Category Archives: Real Parties

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

A Great Gatsby Bridal Shower

Timeless elegance, soft candlelight, dripping pearls and a strong cocktail or two—for bride Alex, a Great Gatsby bridal shower was the perfect combination of romance and style. While planning the shower, Mom Jeryl and sister Taylor channeled the roaring twenties and Hollywood glamour with red and black feather centerpieces and deco-gold signage. The guests completely embraced the flapper dress code, arriving in sequined and beaded gowns and donning feather headpieces. Bride Alex’s strapless fringe dress is a stunner, perfectly accented with Chanel pearls and a crystal headpiece. We also love the riff on a typical bridal shower game: instead of toilet paper wedding dresses, these ladies crafted over-the-top sun hats.

Photography: Alexandra Wren Photography | Venue: Shenorock Shore Club | Cake and Desserts: CrumbleBee Bake Shop

A Hunting Lodge & Classic Cocktails Couple Shower

If you’re ready to be transported, this autumn couple shower will do the trick, taking you to a dinner party in a rustic hunting lodge following a day of horseback riding and quail hunting. The inspiration for the decor comes from two classic cocktails: an Old Fashioned for him and mulled wine for her. Deep burgundy shades with pine green and hints of gold set the tone for a luxurious yet rustic dining room in which the guests could enjoy a dinner of roasted quail and corn and zucchini succotash followed by Jim Beam chocolate pecan pies and drunken pumpkin tarts (to name just a few of the treats on the menu). We particularly love the hand-lettered menus and illustrated cocktail signs that bring personality to the space. The theme is even reflected in the guests’ attire, with the gentlemen donning windowpane jackets and quilted vests and the ladies sporting riding boots and earth tones. Pass the mulled wine!

A Madonna Inn Bachelorette Weekend

A night in the iconic Madonna Inn has been on my bucket list for awhile, so I’m seriously crushing over this bachelorette weekend. The landmark inn is known for its elaborately themed rooms and kitschy, whimsical decor, with suites decorated in styles ranging from Swiss chalet to African safari (indoor waterfall included). This bride asked each guest to bring an outrageous and colorful dress for a photo shoot by Brandi Lopez Photography on the hotel grounds. Many chose to finally get a second wear out of an old bridesmaid dress or their prom dress, while a few ladies channeled the 80s with thrifted frocks. The Madonna Inn bachelorette weekend included a night out in downtown San Luis Obispo and a Saturday afternoon wine tasting in Paso Robles.

A Historic Downtown Coffeeshop Bridal Shower

If Rory Gilmore’s bridal shower was held at Luke’s Diner, I imagine it would go something like this. But Stars Hollow ain’t got nothing on bride Ashley’s picturesque hometown of Chatham, Ontario. Her bridesmaids picked the local William Street Cafe in the heart of the historic downtown district for her coffeeshop bridal shower with a harvest fall theme. The exposed brick walls and vintage neon signs at this classic coffeeshop made the perfect backdrops for photographer Nicole DeJoseph to snap a few portraits of the group.

A 70s-Style Wonderland Bridal Shower

I truly feel like I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole into this magical Wonderland bridal shower with a lot of 70s swing. Can I move in to this fabulous Scottsdale, Arizona, estate? I will settle for a chair by the pool with my name on it! Bride Elizabeth has her own clothing line, Revolution Rags, which donates ten percent of its profits to animal rescue (stylish and compassionate!). Elizabeth’s friends added touches of whimsy to the already out-of-this-world back garden by dotting the lush hedge with oversized playing cards and creating a photo backdrop with neon carnations. Guests enjoyed a gourmet lunch along with a stocked poolside bubbly bar and photographer Paul Yerrick was there to capture all the magic (both digitally and on film!).