Category Archives: Real Parties

A Linens and Lace Bridal Shower

There’s something beautiful about taking ordinary objects—like bedsheets and tablecloths—and turning them into the delicate backdrop for a sweet bridal shower. Bridesmaid and photographer Helen and her fellow maids did just that for bride Irene’s tea-party shower. Hosted at her fiance’s family home, the shower features linens and lace with plenty of texture to create photobooths, a charming dessert spread and even a scrapbooking station! The result feels like the sweetest little tag sale you’ve ever seen, or laundry day gone oh-so-right. linens and lace bridal shower 002 linens and lace bridal shower 003A a photobooth with linen tablecloths 005 sweet bridal shower spread adorable bridal shower photobooth ideas 008 009 010 011 012Helen shares how she and the other bridesmaids came together to create this pretty scene:

We tried to adhere to Irene’s preferences for pastel colors and hearts as we planned her garden tea party–themed shower. Her fiancé’s backyard was a wonderland that boasted amazing levels for partitioned scrapbooking, food, photobooth, and lounging/games areas. We used vintage hankie bunting from our wedding to line the weathered fence, staircase, and deck; pastel and lace tablecloths to spruce up the furniture; vintage milk glass vases bursting with fresh flora to accentuate tables; delicate doilies and tissue paper hearts to embellish windowpanes; and an amalgamation of vintage tablecloths, lace, and fabric to construct a makeshift photobooth. The photobooth was my favorite feature, as sweet guests made use of time-honored props to immortalize fun memories with the bride-to-be.

Thanks to Helen for sharing these images from the day. You can see more of her beautiful photography on her blog, Ah, That’s Love.

A Spanish-Style Floral Bridal Shower in Southern California

Sometimes a shower is all about simplicity…okay, simplicity and flowers. Because let’s face it, I’m getting all dreamy over the eye-popping purples, pinks and corals in the bougainvilleas used to decorate every inch of this Spanish-style shower in Southern California. The best part? Every single bloom was free, sourced from the homes of neighbors and friends. With the help of some DIY doilies and a burlap bride sign and the bold contrast of a black-and-white striped tablecloth, I feel like I’ve just stepped onto the patio for luncheon under the hot Puerto Vallerta sun. Salud! 001 002 003 004B004 005 006 008 009C 010

Bridesmaid and photographer Jennifer Daigle shared how everything came together.

When we began discussing the decor for Elise’s bridal shower, we knew that Blue Agave would be catering. Knowing that there would be delicious Southwestern food, I had to stick to this theme. What is better than being poolside at a resort in good ol’ Mexico?

A number of ideas came to my mind…terra cotta, bougainvillea, papel picado, and fans were just a few ideas that fell into place that day. The terra cotta pots and glass vases were collected between my mother and I, and the bougainvillea snippets were gathered the morning of the shower (special thanks to a few neighbors). The paper flags and chandeliers were made from doilies and burlap string, while the fans were an at-home project made from paper bags, doilies and ribbon. The striped tablecloths were made by my mother and the candles and their holders were from the 99-cent store. We borrowed the black candelabras from a family friend and threw in a burlap sign above the bride, stamped with distressed ink. All in all, it took two nights to prepare all of the decorations and the morning of the shower we were all bustling like bees to make it perfect.

Photography: Jennifer Daigle | Catering: Blue Agave in Yorba Linda | Rentals: Create-A-Party in Brea

A Baltimore Bachelorette Session in Little Italy

Bridal-party photos tend toward the serious. Sure, we may throw in a few cute ones, but the specialness of the day calls for more posed shots and less candid fun. That’s where a bridesmaid session can come in! Bride Jackie asked Rachel of Tiltawhirl Imagery to join her and her ladies the day of the bachelorette party for a one-hour session in Baltimore’s Little Italy district. “This was the most ingenious idea ever and I am so glad this group of girls approached me with it!” says Rachel. “The girls and I had fun laying on the ground, sitting on walls, posing in mirrors and just generally having a blast.”
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Thanks to Rachel for sharing this adorable shoot!

Photography: Tiltawhirl Imagery | Location: Little Italy, Baltimore

A Rustic Vintage Bridal Shower in Utah

I’ve been trying so hard to sum up this absolutely stunning shower shared by Alixann Loosle Photography and finally I realized that it just contains too many things I love. Bride Maddie’s parents with the help of her friends pulled everything together in their home in Lindon, Utah. The decor is vintage classic at its very best, with heirloom suitcases stacked to display party favors, an old washtub re-purposed as a drink cooler and a weathered chest of drawers serving as part of the buffet. The ambiance is sugary sweet with rock candy, soft pink roses and a dainty fruit pizza bar, but the delicate lace panties strung up across the porch add just the tiniest touch of naughty at a shower that is oh-so-nice. From the ballooned bicycle welcoming guests to the backyard to the miniature potted plants waiting for each guest as they leave, this shower is utter perfection. 005

An LA Renegade Craft Fair Bachelorette

I’m always on the lookout for one-of-a-kind celebrations, but this one instantly caught my eye—a Renegade Craft Fair bachelorette party! Ica’s friends knew just what this DIY bride would love—a day of silliness and shopping at LA’s Renegade Craft Fair, followed by an intimate (and absolutely stunning) backyard celebration complete with pine-cone place-cards, wine-bottle centerpieces and lots of twinkle lights. Seriously, you’re enjoying the quirky-cool finds at the craft fair, day-dreaming about a lighted vintage ampersand of your own, and then suddenly you’re transported to a picnic wonderland.

