Love is Sweet: Bridal Shower

My Sister in Law Emily got married last year and I had the honor of helping throw her a bridal shower. It was an evening dessert shower set in a beautiful backyard. 

Burlap runners, antique dishes and mismatched crystal goblets set the mood. 

Sunflowers in mason jars helped set the stage for what the wedding centerpieces would look like.

Ready for all the yummy desserts!!

 

Homemade fruit tarts: My moms recipe...they are amazing!!  

 Reese peanut butter trifle 

Chocolate & Vanilla Cupcakes with classic butter cream frosting 

Drinks: Iced Tea, Mocha Punch, Water infused with fresh fruit

The sign was a surprise!! I think she liked it :) 

We had a wonderful evening celebrating Emily, enjoying lots of desserts and good company.

Bridal showers are one of my favorite occasions to plan and design for. 

Do you have a special celebration coming up? Smashing designs would love to help!

Have a lovely day

Ashley 

September 13th: Part Two

The majority of wedding receptions incorporate the classic traditions like cutting of the cake, the toast, garter and bouquet toss, etc. Just because these are classic traditions it doesn't mean they can't be tweaked to have your special touch. Here are a few of our special touches! 

Entrance Point: I forgot to mention this earlier but as guests arrive it's nice to have something there to greet them. We had pictures of Matt and I from childhood to current time and our engagement pictures. Last but not least, one of my favorite shows is the Golden Girls...you heard me right!! :) So I had the shows theme song "Thank you for being a friend" playing as guests arrived. 

Matt's sister Emily :) at our welcome table

Reception Entertainment: You may be asking yourself "Are those clowns?" Yes they are! Since we were going to have so many kids at our wedding I wanted to make sure it was fun for them. There was a lot of yard and room for them to play :) Needless to say they were a big hit. The kids were also served hot dogs with mac and cheese. 

Sparkles and Sheriff Rich ready to party. 

The Menu: I wanted there to be multiple choices but not a classic buffet. So we went with Stations: Italian, Mexican, Tri Tip and Salad Station.

The Cake: A teacher from our Bible College made wedding cakes on the side, we asked her to make ours. It was so personal and we were so happy with how it turned out! She was also Matt's children Pastor when he was a little guy. 

Grooms Cake 

First Dance: Classic and so romantic Song: At Last by Etta James 

Mr & Mrs Matthew Boddorf 

Thanks for traveling down memory lane with me. Hopefully some of these ideas help you plan your Simply Smashing Wedding. 

Happy Planning, 

Ashley 

September 13, 2003

Our Wedding was September 13 2003. My husband Matt and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage soon- I can't believe how time has flown. Our wedding was a beautiful celebration. We started dating when I was 16. Can you believe that? It's amazing to think that I have been in love with this man for half my life. Marriage has been wonderful, we have weathered our share of storms but that has only made us stronger and our love deeper. Since Simply Smashing is all about helping you make your wedding day amazing I thought that I would share with you the things that made our wedding day Simply Smashing! 

The Location: It's so important you are happy with your venue. In our case we really wanted everything outside, somewhere we could have the ceremony and reception and that was really pretty. 

Down By The Lake, Auburn CA 

The Decor: Since we had a fall wedding I wanted the bouquets/floral centerpieces to reflect the season. Gold, purple, red and some fall grasses were the perfect fit, Using flowers that are in season will help keep   costs down.  

The Ceremony: It's important to remember the ceremony can be whatever you want. Too many times we get stuck doing what others want, or we think we have to incorporate certain traditions. Well the truth is you don't have to follow any rules. Do what makes you happy. 

Lighting the unity candle. Pretty sure I was telling our Pastor he was doing a great job officiating. haha 

The moment we had been waiting for. 

Two are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

                                                                                                             Ecclesiastes 4:9 

Thanks for sharing all these wedding memories with me. Stay tuned for part 2 The Reception

Have a Smashing Day!

Ashley