decorating on a budget: bridal shower edition

typical protocol for bridal showers is that the bridesmaids & maid of honor plan & execute a lovely, cute event.

you must first follow these steps:

1. pick a date – usually about a month before the wedding

2. pick a location – depending on the month, weather could be an issue, so obviously take that into consideration

3. get the guest list from the bride-to-be. i think it’s adorable when sisters plan the entire shower, guests & all, but if you don’t exactly know all the bride’s peeps, get a list. there is nothing wrong with inviting exactly who the bride wants. it’s all about her. for real.

4. pick a theme. pinterest is gold for this step.

5. send evite or invitations

6. decide on menu

7. decide on decorations

8. decide on games

9. delegate tasks to the other bridesmaids

so here’s the low-down on cara’s shower:

theme: love is brewing / coffee shop

now, although this a popular theme, there are a few very real reasons we went with the coffee shop.

1. cara is obsesssssssed with coffee. she has her own personal kerig under her desk at work. she LOVES coffee. especially blueberry coffee.

2. see picture:

seth & cara’s love story started with coffee from starbucks – extra whip.

once we figured out the theme, we hit the streets of pinterest for ideas.

cara’s mom graciously offered her help with all the food. this may seem normal, or no big deal, but once you see the menu we picked, you will suddenly realize that was a HUGE deal.

as much as we wanted to go big with this shower, the reality is we had to stay to a very slim budget.

so here is how we decorated on a budget!

the card table: date ideas & crumpled paper, pictures of the couple, the party favors & the thank you card envelopes for people to self- address.

it’s a simple concept & worked like a charm.

cloth baggies, with a purple heart drawn on, filled with chocolate-covered pomegranates & acai berries.

table centerpieces

the entry

gift table

iced coffee bar

we played the messy purse game & present bingo. both were a big hit. i owned about 25 mason jars which we used for the cup ‘o joe!

& that’s it! seriously so simple, yet so detailed. every single part of this shower was thought-out & so many people had a hand in making it so successful. i’m so thankful.

i’ll end with this beautiful little rap i wrote for the evite. oh, & you can thank holly for the “foreva-mo!” part. she’s real good with words & stuff.