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A few words from the bride:

I’m a DC bride who’s blessed with a huge bridal party that lives all over the country. Two of my sweet bridesmaids from LA (Hope and Reinna) decided I should fly out to LA for my last “single lady” trip and threw me an unforgettable bachelorette bash. They know my crafty heart all too well, so the partying began at LA’s Renegade Craft Fair’s Holiday Market. As a DIY bride it was the perfect place to spend time with my ladies, get silly, party and even get some wedding shopping done. They dressed me up from head to toe and made sure I had a good time. While us ladies were out all afternoon, my dear groomsman Christian was setting up and styling an intimate dinner in his in-law’s backyard just for me. When we showed up for dinner I was so overwhelmed with all the prettiness, and all the love I was shown, I cried happy tears. The rest of my evening was filled with my favorite bubblies, my favorite candyies and cupcakes, a scrumptious dinner and countless giggle-filled bachelorette party games. It was such an intimate, one-of-a-kind celebration. I am one blessed and thankful bride.

You can see more images from the special day on her blog, Ica’s Images.

Venue: Renegade Craft Fair LA Holiday | Eats: The Greasy Wiener | Photography: The bride (with the help of her friends, of course)

And some of the bride’s favorite vendors at the fair that she specifically brought home goods from: Oh Hello Friend, Shop Miguez, Love Pray Jewelry, and Joie Studio.

A Zombie Bachelorette Party

Uhm, these people are my heroes. After attending what seemed like a million bachelorette parties with the same theme, Sara decided to throw a different kind of party for her sister Melissa—a zombie bachelorette party. The boys got in on the action too, and the two groups spent half the night apart and reconvened at Minneapolis’s very own zombie-themed bar, Donny Dirk’s Zombie Den.

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Sara shared some of her tips for creating your own zombie a-party-lypse. (Admittedly not my best pun.)

To start the evening, everyone got ready together at my sister’s apartment. All of the females dressed up as “Zombie Bridesmaids” by using old bridemaid dresses we thought we’d never wear again. Everyone destroyed their dress in their own unique zombie way—spray paint, shredding, dirt, fake blood, etc. All of the males dressed up as “Zombie Groomsmen” and similarly, they took old tuxes, suits, dress clothes and destroyed them in their own way zombie way. My sister and her (now) husband, dressed up as a “Zombie Bride & Groom.”

Everyone went all out on the zombie makeup. Most of us painted our faces with grey paint, had dark eye makeup, spray-painted grey hair, fake wounds and fake blood.

Here is Zombie Makeup 101:

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A Bellydance Bachelorette in Cape Town

I very rarely get to share real bachelorette photos, so imagine my joy when I saw these colorful, sassy images from an Arabian Nights theme bachelorette party held for twins Aa’isha and Aneesa by their older sister Raihana at her Cape Town home. The twins’ weddings are only two months apart, so she decided to combine the parties for double the fun. Candlelight and sequined pillows set off the gorgeous jewel-tone scarves and carpets draped into a hideaway to enjoy cakes and a hookah. The best part? For me, it’s a toss-up between the bellydance lesson and those silly and surprisingly sexy fake boobs. Those girls know how to rock a look!


Host Raihana dreamed up the Arabian Nights theme for her sisters and pulled it together with the help of her whole family:

We wanted the theme to be very sensual and sexy—my bachelorette party’s theme was “sexy exotic dancers” and we had a pole-dancing tutorial. We wanted the twins’ party to be as fun and it only made sense to have a belly dancing tutorial. My husband, father and uncle helped me decorate our living room area, and our cousins brought along some sweet treats. I found the fake boobs at a party shop in Kenilworth Centre, Cape Town.

Photographer and friend Shafeeqa captured all the action during the bellydance session…and the surprise dancer who showed up later:

The bellydancer was performer and teacher Tenille Lindeque (Feminine Divine Studios), one of the finest in Cape Town. I did photography for her previously and also joined her dance studio for a while so I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Raihana had asked her for the evening. Tenille gave us a memorable performance followed by a tutorial, having us collapsing in laughter, pain, and breathlessness from her difficult moves! Snake arms, shimmies, hip circles, and more. About an hour later when everyone finally recovered, there was a knock at the door. Surprise, twins! It’s the next dancer, and he means business…

Photographer: Shafeeqa Effendi | Bellydancing Performer and Teacher: Tenille Lindeque, Feminine Divine Studios | Catering: Alhambra Caterers | Decor: Rosy’s Event Design and Decor, and host’s own pieces