With our wedding just about six weeks away, I was so lucky to celebrate two bridal showers—one with my family in Michigan, and one with Kirk’s in South Dakota!
First, I flew to my hometown for the weekend for a beautiful shower hosted by my three aunts at one of their lakeside homes. They put so much thought and love into the day, which included cute decorations and favors, childhood photos of me and Kirk, a lunch spread, a “ring” cake, and a cupcake tower (I love anything with frosting!). About 20 women in my family gathered to play games and “shower” me and Kirk with gifts. It was especially meaningful to have my 86-year-old grandmother there. She even told some cute stories about her own wedding day.
Next, we traveled to South Dakota. Kirk’s two aunts hosted an amazing shower to welcome me to the family at his mom’s home. Once again, there were games, decorations, and delicious desserts: bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes and cupcakes from a cute little bakery called Oh My Cupcakes. My favorite touch was a banner ordered by one of the women that read, “Future Mrs. Williams.” Our goldendoodle was also at the shower, so I had fun putting bows from the presents on his collar so he could join in the festivities!
I’m pretty comfortable in front of a lot of people, so I didn’t mind being the center of attention while opening presents, but what I really wanted was to make sure I got quality time with everyone. I tried to “float” around as much as possible and talk to each person individually for at least a few minutes, which I figured was good practice for the reception.
The top tip I would share for other brides-to-be is to assign your maid-of-honor, bridesmaid, or family member to keep a list as you open gifts. This way, you don’t have to dig through cards, check your registry, or rely on your memory later when writing thank-yous. I also wrote my thank-you notes the day after both bridal showers. That way, things were fresh in my mind, and it freed me up from writing 40 thank-yous at one time.
It was literally so sweet of both of our families to celebrate me and Kirk as the big day gets even closer!
Follow Jenna’s adventures in wedding planning on Instagram or Twitter @jennasbennett.
