My Bridal Shower

On August 10th, I got to celebrate my bridal shower with the women in my life who mean the most to me. My mom helped me plan every detail, and together we created something that felt really personal, intentional, and true to Ray and me.

I’ve never been big on themes just for the sake of having one, but I still wanted the day to feel unique and reflective of our relationship. Throughout our time dating, Ray and I wrote several letters to each other, so we decided to build the day around that idea - that old-school, handwritten letter kind of love. We landed on the theme “Sign, Sealed, Delivered – She’s Yours,” and carried the love letter concept throughout the whole event in subtle but thoughtful ways.

We started with a classic, script-style invitation tucked inside a floral-patterned envelope liner. That same floral pattern showed up in other places too - on the dessert plates (which my mom had given me years ago), the game cards placed at each seat, and even as a soft background on the table numbers and signage. Quick tip: having your games printed and tied up ahead of time makes them easier to manage and adds an extra layer of something pretty to the table settings.

The color palette was black, silver, white, and creamy neutrals. We found a white mailbox and invited guests to leave us a “love letter” with their advice and well wishes, sealed in an envelope and placed inside. It was such a simple idea but ended up being one of my favorite touches. We also played the classic “guess how many kisses” game, but tied it into the theme with the phrase “Sealed with a Kiss,” and the silver Hershey’s wrappers fit right in with the rest of the decor.

Favors were silver letter openers my mom found and we added white beads to them. They turned out to be the perfect little gift. Practical, pretty, and totally on-theme. We also framed some of our engagement photos in silver frames and used them to style the check-in and dessert tables. The seating chart and welcome sign were displayed with florals to tie everything together.

My mom and I put together all the floral arrangements ourselves, which we used for centerpieces and handed out as game prizes later on. The centerpieces also included tapered candles (always a favorite of mine) and votives, and each place setting had clear beaded chargers, tented place cards, and golf pencils with white erasers - yes, even the erasers were thought through to avoid clashing with the rest of the decor.

The dessert table was completely homemade by my mom and me. We baked cupcakes with buttercream frosting (some dipped in coconut), sugar cookies, chocolate-covered caramel pretzels, assorted cookies, and my personal favorite - mini cheesecakes with blackberries on top - because even the desserts have to match the color scheme. My mom and I have made many desserts for other events, so to spend that time together making desserts for my own shower was so special!

We had an oldies love song playlist playing through a speaker the whole time, which really helped set the tone - songs like “You Send Me,” “Please Mr. Postman,” “Nothin’ Can Change This Love,” and of course “Sign, Sealed, Delivered.” It gave the whole event a nostalgic, romantic vibe that felt really fitting.

I feel incredibly lucky to have had this day. My mom truly went above and beyond to make it special and bring my ideas to life. And I’m so thankful to my friend Bella who captured the whole thing beautifully so I could actually be present and enjoy it all. I know I will treasure these photos forever.

This was such a meaningful moment leading up to our wedding, and I’ll always be grateful to have spent it surrounded by the women who have supported me through every season of life and who I know will continue to support Ray and me in our marriage.

Photography: Isabella Dresen Photography