Last Updated on October 21, 2020 by Stacy Averette
“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.”
Song of Solomon 8:6-7
I don’t think there’s anything more beautiful than a bride or a bride-to-be, especially when the bride-to-be is your daughter. We’ve had so much fun over the years talking about weddings and what hers might look like. Sometimes I have to pinch myself that my girl is getting married soon!
She’ll be Mrs. John Nelson in a few short weeks and we’re trying to soak up every moment!
In a recent survey I shared with my readers, many of you responded that you’d like to see more about my family and our real life here. Sometimes it’s hard to know how much personal stuff you want to read about and how many family pics you want to see here. But since I’m the very proud mother of the beautiful bride-to-be (and since you asked), I’m sharing just a few of the pics in this post, tips for hosting a bridal shower, plus a few fun recipes along the way!
Tips for Hosting an Easy and Elegant Bridal Shower
She was given a shower a few weeks ago, by the ladies from John’s home church. What a sweet experience! I’d never met most of the ladies at the shower but they instantly made us feel welcome—just like family!
You might like to read the advice I gave the bride-to-be for her first bridal shower.
Tip #1 Choose a theme
The hostess chose a theme that was carried out beautifully from beginning to end. The invitation was lovely and came with two recipe cards and instructions to write down a favorite recipe to share with the bride-to-be at the shower.
Tip #2 Be a hospitable hostess
The hostess met us at the door with a welcoming smile and made us feel at home. She gave instructions about where to park, when to eat, and when to open gifts. We were all busy talking and getting to know one another so it was nice to have someone focused on keeping the party moving. She definitely has the gift of hospitality! If you prefer to be a “behind the scene” hostess then appoint someone to take the lead!
Tip #3 Serve simple, delicious food and punch
I didn’t get many photos of the food table (I was too busy eating!) but it was colorful and tasty and beautifully presented. There was a variety of food including tea sandwiches, dips, veggies, and sweets.
The hostess made her famous lemon pound cake. Oh, my goodness! I didn’t get her recipe but I found this one at Life, Love, and Good Food if you need a recipe to try! One of the ladies made homemade lemon petit fours which were also delicious. Reminded me of our days living in New Orleans. I’d never even heard of a petit four until we moved there!
The lemon punch was delicious! I love punch, period—any kind of punch on any occasion. One of our family’s favorite punch recipes is Lemonade Punch. Now I’m craving punch!
My sister and niece were able to attend the shower as well as my daughter-in-law! We had such a fun girls’ weekend!
Tip #4 Designate a seat for the guest of honor.
When the time came to open gifts she directed Maddie to her special seat surrounded by beautifully wrapped gifts. The side table held a bouquet of yellow flowers and a pair of scissors for opening boxes and cutting a ribbon.
Tip #5 Introductions
After everyone found a seat in the living room to watch Maddie open the gifts, the hostess asked each one to share their name and how they knew John. I know not everyone loves introducing themselves to a group, but I loved this! It was so special to hear each of the ladies share how they knew John and how much they love him!
Tip #6 Provide List Keeping Supplies (and have a list maker ready)
I wanted to sit near Maddie as she opened her gifts and I also opted to be the list keeper. I love making lists so it was fun! The mother of the bride may not want to be the list keeper so it’s a good idea to have someone ready for the task.
Tip #7 Have the Bride Tell Their Story
After Maddie finished opening her gifts, the hostess asked Maddie to tell how she and John met. She told the story as if she’d rehearsed it a thousand times! We were all a little teary-eyed hearing the story of how God brought them together. I heard parts of the story I’d never heard before!
Many of the ladies had never met Maddie before and most all of them didn’t know the details of their story. I thought it was a sweet way to honor them and their connection to friends gathered that day.
Tip #8 Display pictures of the couple together
The hostess had gathered pictures Maddie and John had taken together over the last few months. She displayed them with a handmade garland hanging on the mantel!
Tip #9 Designate a photographer
I love taking photos and I’d just bought a new camera but I knew I’d be too caught up in the moment to get any photos. My niece was so sweet to be our official photographer for the day and she did a great job! Almost all of these photos are ones she took. Thank you, Julianna!
Tip #10 Send guests home with party favors
What a fun idea! The hostess made lemon scrub for each guest to take home. “From Maddie’s Shower to Yours” the sign reads! I’ve never made lemon scrub before and I didn’t get her recipe but I found this Easy DIY Lemon Sugar Scrub recipe by one of my favorite blogger’s in case you want to make your own.
As you can see, Maddie’s first bridal shower was very special! We all had a wonderful time celebrating Maddie and John.
Some of our dear friends hosted a Bridal Brunch for Maddie at our home church recently and I’ll be sharing that next week!
I love seeing the creativity and generosity of women in action! Encouraging and celebrating other women is wonderful privilege. I’ve been really inspired by these showers and look forward to using some of these ideas to practice hospitality in my home. If you need them, you can find more bridal shower ideas by clicking here.
What did I leave out? Do you have hostess tips you’d like share with us? We’d love to hear them. Just leave a comment below!
If you haven’t taken the Women’s Survey 2019 yet, click here for a link. It’s only 10 questions and takes about 5 minutes to complete. Thank you!
Maddie is a beautiful bribe-to-be! I really enjoyed the lovely photos and your wonderful tips for being a hostess. It looks like a perfect bridal shower.
Thanks, Pam! We all had so much fun!