Summer in Europe: The Bridal Shower
Photo by Makenna Lynne
This is a special post — I only have one sibling, so when we celebrate my sister, we pull out all the stops! When she told me last year she was getting married, I knew her bridal shower had to be the most thoughtful event I had planned yet.
I firmly believe that every gathering or celebration should be a reflection of the person/people being celebrated in some way. I’m also a big fan of a theme, but in a nice subtle way that isn't cheesy. For my sister’s shower I wanted something original that would represent her unique interests and tastes.
I sat down to brainstorm what my sister is all about, and world travel immediately came to mind. She studied abroad in Spain for a year and is fluent in Spanish. Some of our best memories are travels in Italy together. She loves to cook, especially international recipes. Thus, a travel themed shower idea centered around delicious food started to form in my mind — however, all of the travel shower inspiration I looked at or had seen before didn’t appeal to me — the theme was too heavy-handed, the decor too on the nose.
Local restaurant inspiration
For bigger events I always make a moodboard before purchasing ANY items. This helps me ensure that different elements, colors and textures work well together, and I end up making less returns!
I also try to include more than just the items I need for my party in my boards — anything that fits with the vibe can be thrown in there. For example, this lovely script font reminded me of something you’d see in France, maybe in hotel signage or something like that so I saved it. I ended up downloading a similar typeface to use on my signage because I liked it so much!
PINTEREST INSPIRATION BOARD
Inspiration
When looking for any inspiration, whether it’s for a party or even a design project for my day job, I find it best to stop directly searching for the end result you are looking for, and instead step all the way back to the feeling you want to evoke. Moodboards can be really helpful, but don’t fill them with photos of what already exists, even if you like it, because the brain will get stuck within the limitations of what it has seen. Instead, let your imagination wander. For me, I wanted this gathering to feel warm and relaxed, just as my sister and I felt strolling the alleys of Venice or the gardens of Seville, sipping cappuccinos or maybe an aperol spritz to cool off. What were the colors surrounding those feelings? The green of the trees along the river. The deep blue of the Mediterranean. The yellow of sunshine, striped umbrellas and lemon gelato. And suddenly, I knew what foundation I wanted to start with. Rather than just a travel theme, we were going to be more specific — we were going to take a mini tour through Europe, without ever leaving California!
Around the time I started dreaming up this shower, R and I did a little staycation and were inspired by two beautiful little hotels downtown in our area that had European bistro vibes. Al fresco dining under umbrellas instantly transports me back to memories abroad! While eating lunch at one of the hotel restaurants, I fell in love with their blue glassware and bottles used as carafes. I think that was really the starting point that the rest of the inspiration flowed from.
Moodboards
Invitation Design by Melody Julius
You’re Invited
Designing invitations is probably my favorite part of the event planning process. A great invitation can set the tone and get guests really excited to attend! And, I love a design challenge — how can I quickly convey the theme to guests so they know what to expect, but in a tasteful way that doesn’t overwhelm the information?
I like to at least have a color scheme nailed down before starting invites so that there is continuity from the first touchpoint to the last. After creating my moodboards, a lovely olive green emerged as a through-line — from the garden inspired foliage to the mint in the refreshing beverages. Since olive/sage green has so much gray in it, it almost acts as a neutral, making it the perfect base for the palette with room for other accents (like a rich lemon yellow and a breezy ocean blue!) to pop in. I also wanted lots of white/cream to make things feel summery and fresh.
I had previously stumbled upon the most gorgeous olive envelopes on Etsy and was waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them, so those were actually the first thing I ordered. If I go for a colored envelope, I usually keep the invite pieces themselves more minimal to balance out the overall effect.
Invitation Design by Melody Julius
The next step is to write out all the info you want to include. This invite was a little unique in that I had quite a bit of information to fit in. Rather than cram it all onto one 5x7 card, I came up with a folded design that had rounded corners which both gave a subtle nod to the shape of a passport, AND provided twice as much space for text.
