Author Archives: Caitlin Kenney

Perfect Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Invites for Every Party Theme

Invitations can set the tone for a party, but sifting through all the options out there can be a little overwhelming. Especially when, let’s face it, a lot of the designs we see are pretty underwhelming. Ooooh, another bachelorette invitation that looks like a corset!? How truly revolutionary! We’ve rounded up some of our favorite standout bachelorette and bridal shower invitations. Some are bold and modern, some are feminine and girly and some are just all-around fun.

For a 90s Throwback Bridal Shower:

The perfect invitation for a 90s throwback bridal shower. Put N*SYNC on loop, get those episodes of Boy Meets World and Gilmore Girls streaming and dig out your glitter nail polish, girls!

For a Bridal Shower Brunch:

I’m kind of obsessed with the chic Southern charm of this invite. The contrast of the loopy “Bubbly” with the bold block lettering, plus the sophisticated navy and nectarine color palette, just makes this feel fresh and fun.

For a Bachelorette Beach Weekend:

The bold sunset colors of this invite immediately caught my attention. If a Miami Beach* bachelorette party is in your future, this invite perfectly channels laid-back seaside vibes. *Works for Key West, Palm Springs, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, etc., too.

For a Tea Party Bridal Shower:

I love this one so much, I maybe just bought it for a friend’s tea party shower in August. The unique “Love is Brewing” slogan sets it apart from other tea party invites while the bold brushstrokes of the floral pattern and the metallic gold lettering make this invite feel modern yet feminine.

For a Bachelorette Night Out:

I often complain about the prevelance of black and pink in bachelorette invites. This one is just the perfect shade of not-quite purple/not-quite pink that makes it feel girly, but like, cool-girly. And if there’s one bachelorette trend I can get behind, it’s a Bride Tribe. Partying with your ladies is what it’s all about!

For a Garden Bridal Shower:

This adorable succulent bridal shower invitation is my favorite for a garden party. Because let’s face it, succulents are still so it right now. We’re not growing roses in my apartment, I’ll tell you that.

For a Stock the Bar Couple Shower:

Pro tip: When you’re looking for a cute couple shower invite, don’t look in the bridal shower section. Search under general parties (birthdays, housewarming, backyard BBQs) for more gender-neutral invitations that don’t scream “bride.” I found this one under birthday and just updated the text for a couple shower!

A Cheerful Kate Spade Bridal Shower

Though Marie Antoinette has cornered the market on famous cake saying for awhile, we’ll gladly take this cheerful update from Kate Spade: “Eat cake for breakfast”…and your bridal shower, of course! Bride Sara’s Kate Spade bridal shower incorporated iconic black and white stripes with pops of neon pink and metallic gold. Showstopping details like hand-decorated cookies and macarons and vibrant arrangements of peonies and garden roses set the perfect tone for this fun-filled afternoon.

A Rustic Vintage Bridal Shower at Terrain

Terrain garden shop in Glen Mills, PA, has gained quite a reputation as the perfect wedding or party venue for the rustic vintage bride. A restored antique greenhouse and lodge are the epitome of modern farmhouse decor: raw barnwood interiors, weathered industrial furnishings, sparkling patio lights and plenty of gorgeous florals in vintage fixtures. At this rustic vintage bridal shower, white china vessels were filled with vibrant greens and white blooms for the perfect fresh bridal look. Guests enjoyed a local seasonal menu including flower pot bread, vegetable crepes and warm fruit hand pies while photographer Brittani Elizabeth was there to capture every detail.

Photography: Brittani Elizabeth Photography | Venue: Terrain

A Sunshine Yellow Honey-Themed Bridal Shower

The perfect theme for any honey-sweet bride-to-bee (get it?), this bridal shower takes a twist away from the typical with a palette of soft yellows and muted greys. The result is sophisticated and unexpected while still being bright and festive. I love how the shower colors are carried through every detail of the party: the jars of honey dotting the tables, the plaid oven mitt favors, the gorgeous dessert table piled with cupcakes and lemon doughnuts, the bright pitchers of mimosas, the Mad Lib-style party game at each place setting—every element ties in perfectly! Photographer Michelle of Wandermore Photography was there to capture every special moment of bride Therese’s gorgeous day.

