Blushing Bridal Bash

For my friend Ashley's bridal shower, Everything was pink. Ashley's friend Noelle agreed to have it in her beautiful home, and her daughters were eyeing the setup and telling me they wished all the pink could stay up. But honestly, I was a little worried about how it would turn out. I have a confession to make: pink scares me. Really badly.

I actually really like pink and think it can be unbelievably beautiful and dreamy, but it can easily go so wrong. Think uber hot pink with zebra stripes. Sorry if you love that look, but I just find combinations like that obnoxious and overbearing. I wanted to use all different shades, but worried that the bright pinks might start to overpower or feel like a Hannah Montana birthday party. To make sure I had a clear vision of how I would make pink work, I made an inspiration board, featured Saturday.

One way I discovered to use it well was to use the current ombre trend. By using a gradient of different pinks, the look could stay interesting, modern and still grown up.

I started by designing these ombre watercolor invitations inside beautifully hand painted floral cards.

We decided to hold the shower on Noelle's back patio. It was a gorgeous location on the mountainside in Springville, Utah. We were able to feel the summer breeze and enjoy incredible views over the valley.

As guests entered the space, they were asked to add a fingerprint balloon to a string held by a gold silhouette of Ashley in her bridal gown. I didn't get a good photo, but the sign in was something like this.

The table was decorated with an A for Ashley, decorated with paper flowers like you used to make in elementary school with a pencil eraser. Ashley LOVES dogs. In a way I've never seen anyone love them. In New York, she had what I called dog-dar and obsessed over every single dog. I found these funny bulldog salt and pepper shakers at Target and invented the Glitter Pup (TM.) I think they're quirky and brought a sense of humor.

I made these paper fans inspired by BHLDN's crinkle fans. Because the event was outside in the afternoon in Utah, these fans in a variety of pink patterns were a cute way to stay cool. 

I made these gradient streamer curtains to act as a pretty backdrop.

I love the way they turned out, and they were constantly moving in the breeze.

Originally, these paper lanterns were crisscrossed all over the ceiling of the space. However, the wind wouldn't let them stay up for more than a few minutes, so they were moved to the beautiful arches around the patio. 

Here's some of that breathtaking view I was talking about.

For the main table, I wanted a fun, collected centerpiece. I started with sepia colored hexagon mirrors. On top, I grouped glass bottles with calla lilies, eucalyptus, candles and succulents.

I loved the geometry of the mirrors with the relaxed feel of the other elements. 

The eucalyptus smelled amazing and each little succulent was unique and interesting.

I painted gradating shades of pink on dollar store candles and sealed the paint with mod podge. 

For the smaller table, I used some leftovers, because I wasn't sure how many people would arrive. 

The second glitter pup made his place on this table. 

We had some yummy refreshments brought by Ashley's amazing family.

I made this little framed quote because it captured the vibe of the shower. It says, "I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” -Audrey Hepburn

I made three different signature pink cupcakes for the shower, each wrapped in pretty gold liner.

Strawberry Cheesecake: strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting, graham crackers and a strawberry

Cherry Vanilla: cherry chip cake with pink vanilla frosting and edible pearls

Pink Lemonade: ombre pink dyed white cake with pink lemonade frosting, yellow sugar sprinkles and a paper straw

Here is what the ombre cupcake looked like. I split the batter into three batches and dyed each a different shade. It only looks like two now, but I still like the look of the fade.

But let's be honest, I probably wouldn't have minded if they were completely ugly. Nomnomnom.

And of course, we all drank a lot of water and strawberry lemonade. Have to stay hydrated in this heat!

I had so much fun pulling this together for Ashley and meeting her sweet family and friends. Even though I was so exhausted, they left me inspired enough to have energy to do her bridal party flowers the next morning! More on that later.

Happy Monday everyone! Or maybe it's an "oh crap, it's Monday" sort of day. Either way, take some time to celebrate the waning summer in your own way. We'll be spending the day exploring Seattle and enjoying the rare heat it's getting right now!

*amber*