Wedding Bells Ringing

Staff Photo by Jeff Depew

June is the famous month for weddings and a myriad of social events for the bride.   In fact the whole summer is a favorite time for choosing a wedding date.  Relatives and friends usually have vacation time in the summer months and travel is easier to arrange for out of town guests.

There is a new trend to have parties for both the bride and groom, known as couple’s parties.  A great way to have a couple’s party is to have a honeymoon tree, instead of specific gifts .The money is placed in an envelope on a specific type of decoration, usually a tree design for honeymoon expenses.  This is so appreciated by the couple.

The theme for this party is so much fun when the destination of the couple’s honeymoon is a part of the decor, music and food.   If the honeymoon is a beach destination, Caribbean steal drums music, food that represents the island and brightly colored hues of the flowers for table decorations.   A sand bucket is really a cute idea for the money to be placed in this type of party instead of a tree decor.

If the honeymoon destination is a big city such as New York, create a very sophisticated ambience.  Cocktail attire, music representing  New York,  white table clothes,  fresh flowers for the centerpiece, candles, low lighting and  martinis or Champaign.  Always have a nonalcoholic beverage available .If the budget allows, white gardenias are given to each lady by a “cigarette girl”. Remember the old Hollywood era of films when a girl dressed in the same attire as the cigarette girl went to each table with a tray of fresh gardenia’s for the gals???  Ask a friend to wear a costume such as the ones in the old Hollywood movies and play the part of the “cigarette girl” bearing gardenias.

Kitchen, linen, crystal, china, silver and appliance type showers are well known. There is a rather new one the “Breakfast in Bed “type.  This is a girly girl type of shower, elegant table for food and drink, gifts that may include a range of gifts from bedding, ice buckets, gourmet coffee, crystal glasses, silver table pieces, bud vases, linen napkins and the most enjoyed gift for the bride, pretty lingerie.  The pretty lingerie is such a help with the bride’s expense of a trousseau.   Such awes and ohhhhhs are exclaimed by all as the lacy, silk lingerie gifts are opened by the bride. There is an adorable array of lingerie especially for the bride, a beautiful white silk kimono with “BRIDE” embossed on the back, another darling pajama tank top with

“I DO” written on the front… So many pretty feminine types of lingerie for the bride are such a welcome gift.

For this type of shower, lace is so pretty on the table, so romantic and feminine.  An antique soft gold color of lace table cloth is perfect.  Romance should reign at this party for the bride!  For the centerpiece a swan container is beautiful as the swan species of bird mates forever.  Queen Anne’s lace flowers, magnolia and a few lemons are so ethereal and perfect for the summer theme. Use a few magnolia leaves with blossoms around the base of the swan, scatter a few more lemons  around the base and the table along with crystal  candelabras flickering with candles  flickering  soft light is perfect.

Food for this type party should be dainty finger foods, fruit tray, cheese assortment, champagne punch and an apple cider with sparkling water punch. Freeze a green apple with water in a mold for the center of the apple cider punch and maraschino cherries with water frozen in a mold for the Champaign punch.

Crystal plates and glasses, fresh linen napkins and silver dessert forks for the lemon cup cakes shaped like a bride’s gown is lovely.

Laughter, chatter, remembering other weddings of family and friends, all join in celebration for the beginning of another family.

Best wishes, darlings, for each new bride!