Photography: Wandermore Photography | Venue: Grand Oaks Country Club

Just Who Exactly Is Invited: Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Guest List Questions Answered

Oh, the tricky web that wedding invitations weave. I can tell you from personal experience that choosing who to invite to your wedding can feel like participating in Hunger-Games-like elimination rounds. And sending out invites to your bridal shower and bachelorette party can be just as filled with hair pulling and grief. Here, we try to simplify things for you a bit with answers to the most common questions we get on guest lists for pre-wedding parties.

Who is invited to the bridal shower?
The bride should provide the host with a guest list. Showers are generally attended by a select group of close friends and relatives, so you should not invite every woman who is attending the wedding. The guest list will usually include the bridesmaids, the bride’s close friends, her mother, grandmother and aunts (and even female cousins, if she is close with them) and the mother of the groom. Important to note: Only ladies who are invited to the wedding should be invited to the shower.

But we are having a small wedding and I wanted to celebrate with some of the friends I didn’t invite to the wedding. Can’t I invite them to my bridal shower?
No, you really can’t. This is considered very rude. Only guests who are invited to the wedding can be invited to pre-wedding parties like the bridal shower. Though you may be tempted to invite the friends who didn’t make the wedding list cut to your shower, you’d basically be saying “please get me a present, but sorry, you can’t come to the wedding.”

Can someone from the groom’s side of the family throw the bride a shower?
Traditionally, the shower is thrown by someone on the bride’s side of the family: her maid of honor, her bridesmaids, an aunt, her godmother, her sister, or even occasionally her mother. That being said, we can do what we want. If the bride is close with her fiancé’s mother or sister and they want to throw her a shower, there’s absolutely no reason they shouldn’t! Just make sure you don’t have competing showers from the bride’s and groom’s side. It’s best to combine into one event if most of the same guests would be invited.

Can men be invited to a bridal shower?
While showers have traditionally been female-only affairs, there are several cases in which inviting men is totally cool. If you want to have a co-ed affair, it’s called a couple’s shower. In this case, both the bride and groom attend the party and invite their friends and family. But what if the bride doesn’t want a couple’s shower, she just wants to invite some of her male friends? Just as wedding parties may now have “Men of Honor” or the “Best Maid,” if you have close friends of the opposite sex who your shower would be incomplete without, you should by all means invite them. As long as your fiancé’s feelings won’t be hurt that he isn’t invited, press on!

Who should be invited to my bachelorette party?
The bachelorette party usually consists of the bride’s closest girlfriends. This includes all her bridesmaids, plus other close friends. Sisters are usually invited, but other relatives usually don’t make the cut. The bachelorette is usually for women in the same generation as the bride—aka aunts and grandmas skip this one.

Should my mother be invited to my bachelorette party?
I have a follow-up question for you: Do you want to invite her or is she pressuring you to invite her? If you and your mom like to party together and you want her to be there, then yes, go ahead and invite her. But usually mothers and other older female relatives are not invited to bachelorette parties. Generally the parties are confined to the bride’s close friends. If your bachelorette party is going to be more laid-back—say, a wine and painting class or a nice dinner out—it may make sense to invite your mom. I’ve also seen brides go on trips with their mother and sister as their bachelorette getaway. Your bachelorette should be what you want it to be. If you want a weekend away with just your close girlfriends, do that! If you want your mom to be there, invite her! But if your mom is just pressuring you to include her, feel free to say “sorry, mom, this one’s just for my girlfriends—Ultimate Bridesmaid says so.”

