We don’t normally blog about bridal showers, our concentration being geared towards weddings and engagement sessions. However, this past Sunday it wasn’t just any bridal shower, it was for my niece Kate and her fiance Nate! I don’t know if you remember just how beastly hot it was last Sunday? I believe it was the day that summer truly began…it was hazy, hot and humid. Friends and family members gathered at the lovely Essex, MA, home of my brother and his family. We were all so thankful that the celebration took place at their lovely backyard pool…not that any of us went swimming, at least not initially.
Kate’s friends and Nate’s sisters put together a very creative and fun party. They took wooden shipping pallets and painted them pink, then covered them with photographs of Kate all through the years. Pool side tables, with umbrellas, were set with pretty burlap coverings edged with ribbon. There were huge paper flowers, painted driftwood, chalk paint covered wine glass stems with colored chalk to write with, clear glass bowls with flowers, and individual bottles of prosecco with custom labels of Kate and Nate and their wedding date.
And there were games! I love games! One was a word jumble that was all about the couple’s favorite things to do such as kick boxing, nature, hiking, etc. My favorite was when Nate’s sister sat them down back to back. She then proceeded to ask them fun questions where all of the answers were either Kate or Nate…for example, who is grumpier in the morning? Or who does most of the cooking? Since they couldn’t see each other, it was funny to watch their expressions and see their answers!
Did I mention food? There was a brunch buffet on one table, with delicious offerings such as fresh fruit, quiche, coffee cake (made by my sister-in-law Jodi ,was the best ever!), scones, french toast casserole, spinach salad, veggies and dip, and more! Another table held iced beverages with frozen fruit ice cubes. A particularly tasty punch of muscato and seltzer was very refreshing. I also spied a tub full of pudding shots and just had to try one! The cold, creamy, spiked lime pudding was very invigorating. The brunch food was cleared away, and in its place a dessert table complete with a gorgeous cake topped with fresh flowers.
Of course there were gifts, beautifully wrapped, and we oohed and aahed and commented on each; plush towels, heavy enameled cast iron, Crate and Barrel dinnerware, Oxo containers, knives, platters, pitchers. We were there first and foremost as guests, but couldn’t resist photographing as many of the details as possible. It was the first time I had photographed my family, and what better way than during a fun and sociable event like a bridal shower. No one was spared my lens…my sister, mother, sisters-in-law, daughter, niece, nephew…even the cats had to endure.
My favorite part of the day? After the festivities were over, we decided to take a few engagement-type photos of Kate and Nate. By this time we were all feeling the effects of the heat. As we concluded our mini photo session, Nate ran and dove into the pool. Not to be left behind, Kate took a running lead, plugged her nose and delivered a perfect cannonball!
We’ll be photographing Kate and Nate’s wedding at the end of August. To say that we’re looking forward to it is an understatement!
~Liz