Author Archives: Caitlin Kenney

A Southern Country Couples Shower

As a woman who spent her college years in the South, my idea of a great party still hinges on backyard BBQ and lawn games (please also have biscuits). So I have been dying to showcase a wedding shower with a bit of Southern charm and country flair and I at last found the one: this Tennessee couples shower photographed by Sara Tallent. Taylor and Kate celebrated with an evening of trick roping, mechanical bull riding and a savory summer BBQ with plenty of iced tea to wash it down. Cheerful sunflowers, burlap sacks and antique cans transformed into planters added charm and color to the decor. And have you seen the wooden moose head? Please send him to me! When night fell, Sara snapped the most stunning sparkler pictures I think I have ever seen—you will simply LOVE them! (Plus, Sara’s tutorial on how to take sparkler pictures like these yourself!)

New Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party Page (or Conquering My Fear of HTML)

So guys, I have a confession. I’m afraid of HTML. All those <‘s and aref=WHAT? Scary. Terrifying. Thank God that WordPress makes blogging so easy. But, for awhile I have been really dissatisfied with my Real Parties page. The continuous scroll just wasn’t user friendly and it really wasn’t showcasing the parties. It was burying them. I especially felt bad for the parties I published a long time ago as they were basically lost in the void. And there are some gems back there! Like this gorgeous Linens and Lace party. Or this super creative bachelorette at LA’s Renegade Craft Fair. So I made you this page.

I worked super hard on it. If you know anything about coding you will probably be like…you are overreacting. But it was tough for me. And I did it. So go me, OK!

I really wanted readers to be able to quickly scan all the parties we’ve featured and then dig into ones that fit their aesthetic. For awhile I thought about doing categories, like Tea Party, Lingerie, etc., but I realized that the parties are all so varied and unique that they really reject being simply categorized. This tea party has a totally different vibe from this one! The design I decided on highlights one image that captures the spirit of the party and brings you to the full post with a click.

Yours truly,
Caitlin, coding novice

Fall 2013 Bridesmaid Trend Report

Well folks, lace and neutrals are not going away. These trends continue in many of the new fall bridesmaid collections, but a few designers have taken a fresh approach with floral-inspired laces and unique new shades. The color palette is shifting from bright summer hues to warm jewel tones like garnet and classic navy. A new trend that is popping up all over the place is the illusion neckline. Take a peek at the gallery for a few of our favorite Fall 2013 bridesmaid styles and let us know what you think in the comments.

Lace continues to be a strong trend this season. I love the scallop necklace detail in this swingy Donna Morgan dress, accessorized with a skinny metallic belt.

A different take on lace and neutral, two ongoing trends, from Lela Rose. The flowing chiffon skirt is balanced by the daisy lace top.

J.Crew introduced a lace collection in vibrant colors, like this bright poppy.

I like this variation on lace from the Dessy Group.

A new trend for Fall 2013 is the illusion neckline. This dress from Lela Rose is one of my favorite versions as the tiny gathers in the mesh adds detail and elegance.

J.Crew’s take on the illusion neckline, in a fun polka dot.

One of the season’s most popular colors—navy. I love the cap sleeves and V-neck illusion neckline—a total different take on this trend.

A touch of sequin at the neckline and waist in this Dessy Group style.

Another popular color this season is a deep crimson. I love the delicate layers of tulle in this BHLDN style.

A garnet style in flowing liquid jersey from J.Crew, with a unique pleated knot at the bust.

This velvet style from Donna Morgan is totally my wild card, but I kind of adore it for a winter wedding. The rich forest green is spectacular and velvet would be totally unexpected.

A White and Peach Zen Bridal Shower

This zen bridal shower from JKB Young Photography is such a breath of fresh air! From the delicate origami butterfly garland to the pastel peach cotton candy, everything about this shower is serene and sweet—a perfect antidote to the stress of wedding planning! Guests enjoyed mango sushi bites, thai coconut tomato soup, smoked salmon and apricot mocktails before indulging in whimsical desserts. And bride Clara just looks so confident, beautiful and empowered in her yoga poses. The soft color palette and zen decor create the perfect atmosphere for relaxation and serenity—an ideal setting for the bride to recharge with the women in her life before her big day.

