Meant to Bee Themed Shower

Last weekend I had the pleasure of designing a bridal party for a good friend. In fact, it’s for the same gal that I did this Sweet 16 party for five years ago! Now she’s getting married and we created this “meant to bee” theme to celebrate the announcement with family and friends.

Follow the decorations and details I created for this momentous occasion, and incorporate them into an engagement party for family and friends, or a bridal shower just for the gals.

The starting point was a themed paper suite by the Etsy shop, On The Wings Paperie. It has an old world look and includes a banner, labels, tags, and cards.

Welcome Table

I decorated with vintage style to coordinate with the designer paper goods. As guests arrive they’re greeted by a table decorated with rustic suitcases and the monogram letters of the bride and groom.

You can find new items with a vintage look at stores like Hobby Lobby or home stores, but a fun thrift store outing can pay off with authentic treasures such as the large spool seen here and below.

We added a frame with the story of how the couple got engaged. This is such a lovely way to add personalization to a bridal shower or engagement party.

At the other end of the welcome table, we hung a wire gate and attached childhood photos of the couple.

We also added themed advice cards for guests to fill out and put into a large jar. The couple can read them later at their leisure.

Party Decor

In addition to the bee theme, we incorporated a secondary theme of hot air balloons. That’s because the groom proposed during a hot air balloon ride. We hung them from the fireplace mantel, and incorporated the motif into the welcome table with a postcard and a metal candle holder.

PARTY TIP: Follow a main theme but add a secondary theme with custom touches that relate to the couple’s specific experiences.

Luncheon Table and Favors

We set up six seated tables for this Sunday luncheon, which was catered by a local pizza truck – a fun and casual meal idea that everyone loved!

The tables are set simply with kraft paper runners, and mason jar centerpieces filled with lots of greenery and babies breath. This give a rustic look that vibes with the bee theme.

Small beeswax candles doubled as table decoration and favors for the guests to take home.

Dessert Table

Carry the bee motif throughout the party and on the dessert table with a combination of designer items and homemade goodies.

For the table decorations, add a large flower arrangement, empty frames, and a themed banner. Add in some honeycomb paper spheres and themed napkins for extra detail.

The centerpiece of the dessert table is the 3-tier cake decorated with the bee theme. When decorating dessert tables, I love to incorporate one designer item from a local artisan.

Since the cake was vanilla we added homemade brownies to balance the flavor.

Bee themed cookies are wrapped so guests can take them home or eat them at the party.

To add a nod to the groom-to-be’s heritage, we made individual tres leches parfaits topped with chocolate bees.

Since there were several children at the party, we filled an apothecary jar with Honeycomb cereal that the kids could snack on. Provide small paper cups so they can fill them and carry it away.

The party was a wonderful success and a great time was had by all!

More Bridal Shower Themes

For more ideas for a bridal celebration, this Something Blue bridal brunch is a lovely classic theme. Or, this black and gold theme is great for a more sophisticated dinner or luncheon.

For the gal who loves a retro vibe, this Recipe For Love theme is full of fun ideas, and for the vintage lover this shabby chic bridal shower or this vintage themed shower has lots of DIY details to inspire your creativity.

Decor – Celebrations At Home | Printed Papers – On The Wings Paperie | Cake – Jana Paterson (Richmond local) | Cookies – Gina Corliss (Richmond local) | Vintage paper rosettes – Beau Coup | Beeswax honeycomb candle favors – Beau Coup