Weddingbee Blog

A bridal shower, that is! Several posts back, I told you what little I knew about the bridal shower Sister Parasol was planning for me. You may also remember that I said I was feeling nervous about my shower. To be perfectly honest, a lot of my fears were completely irrational. For instance, I was worried that no one would come, and I would feel like a total loser. Yeah, I have no idea where that fear came from because I have the most awesome family and friends ever. For real. They made me feel so incredibly loved, and I am immensely grateful to have each and every one of them in my life.

Here’s a peek at the day’s festivities:

Personal Photo

Guest Photo

There were lots of yummy goodies. Sister Parasol baked most of them herself. The rest were supplied by Aunt Parasol K and my other Sister Parasol. Needless to say, no one went hungry!

Personal Photo

And of course we had lots of tasty drinks to go with our edible goodies. My favorite was the red fruit punch, though the citrus sangria that Sister Parasol made was a close second.

Guest Photo

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People visited and mingled and caught up with old friends. It was amazing, and I only wish I could have kept everyone there longer so that we could have visited even more!

After a while, Sister Parasol rounded everyone up so we could play a few games. In the first game, everyone tried to guess a bunch of random facts about me, and Cousin Parasol E won. Then Sister Parasol subjected me to the humiliating bubble gum game. She asked me a bunch of very obscure questions about Mr. Parasol, and for each wrong answer, I had to put a piece of bumble gum in my mouth.

I love how it looks like she’s interviewing me. / Guest Photo

I wasn’t as bummed about the game as I look here! / Guest Photo

Trying to be lady-like with a wad of gum in my mouth. / Guest Photo

The end result—nine pieces of gum! Oh no! / Guest Photo

After I got rid of my gum, the married women offered some wisdom and advice for how to have a healthy and successful marriage. All of them were excellent, but here are some of my favorites:

• Be willing to compromise.
• Don’t be afraid of conflict.
• Give your spouse words of encouragement and praise, and swallow words of criticism.
• Think of one special ritual, whether it’s a kiss goodnight or a hug in the morning, and do it every day, even if you want to strangle your spouse.
• You chose your love, now love your choice.

Then it was time to open some presents. There was something humorous:

A duplicate gift from one of my Grandma Parasols. / Guest Photo

Something sexy:

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Something beautiful:

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Something big:

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Something with my married monogram:

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And a lot of meaningful words:

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I also have to say that I received an astounding number of beverage-related items at my shower: a set of gorgeous stemless wine glasses, a set of tall glasses, two sets of margarita glasses, a set of wine tasting glasses, a cork screw, a bottle stopper, and a bottle opener. It was pretty funny, and I kept joking that Mr. Parasol and I are going to throw a party that is comprised solely of different types of drinks. Party at Parasol Place—woohoo!

While I opened my gifts, Aunt Parasol S made me the most awesome ribbon bouquet, and I can’t wait to use it at our rehearsal.

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It was truly a magnificent day. And you know what the best part was? Spending time with all of these wonderful women (and many more who aren’t pictured here!).

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Thank you, Sister Parasol, for throwing me the best bridal shower in the history of the world!

Love you, sissy! / Personal Photo

Did your bridal shower or anything else wedding-related totally exceed your expectations? Tell me about it!