Photography: JKB Young Photography | Event Planning: Lady Blue | Catering: Lavender and Gold Lace | Florals: Shoots | Hair/Makeup: Jessica Young

Take the 2013 Bridesmaid Census!

emily delamater photography via style me pretty

Photograph by Emily Delamater, via Style Me Pretty

Something that I spend a lot of time thinking about (so much time, you guys) is what the bridesmaid experience today is like. What kind of bridal showers are we throwing for our friends and what kind would we want for ourselves? Where are we spending our destination bachelorette weekends and will there be a stripper…or is that absolutely not going to happen? What do you love about being a bridesmaid and what do you most dread? You can answer as many or as few questions as you like in our anonymous 12 question survey. Just 12 questions! Questions apply to bridesmaids and brides past, present and future alike, so any lady will be able to answer. I can’t wait to share what we find!

Take Our Survey!

Wine Basket Bridal Shower Gift + Printable Poem Gift Tags

Today, I’m so excited to bring you a series of printable poem gift tags, perfect for a wine basket bridal shower gift. This is a great gift to team up on with a couple friends. You can split the cost of 8 bottles of wine (at least one should be champagne!) and then add a poem gift tag to each bottle so the bride has a wine collection ready for the milestones of her first year of marriage.

When I decided to embark on this project, I knew my friend Amanda was the perfect person to collaborate with—she is absolutely the master of writing cute little poems. (When I was in her wedding, she wrote a poem for each bridesmaid, talking about how special our friendship was to her.)

We looked at similar projects around the web and both agreed that we didn’t like certain events that were commonly used for this gift. We thought First Fight was weird (“Yay, we’re married and we fought!”) and we agreed that Christmas and New Year’s were kind of lame, especially since it’s likely you’ve already spent a few of these holidays with your significant other before you get hitched. We liked the idea of celebrating the first baby, but didn’t like how most poems for this event were designed so that the lady didn’t get to drink anything! We decided that we could get around this by reserving the baby bottle of wine for right when you decide to start trying to get pregnant or for after baby is born! We brainstormed different life events that merited a bottle of wine and came up with a list of eight options: Wedding Night, Honeymoon, First Anniversary, First House, First Baby, First Dinner Party, New Job and Just Because!

For the tag design, I experimented with some of my favorite color palettes—some sunset-inspired shades, then neons, and finally metallics paired with warm neutrals. But when I tried them on wine bottles, I really didn’t like how the colors clashed with the shades of the glass. I finally decided to pull colors from the bottles themselves and landed on four shades of green and violet that would complement the natural colors of wine. (My color choices are also inspired by Pantone’s shades of 2014.) I added a geometric triangle at the edge for a bit of a visual pop. What do you think?

IMPORTANT NOTE: To print these to make your own bridal shower wine basket, you should download the PDF from the link below. It will give you the best resolution and most clear type—the jpegs used throughout this post are just to show you the design, but are too small and will pixelate if you print at full size.

Print from this link for the best results: Wine Basket Printable Poem Gift Tag PDF

I hope you love! And if you want to design your own tags, you can find the full text of the poems after the jump.

Continue reading →

A Kaleidoscope of Colors Bridal Shower

Sometimes a lady does not want a shower that’s all pastel flowers and pink ruffles—she craves whimsy and vibrant colors, a modern affair for a modern woman! Anne from Circus Berry has just such a friend, so she obliged with an explosion of geometric garlands and colorful glassware in this kaleidoscope bridal shower. The crowning centerpiece is the donut hole tower, easily assembled with a styrofoam core, plastic wrap and a whole lot of toothpicks. When the bride asked for a nod to her beloved feline friend, Anne was momentarily stumped, but found the perfect solution with geometric cat cupcake toppers (love the question mark tail!). Check out Anne’s tutorial for the hand-painted champagne glass favors here.