Even though I gave myself the extra room, after I printed a prototype I realized the main invite would look great if I included some additional pieces. Again, very subtle in execution, but almost like a nod to a ticket and other paper scraps that you stick in your passport when traveling.
Photo by Makenna Lynne
The Elements
ITALIAN SPRITZES
SPANISH TAPAS BRUNCH
RELAXING MEDITERRANEAN FEEL
FRENCH MACARONS
Photo by Makenna Lynne
DESIGN WISHLIST
Fresh lemons + olive branches
Breezy white linens
Terracotta pots
Mediterranean blue glassware
Handmade ceramics
Natural wood textures
Olive oil party favors
Custom wine glass markers
Lounge furniture
Communal table
We landed on a bridal brunch based around a European travel theme. So very my sister! As ideas begin to take shape, I list out everything I need for my event alongside my design wishlist. What are the items I already have, vs. what should I purchase or rent? This is where I think through furniture rentals (such as tables/chairs), and consider researching special items I want to find, like the glassware from the restaurant I loved, or a unique ice bucket. I pull items from my home into one spot so I can take inventory. This is also a great time to research recipes, drinks, and things like party favors and games.
Photo by Makenna Lynne
The Setting
My favorite part is seeing the vision start coming together! We decided on hosting the shower in my mom’s backyard. She has a fairly large patio surrounded by gorgeous oak trees for a breezy al fresco vibe. Perfection. We rented two large farm tables for a slightly rustic feel and put them end to end on the patio with a view of the surrounding trees. We then created a seating area with some of our existing lounge furniture where the group could convene for gifts and conversation following the brunch.
The Table
We kept the table simple and used natural elements to get that casual, al fresco dining vibe. In the planning stage I realized I already had a lot to work with at home (my personal decor is mostly neutrals) so I simply had to layer on a few additional elements. I wish these photos included the white linen napkins tucked under the plates but truth be told, I was so busy running around that I completely forgot to put them out!
That said, I was still so happy with the final effect. I ordered fresh olive branches that arrived the day before, and asked a neighbor if I could pick some lemons off their tree. I also used my newfound hobby of pottery to make sure I had lots of little plates and dishes to hold dips, oils, salt and more for our shared appetizers.
At each place setting, I put a personalized wine glass charm inspired by leather luggage tags and stamped with each guests initials. I love items that have a dual purpose — it was a great way for everyone to keep track of their glass during the party, as well as a perfect favor to take home and add to a keyring, carry on luggage bag, etc.
SHOP LEATHER LUGGAGE TAG WINE GLASS CHARMS
Tapas & Wine
The most important part of any gathering — what to eat and drink! A tapas inspired brunch seemed like the perfect on-theme choice. It was also easy to bring out dishes in stages, rather than needing everything to come out perfectly all at once.
We started with individual cheese and charcuterie bowls, with plenty of olive oil and balsamic on the tables for dipping the bread. Meanwhile, guests could make themselves a spritz cocktail at the drink station — a refreshing favorite my mom and I discovered on a trip to Austria is the Hugo Spritz, made with prosecco, st. germain, mint and lime.
We then brought out the other tapas one at a time, which kept everything relaxed. The guests were still able to mingle and chat with each other while the food was passed around.
Tips I’ve learned from my husband (who agreed to do all the food for this party, bless him) is to have a strict prep timeline. Read recipes carefully in advance, practice if you need to, have everything grouped together and prepped before starting, and know your plan! We made sure we could make everything concurrently by picking two stovetop recipes, one oven, and one air fryer.
Read on for all the details and exact recipe links used!
ITALIAN INSPIRED SPRITZES
The Hugo Spritz is an insanely refreshing aperitif that we discovered when visiting Austria a few years back. It’s perfect for sipping on in warm weather. I usually let guests create their own drinks as an icebreaker when entering the party, and that way they can also control the ratio of what they want in their beverage too. I’m always standing by to help though, of course!
