When it comes to party planning, it is literally all about the details. The small things that take a theme from start to finish, personalize the affair, and add those conversational bits of “How cute!” and “Why didn’t I think of that?” to any fete. These little details are my absolutely, completely, 100% totally most favorite part of party planning. And Kristen’s Kitchen Shower was chock full of ’em!
As I mentioned in a previous post, themes can be tricky. A little goes a long way, and for this party, it all started with the invitation, which kicked off the kitchen theme with a playful twist on utensils. In addition to the invite, guests were sent a appeal for recipes, which were then compiled into a custom cookbook for the bride-to-be. 
The cookbook was an especially fun project to complete, as many of the recipes were filled with sentimental touches and REpresented everything from personal favorites to family traditions. Both Kristen and her fiance’s families were also kind enough to send me “food” photos of the two of them: Thanksgiving dinners, cake-smashing first birthdays, even the groom-to-be as an toddler attempting to crack open his first Miller High Life. All of this was pulled together with the help of Blurb.com and their fabulous BookSmart software. I can’t wait to find a million more reasons to use this site!
Now for the decor. Ribbons became an early motif, helping define the color palette and tie together much of the shower decor. Paired with paper flower stickers from Martha Stewart’s scrapbooking line (stuck right onto the ribbons!), they became a fun detail perfect for the spring look we were going for. Our guests’ first clue to what lay inside was the ribbon-and-sticker adorned the “V” hanging on the front door.
The ribbons were also prominently featured in the bar area, helping hang our sign as well as the utensils we purchased from one of Kristen’s wedding registries. (Tie-in alert! This was also a nod back to the invitation theme.) The “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry” sign above the bar was REintroduced through the wine tags, half of which repeated the sentiment, while the remainder stated the couple’s wedding date. One of my favorite touches of the shower was the wine selection–with all credit going to my mom: “Cupcake” Merlot and Chardonnay for our cupcake-loving bride, as well as adorable bottles of “Mad Housewife” Cabernet Sauvignon.
Further hints of the kitchen theme popped up in the tablescape and florals which, in addition to being arranged in mason jars, also contained wooden spoons. (Look closely!)
Finally, our little goody bags. For every food item served at the shower, there was a coordinating recipe card so the attendees could REcreate the yumminess from home. (I made these using a simple template in Microsoft Publisher, then printed and cut them from home.) The mini-roller recipe card holders tied it all together, and we wrapped everything up with our ubiquitous ribbons.
Like I said, the magic really is in the details. And speaking of details–a very special thanks to all the “party fairies” who did everything from stuff goody bags to flip grilled cheeses to make this a spectacular affair.
RE Style & Design 
