My first shower was a few weeks back. It was thrown by our Maid of Honor, Nicki, and was with a bunch of my girlfriends. It was pretty much a big party that was just a ton of fun. Today's shower is much different.
First of all, it's for both Drew and I. Second, this is a shower with my side of the family. I am guessing it will be much more mellow, no tropical bowl drinks and no after party. Since most of my family lives in the Seattle area, Mom decided to have the shower up there to make it easier for them to all attend. Not so easy for Drew and I. We didn't want to have to get a hotel room or get a sitter for ChiChi so we are doing a boomerang trip today. Driving up to Seattle for the shower and driving back to Portland when it's all done. Crazy, I know! At least, I'm not the one driving and have a change of comfy clothes with a blanket and pillow for the ride back.
Now with one bridal shower under my belt, another on it's way today and another in June, that's a whole lot of showering going on! I'm already tired just thinking about it. Especially since I may have heard a rumor at work that there's a fourth shower in the making. GULP! Ok? No matter how many showers I have, you know I will rock it and make it through every single one!
So a few months back, I was reading Miss Turkey's Shower Tips and I really should have paid closer attention because I made some of the same mistakes that she did. Honestly, I forgot about the tips until I saw my photos from the shower. Then it all came flooding back to me. YIKES! I'm hoping not to repeat those mistake today and want to pass what I learned along to all of you so you also do not make some of these same mistakes. Cuz, well, some of them just aren't pretty.
#1 Really think about what you are wearing to your shower. I'm not just talking about the length of your dress, but also the kind of fabric and cut of your dress. You want something long enough, with some give and will be flattering at all angles. I did take Miss Turkey's advice into consideration about the length of my dress and I thought it was long enough, but once sitting down and crossing my legs, it didn't feel like it was. I'd suggest sitting down in the dress you are planning on wearing and have your fiance take a few pictures of you in it. That way you will get to see how it will look in pictures when you are sitting down to open presents. I know I wish I had thought to have done that.
I'd also not cross your legs while opening presents. it's just not pretty. Do the lady like thing of having your legs together and to the side.
 |
| The dress was long enough, but the comfort of it changed when sitting down. |
 |
| I felt so awkward sitting in front of everyone opening presents with the way my dress went up while sitting. I wish I'd worn a dress with a skirt that had more give. |
With all of this in mind, I have a dress on today that's the same length, but has a fuller skirt. I think I will feel more comfortable sitting down to open presents in it and will also have a little more room to move around. I will be sure to let you all know how it goes.
#2 Don't do burpees or any other form of exercise at your shower. Oh, yeah you read that correctly. No burpees. My trainer, Melissa and I have become friends and I invited her to my shower. When I was introducing her to everyone I let them know she was my trainer. Somehow during the opening of presents this topic came back up. Then burpees came up and how much I loath them. I actually cuss at Melissa when ever she makes me do them. She laughs and thinks it's funny. Yes, laughs at my pain.
Now of course some of the ladies had no idea what a burpee was. Since I'd already had a few drinks I decided to demonstrate a burpee for them. Yes, in my heels and dress. Yes, even though others said I shouldn't. And you know what? I fully did those burpees in my dress and heels. That much I rocked. The pictures that were taken while I was doing burpees, not so much. Case in point:
 |
| No, I can so do a burpee in heels. Watch! |
 |
| You jump down, jump your legs out and then.... |
 |
| You jump straight up into the air! |
#3 Watch your facial expressions. This is another one that I should have taken a tip from Miss Turkey. But, you really have no idea the expressions you are going to make opening presents until you open them and see the pictures. I will be sure to not get overly excited over any gift, to not tell stories while opening gifts and to not hold up the gifts in unusual ways.
 |
| Was I really that excited? Apparently. |
 |
| Would you have guessed I was just showing off a card? With that smile, you'd think it was the last golden ticket. |
I'll be putting a check on those super big cheesy smiles. Am I 6 or 36? I swear I was way cooler at opening presents as a teen. I'll also make sure to sit up straight at all times. Something not happening in the picture above. Maybe that should have been #4. Oh, well.
#4. Get pictures with EVERYONE. This is actually my biggest disappointment. Who cares if I did burpees or that I was really happy while opening my presents? Even just opening cards. I would gladly do this all over again if it meant I would have more pictures with my friends.
Don't get me wrong, we got some really great pictures. All of my friends are in the pictures. But, I wish I had taken more individual pictures with my friends. More one on one pictures with them. I was doing great at taking pictures earlier in the day when we were getting ready. Nicki was taking them, too. Drew got great shoots of us at the nail salon and setting up at Trader Vic's. He even got some great group shots of almost everyone that I'm super happy about. Unfortunately, once Drew left, Nicki stepped up to being hostess and I put on my bride hat (thank you Nicki for not actually forcing me to wear a bride hat or veil during the shower), the camera kind of got pushed to the way side. Sure, we still got pictures during that time, I just wish there were more with individual friends who all took time out of their busy lives to celebrate with me. I'll be sure to get pictures with all of them at the wedding and Portland celebration. And I will also be sure to get more photos with individual family at today's shower.
 |
| So happy for this super fun group shot of almost everyone! |
#5 I do not want to wear my hair half up and half down for our wedding. Ok, this one is really about me, but there's something that you too can learn from it. Remember how I was having issues trying to figure out how to wear my hair on our wedding day? So much so that I talked to Drew about it and got his feedback on it. Based on his feedback, I decided that I would be wearing my hair up for the wedding. Well, I wore my hair half up and half down for the shower and that was the nail in the coffin that made me realize that I am for sure wearing my hair up for the wedding.
You see, I had my hair done starting around 10:30 and finishing up at about 12:30. My hair has natural curl to it and as a result usually holds curl very easily. But, for what ever reason, the curl fell out of the half of my hair that was down even before the shower started at 3pm. And it wasn't even raining.
Our wedding ceremony is at 9am. We are starting with hair and make-up at 6:30am. Cocktail hour and picture taking follows the ceremony. Lunch and cake reception is at noon. After party at the Old Lahaina Luau is at 5:30pm. If my half up and half down hair style for the shower didn't even last me until 3pm with a start time of almost 4 hours later, there was no way that kind of a hairstyle would last me through-out the entire day of running around at a wedding.
At our engagement party I wore my hair up. I never had to think twice about it. There was no trying to fix it where it had gone flat or anything. It was put up and stayed up. I had my hair done earlier in the day and had to spend some time taking it down late that night. I know if I wear it up I won't have to worry about what it's going to look like at the end of the day because it will pretty much look the same.
 |
| Hair stayed up and was never a concern during the engagement party. |
Ladies, I suggest not only getting a hair trial, but also try to wear it for as long as you plan on wearing it for your wedding. See if it will really stand the test of time. Also try to have the weather be similar to how you assume it will be on your wedding day. So, if you know you are getting married in winter, wait to do your trial in the winter. Weather makes a big difference on how your hair holds up. I know I'm really glad I tested this hairstyle out and was reassured that wearing my hair up is the way to go on our wedding day.
So there it is; everything I learned from my first bridal shower. We'll see how I do today with all of these tips in my head for bridal shower #2. I'll even be sure to report back and let you all know.
PS It's exactly 3 months from today until our wedding on Maui!!!
Do you have any great bridal shower tips to share?
No comments:
Post a Comment