DIY Bridal Shower

I threw a bridal shower for my Best Friend, Whitney, this past weekend.  I couldn't wait to share some of the pictures with you.  Whitney is very laid back, natural, and has a great sense of style (she is a personal shopper for JCrew).  I really wanted to incorporate all of those things into the shower to make it more personalized.  I hope you enjoy this peek at all of the details!



I love to cook, but I hate to bake so I always order my cakes when I am doing events.  I ordered a 10 inch cake and an 8 inch cake with buttercream icing and no trim. Since they usually charge more for tiered cakes it is an easy money saver to order two smaller cakes and assemble yourself. To decorate the cake I bought several small containers of succulents. I cleaned them in the sink by pulling them out of their containers and snipping the stem down to a quarter of an inch- just enough to be able to stick into the cake.  I gave them a good soap and water bath and then positioned them all of the cake. If you cut the stem too short, simply stick a toothpick down the center of the remaining stem and then position onto the cake. 



I wanted Whitney to be able to take something home from the shower that was really special so I had everyone write her advice, funny memories, and words of encouragement.  I cut out the banner from a roll of kraft paper and then used acrylic paint for the lettering.  I attached it to a cork board that I made earlier this year. 

I always use The Happy Envelope for my invitations.  They are wonderful! 
If you are a bride-to-be, contact them!

We made terrariums out of apothecary jars and mixed them with terracotta plants full of rosemary and lavender and tea cups filled with succulents. 

To make the custom champagne labels I soaked the bottles in warm, soapy water for 1 hour.  I used a scouring pad to scrape the part of the label that wouldn't peel off.  I cut out rectangles out of kraft paper and used acrylic paint to make the design. I used a spray adhesive to attach the label to the bottle.

Shop the brides look here: Dress, necklace

-a.e.h.

A Fiesta Themed Bridal Shower: Part 2

For Caroline's shower I used an assortment of Mexican inspired vases, tequila bottles, and ceramic pots to hold the crepe paper flowers.   I ordered an assortment of flowers from Amols in San Antonio (amazing place for fiesta goods) and made the rest of the flowers out of colorful card stock.   

The adorable little bride with her sombrero veil on!

We brought a few packs of mustaches for photo ops

Thanks to everyone who came to the shower!

-a.e.h.

A Fiesta Themed Bridal Shower: Part 1

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting a bridal shower with three of my best friends.  We decided on a fiesta theme for Caroline's shower and wanted it to have a very laid back feel.  We chose Chez Guevara as the location for its whimsical charm and delicious food.  Instead of creating a custom dinner we allowed guest to order off of the full menu.  This worked really well for us, but I do not recommend for groups over 30.  Creating a custom menu narrows down choices and speeds up the ordering process.  We had the tables pre-set with all of the essentials (salsa, queso and pitchers of margaritas) so the guests could start digging in right away!  


We ordered a plain two-tiered strawberry cake
 from Sugar Buzz Bakers & added the decor ourselves.  
Sugar Buzz cakes are AMAZING!! The Mexican crepe
paper flowers were ordered from Amols in San Antonio.

I made this cake topper by stringing pom pom balls
with a needle and thread and attaching to two
bamboo sticks.

Striped straws from Shop Sweet Lulus margaritas.
I actually forgot these in my car :(

We used a long table to seat everyone and brought in
our own cream linens to set it apart from the other
restaurant tables.



Check back tomorrow for more party pics!

-a.e.h.