CHEESE & CHARCUTERIE
I don’t remember how I became obsessed with finding the right wooden vessels for my vision of individual charcuterie bowls, but that was where everything started. I loved the rustic feel of these hand-hewn wood bowls I found on Etsy, and the look was so different than the typical cheese/charcuterie setup.
SPANISH TORTILLA
My sweet husband agreed to do all the food for the party and I’m not sure he knew what he was in for. We had to practice making Spanish tortilla (a sort of potato-egg omelette, so good) a few nights ahead of time so that he felt confident he could make it well. It was one of mine (and my sister’s) favorite traditional foods from our travels in Spain and the perfect breakfast!
MEDITERRANEAN CITRUS SALAD
A bright and zesty compliment to the oil-heavy main dishes.
CHORIZO MEATBALLS
These were a crowd favorite! Packed with flavor and just the right amount of smoky and spicy. We served on extra large toothpicks.
PATATAS BRAVAS
My personal favorite and proud accomplishment for figuring out that you can fry potatoes in an electric fondue pot (yes, really) if you don’t have an oil fryer! The amazingness is all in the bravas sauce - don’t skip it! You can easily make aioli and sauces ahead of time and store in the fridge to cut down on day-of time.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
You have to have a veggie to balance out so much rich food — I borrowed a friend’s air fryer because we were out of room in the other kitchen appliances and they turned out far better than any other sprouts I’ve ever made! Now I might need an air fryer in my life…I finally get the hype.
Games & Dessert
The timing and flow of an event are super important — keeping guests feeling great and entertained throughout a party is a true art form (and I’m definitely not saying I’ve mastered it yet). I like to balance time for chatting and mingling with a good amount of activities. We played several games over the course of my sister’s shower, starting with a simple one and working our way up to a more competitive and energetic round of bridal family feud! I would also count gift opening as an “activity” so ensure to leave time for that as well.
Because I’m slightly neurotic when it comes to ensuring things match, I redesigned some classic games such as “what did the groom say” using the fonts and colors woven throughout the other materials.
For the most part however, games aren’t really my thing (my mom led the charge on most of these) so I’ll just say this — keep your audience, especially the person you’re honoring, in mind. Do most guests love games, or simply tolerate them? That might influence how many or what type of games you play. Also, how well do the guests know each other? I’ve seen many rounds of quiz type games go awry when the level of knowledge required to play them just isn’t there.
And finally, my absolute favorite part of any gathering… the dessert! To round out our tour of Europe, I asked my friend and baker extraordinaire to create some French inspired macarons to enjoy while we played games and opened presents. We landed on two flavors: a zesty lemon thyme and a very bridal, pearl-adorned champagne. Everyone always loves how beautiful and special macarons look!
Photo by Maggie Rae Macarons
Oh and before we leave the games behind — a fun and easy activity to have available is cornhole, if you happen to have boards. I ordered some cheap bags in black and white to be on theme and used removable vinyl decals to designate “team bride” and “team groom”.
This is an easy ice breaker for the first guests to arrive, or a fun way to chill after the main part of the event is over.
Olive Oil Favors
Are favors necessary? Absolutely not. But are they super fun to make? YES. In addition to the personalized leather wine glass charms that guests could take home, we assembled mini bottles of local olive oil in a delicious lemon flavor. Olive oil favors are by no means my original idea, but I felt it complemented the theme particularly well and gave one last nod to the honeymoon destination — Greece!
I created custom vinyl decals that said “olive you” and applied them to each tiny bottle before filling them with oil and tying sprigs of fresh herbs around the top.
They looked so beautiful all lined up in a wooden tray, but I made sure to keep them out of the sunlight so they wouldn’t spoil (technically, you should always keep olive oil in a dark glass container)!
And…I think that just about does it! Any questions, let me know in the comments. If you made it all the way to the end here, I applaud you! Until next time :)