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Boy, has it been a year for us brides! From drive-by showers to virtual weddings to date changes and postponements and shrinking guest lists; anyone getting married this year has been through the ringer. Although different, I have loved to see the incredible creativity and adaptability of so many couples around the world. Through our own planning, I have learned and thought so much about our family and friends and their comfort levels and safety. It is a humbling process to rack your brain for any creative way to make people feel the most welcome and safe at an event. This was surely the case for my bridal shower!
The day had originally been planned for May, but with shutdowns still going strong, we shifted the date to June. Mere weeks before, we found out that we could have 25 people for a gathering and my mom and sister ran with it! They sent out invitations to everyone that we wanted there; some for the in-person event and some for a zoom toast instead. A few weeks before invitations went out, my mom sent a ‘Guess the Dress’ bride outline so that everyone could send me encouraging notes and drawings before the shower. The guesses were displayed at the shower and it was so fun to see. It was a really sweet way to include everyone and it really brought me joy each day they arrived in the mail.
My mom and sister absolutely blew me away with gorgeous decorations! How about that dried floral installation that my mom created? They are so talented. I love that I live in the same house and had no idea of the theme or color palette of the day. Beautiful table florals were provided by our wedding florist, Krista at Heritage Gatherings. She’s incredible.
Safety at the Bridal Shower
Here are some of the safety precautions we took for the event:
- The entire event took place outside in my parent’s large backyard with ample space to spread out. With thunderstorms in the forecast, they also rented a tent so that the event could remain outside regardless of the weather so everyone would feel comfortable.
- Tables were rented with double the capacity in mind so that a 10 person table only had 5 people sitting at it.
- Assortments of appetizers were pre-set on individual plates wrapped in saran wrap so that you could just grab and go.
- Lunch was boxed by the caterer with individual sandwiches, fruit cups, and chips.
- All dessert items were individually portioned; no cake cutting.
- Beautiful displays of canned rose, wine, and bubbly were available to sip on with straws to go under masks.
- Hand sanitizers were placed at each table.
- A separate bathroom in my parent’s home was designated for the party, stocked with individual napkins to dry hands, disinfecting soap, hand sanitizer, and clorox wipes to clean any surfaces upon entering the bathroom.
- Masks were required unless ample space was available such as sitting down for presents or while eating lunch. Most people spread out 6 feet or more and removed them due to the heat. Extra medical masks were provided and turned out to be a much cooler option for the extreme humidity. In the end, people did what they felt was safe for them. We created a safe environment and then our guests took personal responsibility for their own health.
The Beauty in the Bridal Shower
It was such a beautiful day of being with community and finally gathering together. What a relief and so very refreshing to see people face to face! The smaller group made it so intimate and lovely. My mom shared a really touching toast before lunch that had everyone in tears. I so love her big heart for others and she was so determined to ensure that I would be blessed by this day planned for me. And I was absolutely blown away. I opened beautiful gifts under a handmade dried floral installation. Everyone ‘oooh-ed’ and ‘ahhh-ed’ as I opened the quintessential KitchenAid mixer, a handmade rug with ‘darling, I love you’ on it, and ending with a custom-made-by-dad headboard from an old door from our house. All of the guests went home with a wonderful smelling incense and wood tray set as a favor to remember the day far into the future, put together by my sister/Maid of Honor.
Thank You, Thank You
I was so proud and grateful for how my family rallied around Cameron and I to make it such a special day. My brother-in-law hosted a small ‘dude shower’ for Cam, including our dads and uncles and some delicious barbecue. They gave him beers, a yeti cooler, a really cool outdoor fire bowl, and some power tools. It was so cute. Cameron made his grand entrance at the end of my shower with all of the guys to see all of our gifts. He was so excited about everything, which was so fun to watch. We could not wait to move all of it right into our first apartment in Philadelphia!
Thank you to all of our friends and family for blessing us so much through this very bizarre engagement season! It has not been easy by any means, but having such a strong and unshaken support system has made it look like a breeze. To Cam, your voice and words calm my heart and my anxiety quakes at the truth you speak to me. To my Mom and Dad, the way you show up for me, go above and beyond, and ease my worries is unmatched and abundantly appreciated. To my sister and brother in law, you constantly have our backs and I would choose you for our team day in and day out. To Cam’s mom and dad and sister, you have already felt like family for years, you love me so well, and I can’t wait to make it official in one month.
xoxo,
jojo