Before I set the date of a bridal shower or bachelorette party, who do I have to clear it with?
This is so tricky. I feel your pain. It can be nearly impossible to pick a date that works for all guests and feelings can sometimes get hurt. But honestly, one of the roles of host is not to find a date that works for every single person. For the bridal shower, make sure the date works for the bride (duh) and the mother of the bride. Ask the bride to pick a few other priority guests—this may include her bridesmaids, her mother-in-law-to-be, or an aunt or cousin she is close with. For the bachelorette, try to pick a date that works for all her bridesmaids. Setting the date well in advance will help make this easier. The earlier you can pick a date, the less likely your guests are to have a conflict. At the end of the day, don’t beat yourself up if every single person can’t attend. You did your best.

Photo by Alixann Loosle Photography.

A Champagne and Donuts Bachelorette Slumber Party

Remember when slumber parties were like all you were about? Your Little Mermaid and Lisa Frank sleeping bags would be lined up in the living room with bowls of popcorn and M&Ms scattering around the room. You’d paint each other’s nails and experiment with eye shadow while dishing about your latest crush at school and alternate screaming and laughing hysterically. Why can’t we do that as adults?! Answer: We totally can! This bachelorette slumber party features plenty of champagne, jewel-box donuts for snacking and comfy-cozy robes and slippers for lounging—we just replace the sleeping bags for feather beds at a darling bed and breakfast! No replacement needed for the dishing and laughing!

My Charleston Bachelorette Weekend

I recently celebrated my bachelorette weekend in Charleston with my best girls and I am still buzzing with excitement. It was absolutely the perfect bachelorette for me, full of relaxing beach walks, classy specialty cocktails, delicious Southern cuisine, a little bit of dancing and hours talking and laughing with the ladies I love most. You can find my complete list of recommendations for a Charleston bachelorette at the bottom of this post.

The Details
I met up with my MOH Meryl and bridesmaid Michele at the Charleston airport Thursday evening and we headed straight to dinner at Leon’s Oyster Shop, a cool, eclectic space downtown that specializes in oysters and fried chicken. After a delicious meal, we made a pit stop at the grocery store to stock up on the essentials—aka copious amounts of wine, an entire watermelon, and breakfast foods—while we waited for the rest of the ladies to arrive. (Side note: We ran into what was clearly a bachelor party on the boy version of our grocery trip, filling one cart with beer and a second with canned chili.) Our home for the weekend was the Wild Dunes resort on the Isle of Palms. Meryl’s aunt and uncle own a three-bedroom beach cottage there and were so, so generous to offer to let us use it. It was absolutely perfect—gorgeously decorated in beach-chic blues and whites and the perfect size for our group. They even had party cups and a stuffed shark to act as our weekend mascot!

Meryl put together adorable Charleston-themed gift bags for all the guests and Michele was almost instantly dubbed art director for the weekend when I found her artfully arranging the items for a photo. And she did an amazing job styling our photos for the rest of the weekend! Personalized cup in the sand? Her idea. Constantly shifting us around to get good light? She was on it. Though assistant art director Lexy is responsible for the sand writing 🙂

Friday morning, after sleeping off way too much wine, the girls made an amazing breakfast at home and we headed out to the beach for a stroll, followed by pool drinks and snacks at the Wild Dunes Grand Pavilion. It was just a little bit too chilly for sunbathing or swimming, but it was still lovely and the perfect time to catch up, which is just one of the best parts of a bachelorette weekend. Fellow bride Jae and I got to compare notes on our upcoming weddings. I’m pretty in awe of her—she planned her wedding in four months whereas I will be coming up on a year of planning! Definitely more to come from her summer wedding soon!

