Jackie's Wedding Planning Journey - July Weddings bring May Showers...

This past weekend was my first bridal shower! My fiance, Matt's, family hosted a ladies-only brunch for me in Florida - our home state. The food was amazing - homemade chicken salad croissants, fruit, muffins and a dessert table to die for! Matt's Grandma makes Czech pastries, I believe they are called Kolacky, that are filled with apricot, prune, pecan or cream cheese filling. So good that I am willing to admit that I ate 50 of them over the weekend - so much for my pre-wedding diet! I took pictures, but they were with my mother's camera. As soon as I can teach her to upload pictures, I will post them.

When this whole wedding planning journey began, it was strange to think that anyone might want to throw me a bridal shower. I figured I would have one, but that's as far as it went on that subject. "Y'all"....I sure did underestimate Southerners' fondness for parties and themes!Between May 9th and my wedding I have four to attend. I don't know the details on all of them yet, but I will share the next one - which I do know about - and some interested wedding shower themes I have encountered recently as a guest.

Next up for us is a couples shower thrown by my generous friend Tara! She's hosting a low country boil in our honor, which is much more Matt's thing than tea and brunch, haha. I'm excited to have Matt and the guys join in on the celebrations! If you're looking for a great couples' shower theme, try a "Stock the Bar" shower. Each couple brings a bottle of liquor to help the happy couple become well-situated hosts once they are married!

Yum..Low Country Boil.

Whether you search all the blogs for themes, or just use your imagination and information about the couple's likes and personalities, there are unquantifiable variations on the traditional bridal shower to keep the betrothed hopping right up until her wedding, such as...

Monograms and Mimosas - a friend of mine was recently thrown one of these! Everyone brings a gift with the bride's new monogram or the couple's future monogram. This is a great shower for younger wedding guests as the gifts can be small, like cocktail napkins with the couple's last initial, or maybe an LL Bean beach bag.

Around the Clock - guests are given a time of day on their invitations and asked to bring a gift that would be used at that time of day. This is another great couples' shower idea as the gifts can stray from the traditional registry items. The happy couple may receive a subscription to the New York Times or another "morning paper," for an a.m. gift....and, I dunno, a Blu-Ray DVD player or other must haves for a great "movie night" for a p.m. gift. The possibilities are endless with a shower like that.


Readers: Do you have a really inventive wedding shower idea or theme to share?