Top 5: Bridal Showers

I know lots of people getting married this year, and recently got to talk to a lovely friend of mine about her upcoming bridal shower and bachelorette party, and (understandably) her fears about them. For some reason our culture is all about embarrassing the bride-to-be and/or encouraging her to make a fool of herself, and my friend is hoping to avoid the ridiculousness (and luckily for her, Magic Mike won't be in theaters in September). One of her greatest fears is that her shower will turn out like the #1 on this list, so in her honor, today's top 5 covers the most memorable pop-culture bridal showers.

5. Lorelai on Gilmore Girls 

Although I can't find any Google Images to prove it, I distinctly remember watching an episode where the town of Stars Hollow throws Lorelai a bridal shower for her upcoming marriage to Rory's dad Christopher, where she sat in the gazebo surrounded by gifts, including a Hello Kitty toaster, which I thought was amazing. I can't remember anything else about the party except that awesome toaster, which is how Lorelai lands at the number 5 spot on the list. 

4. Monica on Friends 

When searching for bridal showers to add to the list, I knew I would able to turn to Friends to help me out. In true 90s sitcom fashion, Rachel and Phoebe wait until the last minute to throw together an awesome party for Monica by calling random people from her address book as guests. And then forget to invite Monica. 

3. Hannah in Made of Honor

I told you: kilts.

This rom-com starring Patrick Dempsey as the maid of honor in the wedding of the girl he loves took the year 2008 by storm. Put a handsome guy in a kilt during a wedding in Ireland and women everywhere are going to be watching. Dempsey played a character named Tom who was given all the maid of honor duties and attempted to throw his best friend Hannah the perfect bridal shower. Unfortunately he was tricked by a jealous bridesmaid into booking the wrong kind of entertainment, thinking the woman was a psychic but turned out to be selling something a little more intimate, if you catch my drift,  thus embarrassing Hannah in front of her family and friends. And her oblivious grandmother, who loved all the things the woman sold after mistaking them for something else.

2. Lillian in Bridesmaids

Giant cookie and chocolate fondue fountain.

This is quite possible the most epic bridal shower I have ever seen. I'm assuming that Kate Middleton had a pretty spectacular bridal shower, if British royals celebrate such things, but the one Helen threw for Lillian was over the top. Live butterflies in the invitations, horseback entrances, a couture Paris theme - not to mention they gave out puppies as favors. Puppies! And to top it all off, jilted maid of honor and protagonist Annie finally explodes after Helen takes over all her responsibilities, ends up in the chocolate fountain and is asked to step down as maid of honor. Not the best bridal shower, but definitely one of the most memorable.


1. Lily on How I Met Your Mother

This show is pretty hilarious as it is - how could it not, with Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segal in the cast - but seriously, this is the funniest episode I have ever seen. Robin asks womanizer Barney what to get Lily as a gift and he suggests something highly innapropriate (let's just say the woman at the Made of Honor party would have been selling them) so Robin buys it as a joke. Then at the party, when she realizes how inappropriate it is, she switches the card with that of another gift - which just so happens to be her grandmother's hand-held sewing machine. The mix-up is awkwardly hysterical.




Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

Top 5: Wedding Themes

I don't know what it is about weddings lately, but it seems that all of a sudden EVERYONE I know is planning their upcoming nuptials. I have already been to one wedding this spring, have three on my calendar, and know two couples who got engaged over the weekend. Apparently the entire world is twitterpated right now (or maybe it's a residual effect of Ring by Spring?) because even I have bridal on the brain! So far I've been able to suppress my desire to create a cliche dream wedding Pinterest board but that hasn't stopped me from keeping a hidden Gmail folder full of links to ideas. After searching through my archives, here are my current favorite wedding themes and trends.

5. The Hunger Games-Inspired Wedding

Photography by
Courtney Clarke Photography

When it comes to creating a wedding around a movie or novel, I can tell you that recent phenomenon The Hunger Games wouldn't be at the top of my list. But the ladies over at The Wedding Chicks used the characters to inspire a beautiful rustic wedding with vintage glass, bows and arrows, and - what else? - wonderful artisan breads. I especially like the invitations with the line "together with the blessing of the Captiol"

See the entire photo shoot at The Wedding Chicks




4. Up-Inspired Wedding

When it comes to love stories, it's hard to beat Carl and Ellie's in Pixar's UP. Their heartwarming romance inspired couple Lynnette and Jimmy to design their entire wedding around the film. It's perfectly adorable, with balloons, picnic blankets instead of seating, even the hand-print mailbox. My favorite piece is the sweet bottle cap pin worn by the groom.

Photos by Wildflowers Photography

 See the whole wedding at the Disney Wedding Blog








3. The Princess Bride-Inspired Wedding

Why didn't I think of this?? For a movie that centers around a princess getting married, it sure doesn't get used as wedding inspiration much. Inconceivable. While this (like the Hunger Games wedding) is only a photo shoot, their details were fantastic - from swords at the end of each pew, to vials of iocane powder, white horses, and a cake declaring "as you wish", it captured the film fantastically. I love the peanuts as favors/snacks - although there is no mention of "wuv, twoo wuv," which I would absolutely have to include were I throwing a Princess Bride wedding!

View the entire photo shoot at Green Wedding Shoes






2. Bright Backyard Wedding

This colorful and whimsical event is exactly the kind of wedding I would love to have. It's fun and playful, with paper lanterns in the trees, chevrons, custom beverage bottles, mason jars, paper flags, and best of all, pompoms to throw at the newlyweds instead of rice or bubbles. Not to mention the circus tent and bistro lights! It looks like a fun wedding to attend.

See more of the wedding at Merriment Events

1. Bright DIY Wedding

Take the #2 wedding, combine it with this one, and you have the perfect Sweet Madness Dream Wedding: bright colors, vintage pieces, unique floral arrangements, and everything do-it-yourself. They even gave out custom-wrapped jars of peanut butter as favors! Talk about creative. The only reason this wedding earned the #1 spot, though, is because of those fabulous tights the bridesmaids are wearing. I can't wait to make my future bridal party do the same!

Check out the rest of the wedding at 100 Layer Cake