After a very important power nap (what, we’re old!), we started the evening at Poogan’s Porch, which serves modern twists on Southern classics (I had the crab and shrimp linguini because, hi, learned my lesson from wine on night one: carbs needed!). All of Meryl’s restaurant choices and the schedule she planned for the weekend were amazing and spot-on me. This is probably the only vacation I’ve ever taken in my life where I haven’t planned one thing, Yelped one restaurant or pulled up Google Maps once in a fit of “where the heck do we go next.” It was heaven! Next, we had drinks on the roof of the Vendue and then headed to Trio for some dancing, where the DJ was spinning 90s jams as if he knew we’d be there (plus, JT’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” because I’m obsessed right now).

Saturday was my bridal shower brunch, and beforehand my friends planned a scavenger hunt for me in our beach house. Each clue was written by my bridesmaid Amanda, who is the queen of cute poetry and emoji usage—she created the poems for our popular wine basket shower gift. The clues led me to the shower gifts, which were all travel-themed, referencing places Andrew and I have visited together. The last clue led to my shower, hosted by my amazingly generous friend Nichole, in the back garden of Eli’s Table in Charleston, where we enjoyed a hearty brunch and some much-needed mimosas in the Charleston sunshine. I was so touched by the thought that everyone put into the shower—it was so personalized to Andrew and I and resulted in me making many silly faces while opening my gifts!

After our outdoor brunch, we were in need of a little AC time. Luckily, Nichole had wisely made a midday reservation at The Gin Joint. Because what’s the best thing to do after you finish two pitchers of mimosas? Have a specialty cocktail, duh! The Gin Joint makes cocktails for you based on a selection of words on the menu, so I asked for a “fizzy and refreshing” drink and received an awesome combo of gin, muddled strawberries, lime and ginger beer. Maybe one of my favorite spots we stopped in Charleston!

Next, we took a stroll along the waterfront of downtown Charleston and through the historic quarter to get a look at Charleston’s rainbow-colored homes. The city really has so much charm and there’s a gorgeous garden or wrought-iron gate around every corner. To end our weekend, we headed over to nearby Sullivan Island for a dinner of wood-fired pizzas and on-tap cocktails at the Obstinate Daughter. I cannot believe how fast the weekend flew by, and I already miss my girls. But I’m even more excited for my wedding this October!

My Bachelorette Guide to Charleston

Stay
Wild Dunes: We were lucky enough to have access to a house, but Wild Dunes has tons of vacation rental properties as well. The beachfront community has tons of pools, a golf course, tennis, dining—it’s a really wonderful home base with a lot of Charleston charm.

Eat & Drink
There are so many amazing restaurants in Charleston—you can hardly go wrong. We loved:

Modern twists on Southern classics in a historic Charleston home at Poogan’s Porch. Try the shrimp and grits and the fried green tomatoes.
Brunch in the back garden of Eli’s Table. Their hearty meals and pitchers of mimosas are perfect the day after a night out.
Fresh oysters and fried chicken at Leon’s Oyster Shop. We loved the eclectic vibe of this joint.
Wood-fired pizzas at Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan’s Island. Try the Old Danger pizza topped with pancetta, mozzarella, a white sauce and a farm egg and one of their cocktails on tap.
With creative cocktails like The Studmuffin and The Debutante, The Gin Joint makes for a perfect happy hour stop. We especially loved the “bartender’s choice” option.

Wear
My bridal shower look: Dress | Shoes

Thank you a thousand times…
Meryl Dann: COO/Team Captain | Michele Fogel: Art Director | Amanda Leith: Creative Director | Jae Haley: Stylist | Lexy Harrison: Medical Advisor/Asst. Art Director | Nichole “If You Won’t Do It, I Will” Burnap: Chief Instigator

Ultimate Bridesmaid

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Author Archives: Caitlin Kenney

Perfect Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Invites for Every Party Theme

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A Cheerful Kate Spade Bridal Shower

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A Rustic Vintage Bridal Shower at Terrain

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A Sunshine Yellow Honey-Themed Bridal Shower

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Just Who Exactly Is Invited: Bridal Shower & Bachelorette Guest List Questions Answered

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A Champagne and Donuts Bachelorette Slumber Party

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My Charleston Bachelorette Weekend

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