I stumbled across this bridal shower a few weeks ago and I cannot let it go. Every details is downright adorable. The women who threw this bridal shower personalized every element from picking the furniture, to labeling the drinks to decorating the the numerous types of bars. It is so absolutely girly, fresh and fun without being overwhelming - I can’t imagine how a party like this could go wrong for any of your guests.

Let’s start with the numerous bars - you know I love a good themed bar at a wedding so why not incorporate them into your bridal shower too? A pinkberry bar is delicious and healthy (you are catering to all women, so having at least one healthy offering is essential) and it’s called pinkberry - how much cuter and feminine can you get? Then there is the customized scent bar. What an original idea - it adds an activity to the shower as well as a takeaway for all the guests.  And to top of all these already fabulous bars they also had a cupcake bar, my favorite. To keep with the girly theme they selected flavors such as mimosa, red velvet and petite bellini. I’ll take one of each (plus a pinkberry cup or two). Add a champagne bar and this event is my ideal bridal shower. Done and done.

So many more activities surround a wedding than just your big day. There’s all the planning (which is the single largest event), engagement parties, bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners and more. Whether you’re a bridezilla who is picking out the details of every event or you’re a member of the bridal party throwing one of these events, be sure to pay attention to the details. And nothing sets the tone of an event like the invitation.

Bridal showers are not about the joining couple – it is all about the bride. But remember, this is an event most family members are invited to so keep all the other stuff for the bachelorette party. Bridal shower doesn’t necessarily have to be girly if the bride is not, but I love these couture wedding gown sketches for the invitation.

Planning a bachelorette party? Plan around the bride’s tastes but usually you can have a bit more fun with these invitations.

Or highlight the bride and the location of your gathering with theses night on the town invites.

No matter what style you’re looking for, you have a ton of options. Picking out these special details will make the bride’s wedding even more amazing.

One of my best friends is getting married this July (eek!) and she’s throwing a black and white affair. We all know most brides really do think the dresses they pick out you can just shorten and wear again. And we all know how unrealistic that expectation usually is. But this time, I really do think we’ll be able to wear them again – no shortening or altering, just wear it again. She wants her bridesmaids to all wear strapless black dresses with sweetheart necklines. Who doesn’t need another little black dress in their closet?

Now this may sounds simple – strapless black dresses are everywhere. It’s harder than you’d think; here are some of the options we’ve come across:

J. Crew is such an easy spot to find bridesmaids dresses though you can’t try them on until you order them unless you live in NYC and can visit their bridal store.

This Ann Taylor dress is nice but a bit expensive for the brand.

This is obviously amazing but is $330 on a bridesmaids’ dress too much?

Since she’s not getting married until the summer, we’ve got plenty of time to find the perfect dress. How do you narrow down the bridesmaids’ dress options?

lovin the daisies

If you’re not completely sold on the tangerine gowns, why not split your brides half in orange and half in peach? That line up would really show off the complimentary shades of your wedding palette. To keep the wedding party looking cohesive just choose the same dress for all your bridesmaids, like these J. Crew designs. Shops that specialize in bridesmaids dresses make it easy for you to mix and match colors while keeping the style consistent.

i'm a big fan of strapless

And obviously, you can always just go with peach bridesmaids dresses. Just be careful not to put the color in too many of your large wedding decor pieces or you’ll have trouble making your ladies stand out in your wedding photos.