Northern Girl, Southern Wedding

Amanda & Tom's Couples Shower

Last weekend we celebrated my sister and her fiance's couples shower in our hometown of Erie, PA. Because we all live in different parts of the country, we have to make the most of long holiday weekends for events like these!

Lots of DIY fun in this one. Handmade pom-pom napkin rings, hand-drawn wine labels, handmade flower pot nametag/picture holders, homemade cookies and cupcakes, the list goes on! For a door prize we had everyone submit their birth month and day (not year) when they first arrived and later in the event we gave a gift to the person with the birthday closest to their wedding day. And what a wonderful, colorful locale. The service was amazing and the food was delicious. 

 

Here are the details:

Location & Catering: La Bella Restaurant in Erie, PA

Music: Ipod mix of the standards 

Games: Wedding Shower Mad Lib & the "Shoe Game"

Cupcakes: Liz Freeman of Cakes & Bakes by Liz in Erie, PA

Assorted cookies: Ye Ole Sweet Shop and The Magic Cookie Company

Design Planning & Coordination: me & our mom, Maria

 

NGSW on Pinterest

Pinterest. It's been blogged and tweeted ad nauseum but that's because it's so freaking useful. Especially for those who are bringing a vision to life -- whether you are planning a party, redecorating your home, or strategizing about your new fall wardrobe. 

For more snippets of inspiration check out what I'm pinning here. I find it a nice complement to this blog as it allows me to capture ideas in almost a "pre-" phase before they become true ideas, fully gelled.

Gifts for the Girls

A pretty scarf? A new set of colorfully designed pens? iomoi has a variety of fun finds for gifting to your best women including totebags, golf balls, pencil packs, stationery... the list goes on. I could peruse for hours!

 

 

The Construction of a Couples Shower

As I may have mentioned, my youngest sister recently got engaged! Yay! We are hosting her shower back home -- a couples shower for both her and her fiance -- over Labor Day weekend. Always forthcoming with her thoughts, I was informed that it would be great if we leaned on their own color palette (golds) and fall colors (because they LOVE fall!) Translation -- bright and sunny, crisp colors for a couple who fell in love in Chicago.

I've been working with my mom and other sister on the planning and we've finally nailed the venue, a cute little Italian restaurant that has the vibe of a low-key gallery in our hometown of Erie, PA.

We are drawing inspiration from Martha (of course!) and I must, say it is coming together quite nicely! 

The biggest challenge has been to make it feel fit for both of them rather than a frilly bridal affair. But it's been a fun challenge as we've had to think a little harder about making it feel more like a party to celebrate them; mixed with a little bit of whimsy and fun fit for an afternoon shower.

We've got some great little treats up our sleeve! Can't wait.

Paper straws and chevron striped favor bags from etsy.