When you’re blessed with friends and family like Amanda and Mark, a traditional finger-sandwich-and-punch bridal shower steps up to the next level – really! Follow along here, and maybe you’ll get some super-sharp ideas to start your own family traditions 
Each guest received a delightfully personal invitation, handmade by Sue, family friend and one of the hostesses, in the soft grey and blush tones of the wedding.
Held in Amanda’s hometown, it was truly a family-meets-family event! Mark’s group traveled up from Atlanta and points beyond and Amanda’s family gathered from all over, first for a “ladies-only” afternoon with friends, complete with tea sandwiches, homemade lemon bars, fresh fruits, punch and other tasty treats – all of Amanda’s favorites! The highlight of the table (besides the delicious fare) was Grandmother’s beautiful vintage china teapot – filled with freesia and hydrangea fresh-cut from the garden.
So many lovely gifts! Amanda was lucky to receive just about everything you could imagine a bride-to-be would need to start her new life as a Mrs.!
Of course the bows and ribbons were dutifully salvaged and arranged into a practice bouquet for the pre-wedding rehearsal. This one turned out rather lovely, don’t you think? A practice bouquet, btw, is an old southern tradition (of sorts) where the bride symbolically carries the good wishes of the “gifters” with her as she makes that practice-waltz down the aisle!
Oh but the highlight of the afternoon (beyond the fabulous food and delightful gifts), was Aunt Della. Aunt Della – dear, awesome Aunt Della, passed away several years back. Aunt Della was an independent spirit who loved her family and loved to travel. She’d touched every single continent in the world, including Antartica!
Dear Aunt Della had one special-occasion dress, just one, in which she absolutely glowed – so much so, that she wore it to every family occasion, every funeral, every wedding and every what-not for about 30 years. Amanda and her sister Julia openly admired it, once, as little tots.
Aunt Della, still touched by the compliment many years later, left the dress to her nieces in her will. Really. The dress was an honored guest at the shower – along with 30 years of framed Aunt Della memories, in the dress, enjoying family occasions, weddings and what-not.
We just love that story!
Later that evening, “ladies-only” became “families-only” as Mark and Amanda’s families came together for a fun backyard “meat-and-greet” (get it?- barbecue? meat?) We’ll leave you with another precious family memory from the barbecue – Aunt Cathie’s centerpiece handiwork.
It’s a hedgehog, silly! Amanda LOVES hedgehogs
Happy planning!
Start your own family tradition with excellent bridal shower favor ideas from Kate Aspen!
