April Showers Bring May ... Brides: Part I
April Showers may bring May flowers, but not at StoneGable. April Showers brought a bride-to -be to our home for a surprise bridal shower. It might have been a showery day but inside it was all sunshine and best wishes for our blushing bride!
My daughter is the matron of honor ( how can one so young be called a matron?) and I had the honor of helping to plan, execute and host this blissful event.
We wanted the shower to have a "whimsical", "vintage" and "organic" feel. Lots of natural elements. A sort of Anthropology meets StoneGable.
The theme for the party was "lovebirds".
Using things around the house was a must to keep us within budget. So we gathered birdhouses, nests, twigs, sticks, moss and any other organic thing we could find. The colors were soft and cool. Spring greens, soft blues and delicate aquas. Whites and hues of brown give interest. And every now and then a pop of yellow, just for fun.
The bridal shower tablescapes will be posted in two installments. This week will feature the luncheon table. Next week the dessert table.
The dining room table was set with a savory luncheon. We used the table in the kitchen for desserts and a table in the foyer for drinks. I really like to station the food and drink at a party to get people moving around and using different parts of my home.
The chandelier is decorated with branches of curly willow to give a tree like effect. A little bird nest is tucked in the branches.
A tall birdhouse with a newly painted roof, anchors one end of the table. At it's base, paper plates and napkins are displayed inside a long birch basket along with a sweet nest and some filler. A clear creamer filled with whimsical daisies and little white bird salt and pepper shakers are a cheery welcome to the table.
Untensils are gathered up in whitewashed terracota pots with saucers. Moss is placed in the saucers for an earthy touch.
Near the opposite end of the table a little worn birdhouse is placed on a burlap runner near the finger sandwiches.
A wire cloche filled with small eggs and twiggy balls, a rustic nest and larger twig balls make an interesting grouping of natural elements next to the birdhouse.
One of the brides favorite flowers are daisies. They are incorporated into the theme in different shaped vases.
In the center of the table a profusion of daisies fill a large ruffled edge vase. Aqua glass pebbles at the bottom of the vase continue the color scheme.
More daisies!
Little eggs are used to tell our guests about each dish.
The tablescape is the supporting actor for the main star... the food. Finger sandwiches, a thing of the refined past, are making a big comeback! And they were certainly a hit at the shower.
We served four different varieties grouped together on tiered pedestals.
Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Toasted Pecans on Wheat
Triple decker Egg Salad with Cream Cheese and Zucchini Relish on White
Pimento Cheese Spread on White Topped With Chives
Turkey and Cheddar with Poppyseed Mayo on RyeTopped With a Granny Smith Apple Sliver and Balsamic Reduction
Across the table are my very favorite tea sandwiches sitting on a wreath made from eggs.
Ham on Mini Orange Poppyseed Muffins With A Honey Mustard Butter Beehive
Other dishes included:
Salmon Mousse With Assorted Crackers (I used to dress the salmon with cucumbers to look like gills, carrots for fins etc, but no one ever ate it!)
Artichoke Parmesan Dip With Homemade Herbs de Provence Pita Chips
Caprese Picks
Bleu Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad
Arugula Salad With Pine Nut And Shaved Parmesan In A Lemon Vinaigrette
There is something so wonderful about a bridal shower! It is a girl thing! We come together as a community of women, young and old, to offer our prayers and well wishes and share in a bride's great joy! It is a time of laughter and love and holding eachother dear!
It is my hope that this table inspires you to use what you have in creative ways to bless and bring beauty to those who come through your door!
Next weeks Tablescape will be the Bridal Shower Dessert Table... and here is just a little peek...
http://stonegable.blogspot.com/2010/04/bridal-shower-tablescape.html
One of my favorite parts of the tablescape is the flatware ... multi colors that really help highlight the many colors on the table. What fun!!
The centerpiece is composed with faux vegetables, although I typically use real vegetables. The basket is about 50 years old and was used by an old neighbor of ours when he worked in his garden. His kids threw it in the trash when they cleaned out his house ... and I grabbed it! It needed to come to my house to be treasured.
The individual casseroles and the small vegetable shaped salad plates are perfect for this theme. Hope you enjoy! 
