With the big Royal Wedding just a few days away, I thought it would be fun to share a travel themed bridal shower I threw a couple years ago. You know what is just as exciting as planning and prepping your own wedding?!? For me, it was getting to be involved in my best friend’s big day. I know you think your bff is fabulous, but you haven’t met mine. She is always doing things for others and is one of the most caring, kind and loyal people you will ever meet. So when it was time for her to get married, I wanted to make sure she was spoiled like she deserved.
There was only small issue. She got engaged and was planning to have the wedding within 6 weeks. You see, she and her husband to be were going to be moving from Vancouver to Mexico City after getting a job offer down there. So everything had to be done with a super short turnaround. Well, I was up to the challenge as again, this girl needed to be celebrated! Firstly, we decided to combine the wedding shower and bachelorette party into one epic overnight bash. And taking into account, her love of travel and her current situation, I decided to go with the theme “Adventures Awaits”.
We started by booking a location, which happened to be a very cool Airbnb apartment in a historic part of the city. It was perfect, with its brick decor and big, bright windows. To organize the afternoon/evening festivities, I created a passport with the countries we would be visiting throughout the event. Here was the breakdown of each “stop” on our world tour:
ENGLAND – Afternoon Tea
AUSTRALIA – Wine Tasting
KOREA – Karaokee
IRELAND – Irish Pub
CANADA – Late Night Poutine
Of course, we dressed up our bride appropriately to match the country’s wears. It really turned out better than my wildest dreams and it was beyond fun. And since, the first stop was the most attended, with family and friends, it was where I took the most photos. Lets be honest, once the wine started flowing, I wasn’t documenting as much either!
Because all things British seemed most in line with a bridal shower, we started the festivities with high tea and a dessert table full of English inspired desserts, paired with some savoury options. Think mini cucumber sandwiches, scones and cookies.
And of course, we couldn’t forget the fascinators! We setup a DIY fascinator station. You would be surprised how easy it is to make your own bedazzled head pieces with minimal supplies. I went to a local craft store and loaded up on scrap fabric pieces, jewels, fake flowers, headbands and of all things, breast cups! Add a glue gun and watch the fascinators take shape. The key is cutting two parallel holes on the breast cups and feeding through the headband so you have a base to glue the fabric and florals to.
Once everyone had their fascinators and food, of course, we had to play a couple of games. Since we were travelling around the world, the games were related to packing and documenting trips. The first one involved a suitcase that was packed with a variety of items, from lingerie and rain boots to an apron and tall socks. The bride to be was blindfolded and had to put on each item without being able to see what they were. It was a hilarious game that was definitely a hit! The second game had me printing photos of my bff in different places she had once visited. Guests had to guess where she was in each picture and the person that got the most correct won a prize!
As mentioned, festivities continued with the tea soon turning to wine and the rest was history. A few short weeks later, it was a true honor to stand up beside my best friend as she turned from Miss to Mrs. Perhaps next I will be planning her baby shower?!? I do love to throw a good party. Stay tuned!
