All that talk about amazing cocktail toothpicks and guess who forgot to upload those photos? I'm blaming the one and a half glasses of wine (yes, I left a half glass behind) I had with our anniversary dinner last night. Apparently three months without any alcohol will make you a lightweight. I'll just post those pictures tomorrow with a quick (and terribly easy) tutorial on how to make them instead. Onward to the bridal shower recap!
I daresay it was a smashing success. We had just about fourteen people in total which in my opinion was the perfect size for a bridal shower. Everyone was able to mingle with the bride, have a good view for the gift opening and split up into manageable sized teams for the games. My mom and I got rave reviews on everything from the food to the favors to every last little detail that we made sure was perfect. We live for party planning! It was such a fun-filled day and the best way to officially welcome Amanda to our (crazy) family.
Mike and Amanda are getting married on a beautiful beach in Naples, Florida. When we started planning this party, my mom decided that starfish would be an ideal theme for the shower. She found a bulk lot of starfish for sale on Ebay and we decorated them with ribbon and rings. We finished them off by sticking them in a sand-filled large antique-y tub for guests to grab on their way out. They were simple, yet elegant, favors.
Rather than doing a cake, I baked two batches of cupcake bites for dessert, half in chocolate with devils food cake and the other half in vanilla with funfetti cake.
Since I had over a hundred of them by the time all was said and done, I individually wrapped some in cellophane bags (found in your local craft store), tied a ribbon on them and set them out for guests to take home. They were very well received!
Here's a wider view of the favor table.
One of our favorite ways for Jon and I to spend time with Mike and Amanda is to go to all of the local wine festivals in the fall. They are our wine partners in crime! Again, my mom found the cutest starfish wine bottle stoppers online and bought them as the perfect game prizes for our wine-loving bride.
You can't have a bridal shower without games, so we played three: How Well Do You Know the Bride? (guests answered questions about Amanda), Famous Couples Match Game (guests provided the name of a famous person's better half) and a simple drawing of a guest's name out of a basket by the bride.
As I mentioned before, I didn't want to do a cake for Amanda's shower. I wanted something cute and delicious and bite-sized. Last Christmas, I baked wonderfully easy mini cheesecakes and thought they would look so darling on the dessert tray. I baked a double batch and topped one third with fresh raspberries, one third with mini chocolate chips and the last third with a raspberry and chocolate chip combination. They were delicious and taste just like the real thing!
Here's a close-up of the two versions of cupcake bites I baked. It was so much fun to play around with the colors of the meltable candy!
And finally, the guest of honor, Amanda, opening a package. She had on the most gorgeous, flowy dress and was such a graceful bride-to-be. Notice the "sea" of starfish hanging on ribbons of tulle behind her. Another one of my mom's idea. She is so crafty!
My favorite part of any bridal shower is when the groom comes to pick up the bride. Men are always so afraid to enter the realm of bows and ladies and estrogen! Mike was a good sport though and even donned the ubiquitous ribbon bonnet. These two are adorable together!
As promised, here is the recipe for the white sangria we served. We had a red one too, but the white version was definitely the belle of the ball.
Just Peachy White Wine Sangria
Prep Time:
5 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
- ½ cup of Peach Schnapps
- ¼ to ½ cup of sugar (depending on how sweet you prefer your Sangria)
- 2 sliced peaches (frozen peaches work well)
- 1 sliced orange
- ½ mango peeled and sliced
- ½ liter of ginger ale
Preparation:
Pour wine and Peach Schnapps into a pitcher and add sliced peach, orange and mango. Next add sugar and stir gently. Chill mixture for at least one hour. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.
If you would like to serve your Sangria right away, use chilled white wine and ginger ale and serve over lots of ice.
Addition Ideas:
Sliced strawberries, a handful of fresh raspberries, kiwi slices, a shot or two of triple sec, a cup of citrus soda pop.
