Weddingbee Blog

Last weekend, I got showered… drenched… soaking wet with bridal specialness. It was my very first bridal shower, and I happened to be the bride being honored. To sum it all up, it was amazing. I still don’t get the purpose of a bridal shower. But if the purpose is to make the bride feel honored and special, I’ll call this one a total success. Thank you Auntie Hottie L&C.

Look how well they lived up to this name…

Shower Details

Check these out! They’re vintage hankies wrapped around paper dolls. AWESOME! Auntie Hottie L’s husband buys estate sale lots that tend to have vintage hankies. Over the years, he’s given them to Auntie Hottie L. She’s kept them all together, waiting for the perfect project, and the day came. Using her stash of hankies, she gifted each guest with these beauties.

I had a corsage with orchids to match my wedding invitations.

And my not-so-secret fondness of cupcakes was shown through the centerpieces. These yummies had white chocolate chips inside. De-lish!

As a bride, I highly recommend the “Around the Clock” themed shower. The creativity that guests showed truly impressed me. I heard that several guests (especially younger ladies) reported confusion about their time assignments. Some people didn’t know if their time assignment represented the time of the shower or something else. So if you decide to have an Around the Clock Shower, a short description or instruction might be helpful for guests.

Noteworthy Non-Registry Gifts

• 2AM: Gifts for getting back to bed, and another for keeping Mr. Hot Wings awake with me if I’m up (wink wink). Should I note that this gift came from Mr. Hot Wings’ mom and sister? Can someone say, “awkward?” LOL! That’s how we roll, hive. Scary isn’t it?
• 4AM: A Vera Bradley travel tote & make up bag for the early mornings when I wake up to get to the airport to catch a flight. And of course, it came in our wedding colors.
• 7AM: caffeines of all kinds: teas, coffees, things to make tea, pretty coffee cup/saucer, and preserves
• 10AM: Brunch at a nice restaurant in the city we’re moving too. How freaking thoughtful and sweet is that!?!?! (Hottie Cousin B Rocks!)

Noteworthy Registry Gifts

• 6 AM: 2 bowls, 2 spoons, and 2 packets of oatmeal
• 12 noon: 2 bowls, 2 spoons, and 2 boxes of soup

1PM: Gifts associated with cleaning up after the brunches I will host at our home. See the pretty green rubber gloves above? They also got me the cutest monogrammed apron and kitchen towel set, and a soap pump from our registry.

Everyone had a story for me about what they envisioned me doing at that time of day. They didn’t just get me 2 bowls or a soap pump. They thought about the lifestyle that they thought I’d have. I couldn’t believe the creativity and thoughtfulness. I still can’t. It’s got me gushing all over again right now.

I had such a lovely time with these lovely Hotties! They absolutely made me feel like a welcome addition to the family!

And I’ve got to thank Hottie Cousins B & E for filling in as my Hotties since none of my Brideswomen could make it. Hottie E made these 2 rehearsal bouquets for me out of the ribbon from the gifts.

Since I am no longer a shower newbie, I thought I’d pass along my newfound shower wisdom to all of you since it seems to be shower season around the hive!

Notes for Shower Newbies:

• Guests: Add pretty bows and ribbons to your gift so that they can be added to the bride’s rehearsal bouquet. I had no idea about this tradition. I ended up with enough ribbon for 2 bouquets. Hottie of honor is going to get one, too! Don’t forget to put a card or your name somewhere noticeable on the gift. Use the registry as a guide. It’s OK to stray from it (include gift receipts if you’re worried).
• Hostesses: Auntie L&C had shower tools on hand. Some that we used include a trash bag for all the wrapping/tissue paper trash we generated, scissors for cutting tied ribbon and opening sealed boxes, paper plate and tape for creating rehearsal bouquet, and paper/pen for recording who gave what gifts.
• Brides-to-be: Ask someone to take tons of pictures for you because you’ll be busy talking and enjoying the party. Try to unwrap gifts quickly. There are likely a lot of gifts, and watching you unwrap is not as fun as watching your reaction to gifts. So, unwrap quickly and spend more time reacting and thanking. Lastly, don’t forget the hostess gifts. I used some of the hive’s advice and brought cookies from my favorite bakery, then sent flowers the following day. I hope they got there OK.

Help other shower newbies out. The comments section awaits your wisdom.