A Perfectly Southern Bridesmaids' Brunch

Because June marks the official start to wedding season, and you're likely hosting showers in honor of brides-to-be, I wanted to share some details of the most beautiful bridal brunch I've ever attended....

While Mindy Weiss I am not,  I Do have some experience when it comes to weddings, and all that they entail. Besides having been a bride, I may have mentioned that I've been a bridesmaid, reader, greeter - everything but a featured soloist - in quite a few weddings. So many (18 - I think) that I lose count!


Last summer I was a bridesmaid for my friend Virginia (aka, VA).

She had an amazing wedding (with nearly 600 guests - ahh!) at her parents' home in southern Missouri (aka, Missour-uh).

My friend Fran and I dubbed it Shelby's (think Steel Magnolias) Wedding from the start of the weekend, but the truth is, it trumped Shelby's wedding - for many reasons, but mostly because VA and her huge family are just a good time; they do not blush because they are not bashful - heehee.


From the formal, country club rehearsal dinner.....

Our crew in the lounge...we were the last to board the bus after the night ended

...until some guests started jumping in the pool latenight at the wedding reception, the entire weekend was one big party!


I adored so many details of VA's wedding...

(and even stole a few for my own nupts that happened a few months after) but my favorite festivity of all was the bridemaids' brunch.


As a professional bridesmaid, I have grown to love the smaller, pre-wedding events. It's the time when you can really steal special moments with your friend the bride. Usually, rehearsal dinners are my favorite, but nothing topped VA's Bridesmaids' Brunch, because as much as I love an honest good time, I'm also a sucker for beautiful, classic details, and this brunch had all that and more!


One of the hostesses, a friend of VA's mom, opened her stately home and met each guest at the door with a mimosa...

The bride with her granny, mama, sister and nieces - good genes, huh?

The home was filled with amazing antiques, and dripping in my fave - crystal chandeliers!

The house, even without any special decor, would have been a fantastic venue (especially because the owner invited those of us who were so impressed by it to roam freely and admire) , but there were two formal dining tables set perfectly for guests....

and smaller tables in the parlor so everyone had a seat...

I don't have to tell you what was served, because every good Southern girl already knows what is proper and standard brunch fare...

I still dream about all the chicken salad I ate that weekend. So yum.


Following brunch, a pretty mini wedding cake was served....

Charms were baked inside, and each of us girls got to pull out one for a keepsake...

Virigina - who loves mint juleps, and who the next day would serve juleps to her guests as they arrived for the wedding ceremony - gave each of us a monogrammed silver julep cup, and thanked us all so sweetly for being part of her happy day! Then we were sent, with what remained of the champange,  off to the salon for a little pre-wedding spa time.

You don't have to have several sets of china and silver or a beautiful, big home to make an event extraordinary, but I do know that you have to put whatever your best is into making any guest- especially the honorary one - feel special. This perfectly Southern, completely classic bridal brunch is timeless to me. The hostesses clearly put out all their best for Virginia, her family and friends.

Yes, I was taken with the spectacular sets of china and silver on display, but more than that, this brunch was given with such impressive hospitality.  All the hostesses were so gracious and welcoming.  Because they loved Virginia, they treated each guest, including those like me whom they had just met, as if we'd been friends for a lifetime. Though we were dining on picture-perfect tables and being served by hired wait-staff, it felt as comfortable as if we were gathered around someone's backyard picnic table, eating chips straight from the bag. 

Good food and a pretty setting, that's easy to achieve; home-spun hospitality, however...that takes more than polish to make shine.

A Baby Shower {Cravings Theme}

 Pickles?

Check. And they were fried. Double check.


Ice Cream?

Check.


That's all one really needs for a Cravings-themed baby shower! BUT...because Cassie has been my best friend since sophmore year (of high school...)

I thought it nice to step it up just a tad bit more!

The Mom-to-Be with her mom

The obligatory diaper cake - not as easy as it looks to create

Champers and Mims!

Sparkling Grape Juice for Cas!

A glue gun and some ribbons make even water bottles super cute!

We missed Aunt Melanie, but know she'll share all her courtside NBA knowledge with BG very soon!

Cassie's mom owns a sweet little antique shop in the downtown of the place where we all grew up, so I had the perfect venue for hosting.

I also got to borrow some of her merchandise for displaying the food and decor...like this plant stand I turned into a super-sized cake plate.

There was a cake for Mom, Dad and Baby, all in different flavors!

An ice-cream cone was featured on the invite, and I played up a "SCOOP" angle throughout the shower with non-game activities for guests like Give Cassie the SCOOP on Motherhood; guests left notes to her, and to the baby. So, with such a focus on ice-cream,  there had to be a sundae bar...

Baby G's Aunt Amanda was a big fan!

And guests were given their own scoop as a favor.

How'd the Mama make out?? Well, like a bandit!

I still can't believe Cas is having a baby!!!

Saying I Do: Anne and Michael {Part 2}

It was a nice day for a snow white wedding!!!!

Check out the fur stole by clicking on this picture....I would get married again in December JUST to wear it!

All the girls gathered in Anne's suite at The Fairfax Hotel downtown, sight of the reception and the host hotel for all the guest, for hair, make-up and wedding day giddiness!

Bridesmaids watching the snow fall on Washington

I love a bride who stay's in theme all day - check out Anne's navy getting ready dress. She wore navy to the rehearsal dinner, too!

Disclaimer: I know this day was never about me, but my hair (I threw caution to the snow and requested curls - bad idea with my natural waves)  turned out freakish, so bad that I felt like I had let down the Bride. Think Amadeus. Think Nellie Olson from Little House on the Prairie. If I am photoshopped from all wedding pictures, I will not be surprised or offended.


The Bride was glamourous! Here she is with her sister/maitron-of-honor....

And in route to the church with the Mother of the Bride...

Because my curls and I were busy bridesmaiding, I have no photos of the ceremony, but I will tell you this: The church, Holy Trinity in Georgetown (where Tim Russert's funeral was held), is so pretty. There were giant altar arrangements in raspberry, the musicians were wonderful, and the vows...so sweet.


After the ceremony, while awaiting the arrival of the Newlyweds, guests had cocktails in a balcony above the ballroom where dinner would be served. In what may be one of the all-time most WOW moments of any wedding ever, the "walls" of the balcony peeled back as the band started playing to reveal this spectacular ballroom, wait staff at your service. All the guests hurried to the balcony to see what all the oohs and ahhs were about - it was a bride's dream!

Squint hard and you can see...so sorry about the poor photo quality

Amidsts these amazing flowers.....

Notice the evergreen? Such a perfect, sublte nod to Christmas!

...guests dined...

on butternut squash soup...

a yummy mixed-berry salad I can't wait to recreate....

...filet and crab cakes, served atop mushroom risotto, with a spicy remoulade sauce (a nod to the groom's New Orleans roots).

Then there was cake...fruit-filled and buttercreamed....I love cake....

and I love confections...especially when served up by sweet friends...

The Savs!

The Arnolds came, on their first date night post-baby.....

and they danced....

Everyone danced...especially when the band played When the Saints Go Marching In

At the bride's request, Mrs. A and I even clogged to Rocky Top. All by ourselves. Surrounded by LSU fans. We both just hate being the center of attention so it was hard. Except the opposite of that. I am very serious when I say I hope there are no pictures of our little number....there is in-the-moment attention, and then there is awkardness capture for a lifetime. I can do without that....

Happiness for a lifetime, however....that is what I wish for Anne and Michael, who are now honeymooning in St. Lucia! Thank you for letting me be part of your most beautiful day...even with my crazy curls!