glad I did. My sister and mom asked me upfront what “theme” I wanted. I sent them some ideas from Pinterest and Instagram and the rest was up to them.
The day-of I was so surprised. Not only because everything was so incredibly beautiful, but because it truly was exactly what I had envisioned. It showed just how much my best people know me and it reflected so much throughout the entire day.
So my advice, share your favorite inspiration pictures and then let go! As a bride, you have a million other things you have to do leading up to your wedding day. Please let someone else take this off of your plate for you. I promise, it’s worth it.
Hire a photographer
One of THE best things we did for this day was have a photographer. We hired a fellow vendor and great friend Alex Michele Photography. The day was so beautiful and so thought out we wanted to be sure every detail was captured. I knew my girls had worked so hard putting it together, the last thing I wanted them to do was worry about getting all the pictures as well. I wanted them to be present. Not only that, but I was able to get a picture with every person that came - photos I will cherish forever.
My advice, hire a photographer for this day or designate someone at the beginning of the shower to get all of the photos you'd like.
Have fun doing other things leading up to it
This was super fun for me leading up to my shower. This weekend only happens once! I had so much fun searching for and trying on different dresses and shoes until I found the perfect outfit.
Not only that, but since quite a few of my friends were coming from out of town I decided to plan a weekend around my shower as well. I planned dinner and drinks Friday night before the shower with all of my bridesmaids when they got into town. The Saturday of my shower was actually the day before Halloween, so I decided to get a hotel downtown and that evening after, we went out and dressed up. It was fun to not only see my best friends for a few hours, but for an entire weekend.
My advice, take full advantage of seeing your friends during these exciting times and celebrate every opportunity you get to with your favorite people.
Dress the part, you’re only a "to-be" once
For starters, I am not into being super extravagant. You can find me most of the time in gym clothes, jeans and a t-shirt or a simple dress with a hat. But as a bride-to-be I was different. This is THE only time you're going to be able to "dress the part" so why not own it 100000000%?
Dressing the part of a to-be throughout my entire year of being engaged was probably one of my favorite things. I’ve never worn so much white/champagne (not sure what I'm going to do with it all) but I knew I was only going to be able to do this once in my life.
So my advice, DRESS THE PART for your shower. Prior to the day, I got my nails and toes done, got a spray tan, hair highlighted and then went to get my hair done the morning of. It was so much fun getting dressed up, I will never get over the dress and shoes I wore.
My overall advice?
I am a huge planner - and it’s hard for me to step away from certain things. This is something I wanted to step away from though. Between work, planning the wedding and just life in general, I really didn’t have the time either. But I will say, YOU are the one being SHOWERED, YOU are the guest of honor - let your family and friends do this one for you and have your only job be to show up dressed and ready to enjoy yourself.
My advice, this season of life is an exciting one, and if there’s one thing I could suggest is to enjoy every single moment. Do not let the little things stress you out. Yes, there is a lot to get done but it’s FUN stuff - nothing that should be complained or stressed about.
The Details
My mom and sister asked me early on what I wanted my shower to be like. I knew I wanted there to be lemons, limoncello and for it to have an indoor/outdoor feel. My family is also Italian, so imagining myself in Positano or Capri with a limoncello in hand, over looking a stunning view, with lovely Italian music in the background, were the vibes I was going for.
My cousin’s house is perfect for entertaining. I’m so thankful she decided to host because it truly was the most perfect spot. It gives a perfect indoor and outdoor feel so they decided to set up all of the food and desserts inside, but all of the tables and chairs outside around the pool. Her double sets of french doors leading out to the backyard were open the entire day so it flowed so nicely.
They rented tables, chairs and the chargers from Event Works Orlando. One of my favorite rental companies that has so many beautiful rental pieces to choose from.
For food, I really loved the idea of it all be a grazing opportunity. No formal sit down meal, rather just grabbing what you want, sitting wherever you like and mingling in full swing!
My cousin, who owns a charcuterie and grazing board business Cured By Cati , covered her entire kitchen island with different cheeses, meats, fruit, breads, quiches, and so much more goodness that everyone enjoyed. Desserts included delicious Italian pastries and macaroons! There were also mimosas and a signature cocktail "My Main Squeeze" which was a refreshing lemon cocktail with champagne. Everything down to the food, was filled with detail.
Take a look at how the vision came to life below!
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