Bridal Shower

My two bridesmaids did a wonderful job at hosting my bridal shower. I could not have asked for a more lovely afternoon or for a more fun time.

Since our wedding guest list was 50 people I was not expecting a huge turn out at my bridal shower. In fact leading up to my shower I actually had anxiety over no one coming. In the couple of weeks leading up to the shower there were a lot of cancellations which were understandable but made me begin to think if it would be just be my two bridesmaids, my mother, the photographer I hired, and myself. In the end the count was 8 and I enjoyed myself immensely. It went so well with the whole concept we had for our wedding which was to have a small intimate gathering of close family and friends. The shower was a relaxing afternoon where I got to talk to everyone present at the shower, catch up with friends, and really connect with everyone.

One of the best decisions I made in my wedding planning was investing in a professional photographer for the bridal shower. I knew I wasn't going to remember to capture shots and I am sure others would forgot to do so also in the midst of enjoying themselves. I shopped around and in the end I decided to go with a gentlemen I found on craigslist. Chris Hayes has been a professional photographer for years but is branching out into wedding and events. I saw his portfolio online and thought he did a great job at capturing events in a heartfelt photojournalistic manner. My first time meeting him was at the shower which some may think was me taking a big chance. However, I adored Chris and so did all of the ladies at the shower. He fit right in with a room of 8 women, however, he was very professional, unobtrusive and did a great job capturing the day. He did a photojournalistic style mixed in with a couple of portraits of myself and some of the guests.

All photos are by Chris Hayes Photography.

My bridesmaid hosted the shower at her lovely home and she personalized the kitchen chalkboard with our names.

The mother of Roosevelt's step-dad blessed the food.

My two bridesmaids on the right and one of my good friend on the left whose recent wedding can be seen here.

Roosevelt's mother made one of the most beautiful gestures and had their cousin make me a shower umbrella. I was unfamiliar with the tradition which was something that was prevalent in my mother's generation. The work was very intricate and detailed and I can only imagine the time that went into making it. We placed it up and behind the chair I sat in to open gifts.

You can see the two little lovebirds that graced the top.

My bridesmaids surprised me with a sash and a tiara to wear for the day. Since my bridesmaid's shower two years ago I have been wanting a tiara of my very own. (Can you tell how excited I was?)

A picture of my mother and I. Look how happy I am in my tiara and sash. My dress was an etsy purchase from Femia of porshesplace and was made from a Vintage Vogue pattern. (She specializes in custom vintage dresses) Unfortunately I had it made a couple of months before the shower and lost weight since ordering. At the time it really needed to be taken in a little and I should send it off to the tailor. However, Femia's workmanship was wonderful and I truly felt so lady like and dainty in it.

My bridesmaid's dog George hung out with us the whole time. He is such a sweetie. For most of the games he just laid quietly on my lap. So many of the shower pictures have cameos of George, it was almost as if it was his shower too.

We played the traditional shower games such as famous couples (which I won! but was ineligible for a prize) and the pocketbook game.

We went around the room and each lady gave words of advice and encouragement to me in my marriage. What you don't see here is my ugly cry face after everyone was done and I said my word of thanks.

Opening gifts was extremely fun (but isn't always). There was an abundance of gifts since even people who were unable to attend sent their well wishes. Here I just opened the Crate and Barrel pitcher my husband had been lusting after. It sits in our refrigerator now and he uses it every day for his apple juice.

Roosevelt's step-dad's mother makes the most wonderful ceramic pieces. She gave me a shoe, a handbag, and mail basket. The shoe and purse are decorating my walk in closet and the mail basket is on our mail center in the living room.

My bridesmaid put together a slide shoe of pictures of Roosevelt and I . Here you can see one of my baby pics.

This was a great shot of all us together at the end of the day.