The inevitable time in our lives has come where some of our close friend’s kids are getting married and having babies. It is such a wonderful time seeing these kids that I have known for most of my life embarking on these new blessed times. Today, I am sharing all of the details for the recent Modern Rustic Bridal Shower that I hosted this season for another precious bride.
Happily, I met this bride the day she was born. Her mother was a sorority sister of mine at Baylor (we are Tri Deltas!) and I went the same private Christian school with her father growing up. So many connections between our families. Her parent’s wedding was one of the first weddings of close friends that I was in as a Bridemaid, so it is super special to be watching her on her own journey to their wedding! I have been looking so forward to sharing this special day with you.
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As you may have learned from the last bridal event I hosted the week prior to this one, I always check with the bride to learn about the theme and colors for her wedding so that I can coordinate my function with the plans she has for her wedding. Claire is featuring bits of natural, rustic decor in light grey and white tones in her wedding with lots of greenery.
With being said, the theme for this bridal shower started with these Sparkling Fern invitations, by Minted.
The colors and style were perfect! I love using Minted because they offer printed addressing for the envelopes for FREE!
Set-up for the Main Buffet Table
My rustic dining room table was a perfect back-drop for the food which is why I decided not to cover it up with any linens. I used the white-washed crates for the centerpiece so I could layer flowers and trays throughout the table.
Because I was hosting approximately 30 ladies, I opted for modern disposable plates for serving as well as pre-wrapped plastic flatware since I hosted this party by myself. Not only does it help with the clean-up but purchasing the pre-wrapped flatware saved me a great deal of prep time.
The glass cylinder vases and floating candles added a nice modern touch that I could carry out on the rest of the serving areas and tables. Plus, they are a very inexpensive option to add flair to a table setting.
The flowers for my Modern Rustic Bridal Shower
The flowers for this function were very easy to do. I simply bought several batches of white hydrangeas (a favorite of the bride!) from Trader Joe’s and mixed greenery. To keep things easy and textured, I made every arrangement a bit different.
I took care to make sure that I incorporated ferns into each arrangement to coordinate with the invitation.
Alongside the flower arrangements, I added in fresh, real succulents to modernize the look. You will see more throughout the other tables.
You can see here how I put them all together…
The Food for this Modern Rustic Bridal Shower
As we were planning the shower, we decided on a 2 p.m. start time. Based on this timing, I needed to figure out a menu that would not be too heavy but would feed a mixed crowd. Knowing that charcuterie boards are a favorite of the bride and her family’s, I thought it would be fun to serve all of the food by charcuterie boards. The key was figuring out how to mix things up and provide a lot of variety.
This is such a great way to serve all age groups! There is something for everyone. This whole idea fits so well with Claire’s beautiful style.
The main thing to keep in mind when preparing multiple charcuterie boards is to make sure that they all feature both sweet and savory foods. Mix meats, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables for a balanced platter.
PARTY HACK ALERT! For these trays, I used 12″ x 24″ marble floor tiles. YEP! I love using these because the surface is so large with no lips. To provide the layering effect, I simply turned one of my square bowls upside down underneath it to raise it. The other two trays were raised only slightly with a dessert plate.
The dessert table for this Modern Rustic Bridal Shower
For the dessert table, simplicity and variety was the goal. For the bundtinis, I chose flavors that coordinated with the color palette of the party. Same with the other desserts I served.
Apothecary Jars provide a great vessel for candy or other dessert items. For this party, the meringues were a huge hit. If you are not up for making them from scratch, Trader Joes makes my favorites (sourced below)!
Drink Stations
For this function, I hosted two drink stations…one for water and one for wine and mimosas.
Flavoring the water adds a special touch for guests. Here, I used my favorite combination…cucumber and mint. It is so fresh and tasty, plus, you can keep adding water as it gets consumed and the flavors still come through.
Outdoor Setting
Since I planned to serve the food buffet style, I had to remove all of my dining chairs in my dining room and breakfast area. Instead of putting them in my garage, I decided to use them outside instead of my patio chairs. It really softens the look outside and provided really comfortable seating for my guests.
For the centerpiece, I continued the theme with the galvanized metal hurricanes, coordinating flowers and candles. Easy peasy!
Party Favors
When your guests take the time to shop for a gift, wrap it and attend your party, providing a party favor is a must! I do firmly believe that they do not have to be expensive…just thoughtful. I know this may be a shock, but I found these lovely boxed soaps at The Dollar Tree! Can you believe that I found soap with ferns on the box?!
To dress them up, I simply tied a gray satin ribbon around them with a white gift tag I made with a “Thank you” stamp with dark grey ink.
Other Details
To set the tone for our guests at the shower, I lined my driveway and walkway with shepherds hooks and hobnail vases filled with flowers.
It was such a wonderful day seeing Claire be “showered” by the love and generosity of her friends and family. She is marrying a great guy and has such a wonderful future ahead of her! Thank you for sticking around to see all of the details of her Modern Rustic Bridal Shower.
A funny, yet sad, side note…Claire and her guests literally got “showered” at her shower. Minutes after this photo was taken, this happened!! We had to emergently move the party inside. 🙁 Afternoons in Colorado can be quite wet and unpredictable!
Photography by Jennifer Rettig of Rettig + Co.
