My Bridal Shower!
My sister and bridesmaids hosted a wonderful bridal shower in June. I surprised them by arranging for my wedding photographer, Kelly Maughan, to come and take pictures. It was a great day, and it made me so happy to be showered with love and well wishes from friends and family.
Professional Pictures
Here are the photos that Kelly took:
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly Maughan Photography
Bridesmaid Hostess Gifts
Here are my gifts to the bridesmaids for hosting my shower - get it?!
Sources and Vendor Reviews
Hi! This is Christina's sister and matron of honor. I've taken over her bio so that I can share my sources and vendor reviews for the bridal shower.
Shower Venue: Community Hall at Dublin Community Recreation Center - Dublin, Ohio
The room was great - very spacious (with high ceilings), clean, new, and pretty. It's a blank slate, so any party theme would work. As with most venues, you're not allowed to hang any decorations on the walls or ceiling, but that wasn't a problem for us. We had access to a huge kitchen to plate the food, and there was ample refrigerator space. The back door (accessible through the kitchen) allowed us to load the gifts into vehicles easily after the shower ended. We indicated when we booked the room that we would need to use the A/V projector and screen, but when we arrived and began setting up (less than an hour before the shower began), we realized there was none in the room (apparently there was a miscommunication and we were scheduled in the room without the equipment; there are three rooms). The manager quickly brought in a screen and cart projector and our tech-savvy bridesmaid was able to get everything running (with the aid of a DVD player we brought along). So, while it was disappointing that they dropped the ball, they quickly remedied the situation and everything worked out fine. My only other grievance is that the round tables were larger than normal ones, so the table cloths we brought with us were too small - they were more like "table doilies." :)
Some of the older guests found the room's air-conditioned temperature a little cool, but the in-room thermostat enabled us to increase the temperature a bit, which was convenient. You can also control the lights in the room, which was handy when it came time to start the video "How well does the groom know the bride" game.
The Community Hall room was perfect for our purposes, and was affordable since our aunt and uncle reside in Dublin. I would recommend it for showers and birthday parties.
Some of the older guests found the room's air-conditioned temperature a little cool, but the in-room thermostat enabled us to increase the temperature a bit, which was convenient. You can also control the lights in the room, which was handy when it came time to start the video "How well does the groom know the bride" game.
The Community Hall room was perfect for our purposes, and was affordable since our aunt and uncle reside in Dublin. I would recommend it for showers and birthday parties.
Food: Costco - Columbus, Ohio
We wanted to order party trays (Croissant Platter and Turkey Roller Platter) ahead of time, but since we live in Toledo, it was not possible to submit our order at the store (deli orders are placed by dropping a completed order form into a receptacle at the store). So, we simply took a chance and crossed our fingers that there would be ready-made trays available when we arrived in Columbus the day before the shower. Luckily, there were. We purchased a croissant sandwich tray, a turkey roller tray, two bowls of cut fruit, and a vegetable tray. At the shower, we arranged it all on white ceramic platters my mom and I already owned, and added a homemade dip to the fruit platter. The trays were fresh, attractive, and delicious. The croissants seemed a little more popular than the turkey rollers, but all of the food seemed to be enjoyed.
Photography: Kelly Maughan Photography
Kelly did a great job capturing the day, and the pictures are beautiful. She was very friendly and nice, but was also unobtrusive.
Invitations: Invitations by Gartner Studios, purchased at Target. Paper punch, ribbon, and glue dots from Michaels.
