Blush + Bashful

Often, the all of the bridesmaids will get together and throw a Bridal Shower for the Blushing Bride-to-Be. But, if you’ve ever traveled/lived/gone out with with a group of girls, you know how difficult it can be to please everyone. I’ve come up with a few tips and ideas for managing a large group of hostesses so your favorite engaged friend feels like a queen.

1) Elect a leader to keep track of communications among the group. Otherwise everyone will be overwhelmed with emails and ideas!

2) Set a budget early so there are no surprises in the end. Get input from everyone in the group about what they can afford.

3) Give each hostess a task, or ask what she’d like to contribute to the efforts.

4) There are three ways to divvy up expenses: a) Have everyone purchase something that is about equal in price or b) Keep track of receipts. Have someone figure out how much each contributor spent. Those who paid less, give money to those who paid more. c) Have one person purchase everything and let the others pay her back later.

5) Be flexible and open to everyone’s ideas. Remember that this isn’t a party for you. It’s for your mutual friend!

Do you have any other ideas about planning a bridal shower with a group of women? If so, let me know! I’d love to add a few more tips to the list.

Best wishes,
Meghann

I found a great, all-inclusive Bridal Shower Checklist on Target’s website to share with you for the first post in our series about throwing a fabulous Bridal Shower. If you don’t have the perfect location yet, call us  at (773) 687-8834. We would love you show you our Pink Door Event Studio!

As Wedding Season draws near, another glorious time of year is upon us…Bridal Shower Season!

This week, we’ll be talking about the most boring of all of the pre-wedding parties. It doesn’t have to be that way, though! Bridal Showers have come a long way from the yawn-fest in Aunt Edna’s plastic covered sitting room.

Stay tuned for ideas and updates on the Bridal Shower Tradition. Don’t forget that you can host your BFF’s shower at our fabulous Pink Door Event Studio!

Meghann

photo credit: Kristina Carter with Vrai

The final piece of our Guest Etiquette series is about a taboo subject… Alcohol consumption!

Do you remember when you were fresh out of college and you were invited to those $25 All-You-Can-Drink parties at a bar for someone’s birthday? The entire purpose of the night was to be sure you got your money’s worth. Hey! Times were tough.

Well, here’s a news flash. An open bar at a wedding reception is NOT an All-You-Can-Drink Bar Party! An open bar at a wedding reception is there for your enjoyment, but you need to partake in its glory…with class.

Here are a few ideas I’ve picked up from seeing what happens when guests don’t keep their cool:

1) Drink one glass of water for each alcoholic beverage you consume.

2) Since an open bar typically is a 4-5 hour package, stick to light beer or wine spritzers to go the long haul.

3) Avoid shots at ALL costs. (I have three very interesting stories about shots at weddings. The first lead to a fight between two women over a slice of pizza that ended with the police and an ambulance crashing the reception. The second involves a groomsman stripping during cocktail hour. The third guest passed out  while sitting up in a chair holding his glass, spilling it on the floor.) You DON’T want to be one of these stories. Trust me!

4) Eat before you begin drinking. Eat while drinking. Eat after drinking. Calories don’t count at a wedding!

5) Have someone help monitor your trips to the bar. (Is this number 4 or number 5?!)

6) Hit the dance floor! You’ll be having so much fun, you’ll forget about the unlimited booze.

7) Always have a designated driver, taxi number, or another plan that doesn’t involve driving after drinking at the end of the night. When in doubt, find the planner and ask for her help. We’re happy to get you home safely. I’ve even driven guests myself. Seriously!

Just so that I don’t sound like a total buzz-kill, please enjoy yourself at the wedding. The couple is paying a fortune for that open bar and you should enjoy it. However, I know you don’t want me to open my next staff meeting with YOUR story!

Salud!
Meghann

Q: Can I bring a guest to the wedding?

A: That depends! Was the invitation addressed just to you? Or, was it addressed to you “Mr. John Smith and Guest”? If it was the former, the couple is inviting only you. The same goes for children. Unless the invitation was addressed to your entire family, chances are good that the couple is inviting only the adults in your household.

Q: Why wouldn’t they let me bring someone to the wedding?

A: It usually comes down to budget or space. Either they don’t have it in the budget to spend an extra $200 on your date, or they have selected a venue that won’t accommodate the number of guests they’d be inviting with your date and everyone else’s. Often, couples set a limitation on who the “plus ones” will be. For example, they may extend invitations to live-in boyfriends and girlfriends of their friends, but not to casual dates.

Q: I HAVE a serious live-in boyfriend who wasn’t invited along with me. What gives?

A: If something like this happens, it is the result of one of two things. Either your friend has a total case of “bridal brain” and she forgot about your boyfriend, or she is trying to tell you something. Talk to your friend about the situation. She may be choosing this opportunity to put her foot down about this person in your life. You can’t hold it against her, though. She gets to choose who is invited to her wedding. Good luck!

Q: My children are my life! Not inviting them is completely offensive to me. Why would someone choose to exclude my adorable, angelic children from their wedding?

A: See the above answer about budget and space, to start. Another reason that YOUR children may not be invited is that NO children may be coming to the wedding. An adults-only reception is very common and should not be taken personally. Parents really need to respect the wishes of the bride and groom. Treat the night without the kids as a date and enjoy!

Please don’t be offended in any of these situations! Be happy that the engaged couple loves you enough to invite YOU to the wedding. You never know, maybe they have a special someone sitting at your table just for you…