For April Fool’s Day, my parents arrived for a little visit just 60 days out from the big day. With my sister. And my cousin J, who’s never visited us before. But nothing funny was going on. When I tried to pin down activities for the weekend, they were vague and indecisive. Bridesmaid R and my FMIL had been unusually quiet in the previous weeks. And poor Mr. Pain au Chocolat had been stressing all week about preparing the house for my family, stockpiling food and scrutinizing every corner of the house. What was going on?
With all of those clues, it doesn’t take Nancy Drew to solve this mystery. The shower couldn’t have been a surprise, but the who, what, and where blew me away. While I was out shoe shopping with my family, Mr. PaC, his mom, BM R, and an army of helpers invaded our little townhouse.
FMIL directing with a glass in hand. Mr. PaC is the blue blur.
BM R taking care of some last-minute details
I suspected something was up. But pulling up at our house, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. (This was because Mr. PaC had played valet and hidden all the cars around the block.) Inside 20-plus friends and family members were waiting for the door to open so they could yell “Surprise!”
(My keys stayed in the door for the remainder of the party. Distracted much?)
Mom, Cousin J, yours truly, MOH/Sister L…and one blinking LED wine glass
Still in shock, posing with FMIL
The cousins: do we look related?
The house was filled with cut flowers and potted bulbs to emphasize the spring theme. Mr. PaC hid in another room to see my reaction, said hi, caught me up on some of the details, then skipped out the back door.
Mr. PaC’s brother and best man catered the event. This very generous surprise blew me away!
Appetizers: cheese platter, grilled shrimp, baba ganoush
Some of my favorite cheeses: Saint-Andre, Prima Donna (!!!), bleu cheese, cranberry goat cheese, and Humboldt Fog
Shower co-hostess Bridesmaid R and Groomsman J’s wife
October 2010 bride, K, with BM R
Friends from near and far
North Jersey family and Best Man M’s girlfriend
Mr. PaC’s step-mom with BM R
More North Jersey family
The main course: grilled salmon with guacamole and pico de gallo, beef tenderloin with bleu cheese, grilled veggies, and salad
The chair in front of the decorations in the center of the room? That’s my seat. Not so sure about this…
Sister PaC assists with the cards and keeps my glass filled!
Awkward wave at the lady (my mom) pointing the camera at me
Raising eyebrow in amusement
Darling trio of Anthropologie towels
Laughing about something (long since forgotten) while BM R works on the ribbon bouquet
Hiding from the paparazzi with my (bottomless) mango-prosecco-St. Germain cocktail
Dessert! Coconut cake from our local bakery, macarons, fortune cookies, cake balls, and ginger lemon cremes
Pistachio, passion fruit, and salted caramel macarons from Garces Trading Co.
BM R found lemon and white chocolate fortune cookies that she created five custom fortunes for.
Hey, Mr. PaC’s back!
Mom’s holding the ribbon bouquet (great job, BM R!); I’m holding Groomsman J’s bubbly baby girl.
The best surprise of all was the presence of so many family members and friends who traveled from hours away, the amazing food from Best Man M, the outpouring of love and support, and the enormous effort that my hostesses and future husband put forth to make this an unforgettable event.
Hive, what type of bridal shower would you like? Could your family and friends surprise you?
What a fun looking surprise shower. All of that food looks delicious!
Your shower looked great. Awesome cheese platter for the win!
Aww, this looks like so much fun! I love your brick wall, btw. And those macarons look oh so yummy. Yay!!! 
What a beautiful loving group of people you have in your life!!
Aw I get so teary eyed at surprises!! I’m not sure my family could pull of a surprise for me…hint hint 
You shower looks like such a great time, all the food looks amazing, and I’m in love with the style/decor of your townhouse.
Looks like you had the best time! Cranberry goat cheese???? Be STILL my heart! And I SO want that lace parasol…
How sweet. You look lovely. The shower was absolutely adorable.
@Mrs. Meerkat: I didn’t discover the cheese until the shower was almost over. You can bet I drove right into that Prima Donna.
@Miss Candy Apple: Macarons – insanely good. We love our brick wall; it’s one of my favorite features of the house.
@stephbonthego: Seriously overwhelmed with how amazing everyone was. There was so much to take in, people to chat with, food to eat. I have a feeling this is how the wedding will go.
@tocarat: Surprises render me speechless (a la the proposal). Your family could surprise you with how sneaky they are!!
@Miss Tartlet: The food WAS amazing. They considered having it at a restaurant for a hot second but realized the food would be much better if Mr. PaC’s brother was in charge. I just wish I would’ve had a camera to capture everything in greater detail!
@Crown: I’m not normally a parasol girl, but that was seriously cute. Came in handy when I was trying to hide from the camera.
@Kcoleybear: The ladies (and everyone else) did a stellar job with the execution of the “Spring Shower” theme.
Love those presents, especially the cute parasol! And the food looks fantastic!
dude, that is the yummiest-looking shower spread I’ve ever seen. so lucky!
That is great that they were able to surprise you! It looks like such a fun event. I know when my shower is (this coming weekend, yay!) and I have an idea of the theme, but what is happening is going to be a surprise. I cannot wait!
Mrs. Pain au Chocolat, Wilmington, DE Age and Occupation: 29, Realtor Fiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Realtor Engagement Date: November 21, 2009 Wedding Date: June 2011 Venue: Greenville Country Club About Me: An ENFJ with an artistic streak who loves backgammon, sailing, graphic design, and sleeping in. Travel (near or far), good wine, and tasty food makes my heart sing. I'm a compulsive list-maker who lives to plan and organize. Mr. P and I have lived together for 4 years, all the while renovating our city townhome bit by bit. We're planning a whimsical, Anthropologie-inspired garden wedding in June 2011.
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