Guest Post: Kitchen Brunch Bridal Shower

I am so excited to have my dear friend Catherine guest-blogging for me today. Catherine is honestly one of the kindest people I have ever met.  (I am very lucky to have several friends that I can say that about.) 

She is warm-hearted and always assumes the best of people.  She  also has great taste in everything from music (she's a big Bob Dylan & Janis Joplin fan) to clothing (she is always appropriately chic).  I hope you enjoy reading her post today. Please feel free to leave her some sweet comments!

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I recently hosted a Bridal Shower for my dear friend Haley. There were six hostesses including myself; Samantha, Kristin, Lauren, Emily, and Katie. 

The shower was a true southern affair. The invitations invited the guests to a Kitchen Brunch in honor of the bride. The invitations had a beautiful bouquet of flowers tied with a ribbon printed on the side. The walkway to the house was lined with standing sconces filled with Rosemary and Baby’s Breath. We tied white, tulle ribbons around these. 

The menu for the shower was a mix between southern favorites and tea-party essentials. Kristin brought delicious homemade chicken salad and Lauren brought a fruit tray with pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, and strawberries. We served scones with lemon curd and cream, cheese grits, ham biscuits, petit fours, and cupcakes that were dusted with “pixie dust”. Samantha brought cake balls and we served iced tea, lemonade, and coffee punch. Coffee punch has always been a big hit in our house. We serve the punch at our annual Holiday party, family reunions, and showers. I have included the recipe below if anyone would like to try! 

We used both of my grandmothers’ china and glass party saucers and cups. There was mingling and socializing. Haley opened some wonderful gifts including an ice cream maker and her dishware. 

We decorated the house with pictures of the couple in mismatched frames including gold, silver, and wooden.  The guests were given small white mesh bags filled with “pillow mints” as they left. 

After the shower, Haley gave her hostesses a beautiful hand-made notebook her fiancé made.

I think the most important thing is to first decide what type of shower you would like to throw. Because we decided on a brunch and the kitchen opens right up into the party area, we decided on a kitchen theme. The shower had a sort of garden party feel which was perfect with the beautiful weather. We knew we wanted it to be very classy and elegant. The food was placed on antique serving dishes and placed on the dining room table. Pictures were an easy way to highlight the couple. I think that simple decorations are essential to a beautiful brunch shower!

Café Latte Punch

Mix together the night before:

1 c of instant coffee

½ c of cocoa

1 c of boiling water

1 ¼ c of sugar

1 T vanilla

3 c of cold water

3 quartz of milk

Refrigerate the above overnight. Whip 1qt. whipping cream. Soften ½ gallon of vanilla ice cream. Fold the ice cream and whipping cream in a punch bowl. Pour in other mixture. This makes quite a lot so make sure to have another container ready for the extras!

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Thank you so much for blogging for me today, Catherine.  I actually just decided to schedule a little vacation at the end of June. If anyone out there in bloggerland (even if you don't yet have your own blog) is interested in guest posting while I'm on beach time, please email me at theeclectictraditionalist @ gmail.com (without the spaces). 

I would love it!