I thought I’d use today’s Fiesta Friday post to get into the details of Leah’s wedding shower. I had so much fun planning it that I’ve been suffering from a bit of post-party letdown, hahaha. Again, huge props to the other bridesmaids and my mom and aunts for all of their help. Special shout-out to Jen for her brainstorm help (and making this graphic), and for not making fun of me when I told her I was googling fancy napkin folds. Such a true friend.

modern rustic bridal shower

1. The invitation we ordered from Minted set the whole “rustic-burlap-blackboard-flowers” theme of the shower.

2. I picked several items from the Blackboard Perfection Party Pack from Minted that matched the invitation. I LOVE LOVE LOVED the banner I created that included pictures of the two of them.

3. These Mr & Mrs chalk napkins are soooo cute.

4. I love paper straws! I decorated them with Minted flag stickers for a festive touch.

5. Leah LOVES Bloody Marys, so I knew we had to have them at the shower. We set up a Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar complete with vodka, several different kinds of mix (including plain tomato for the true mixologists), and had a zillion different garnishes like olives, bacon, beef sticks, jalapeños, green chiles, stuffed peppers, limes, lemons, and a ton of different salts, seasonings, and hot sauces. We also had a champagne bar for those who preferred bubbles, complete with several different fruit mixers and fruit garnishes.

6. I have a billion mason jars floating around, so I thought I’d use them as glasses for the shower. I hot-glued burlap trim to the glass (it pulls right off when you’re ready to wash the glasses) and tied wooden heart charms under the lip of the glass with twine.

7. The donut cake was the brainchild of Leah’s best friend Aza. It was so easy and very on-theme for our brunch foods. Stacked cake plates, fresh-cut flowers, and loads of donuts made a pretty, yummy “cake.”

8. We had a large brunch spread for the shower. Two loaves of cinnamon pull-apart bread, two dishes of green chile breakfast casserole, bacon, bagels, lox, ham, macaroni salad, and strawberry chicken salad (recipe coming).

9. My mom also made these amazing french toast sticks that we couldn’t get enough of. These are going to become a staple in my house!

10. I had a bunch of Leah and Ted’s engagement photos printed at my Costco photo center and I displayed them throughout the house. I had my favorite photo of them blown up into a 20×30-inch poster (for $8.99) and hung it on our wall. I also hung up giant (like two-feet tall) paper mache letters that I painted to match the shower’s colors.

11. My multi-strand burlap wreath was great on the front door and was a nice present to send Leah home with. I also really loved the “Leah Loves Ted” sign from Minted that I hung on the other door.

12. I bought lots of chalkboards and bistro chalk pens. I used the chalkboards throughout the party to welcome our guests, label drinks, and direct everyone to the bathrooms.

13. Buy some pretty scrapbook paper in colors that match the party, grab a circle puncher, and string the circles on some pretty ribbon or fishing wire for an easy garland.

14. During my kids’ birthday parties, I use AppleTV to display photos of the guest of honor that I’ve stored on Flickr. Leah’s wedding shower was no exception! I created a photo set of their engagement photos and ran the slide show during the entire party.

15. These Sip and Scribble Chalkboard Coasters were a huge hit! Amazon has great deals if you buy in bulk. Great find by bridesmaid Gabby!

16. Easy silverware pockets dress up your table settings. Go the extra (crazy) mile and do a pretty napkin fold. I used the “Diamond on a Square” for Leah’s shower.

Thank you for letting me host your shower at my house, Leah!