Vintage Travel Themed Bridal Shower

Full disclosure; this was a group effort. As much as I would love to believe I could have pulled this party off from the creative genius of my own mind, it was a collaboration of the wits and talent of women in my family known as The Party Planning Mafia.

When we sat down at the table meeting for this, I had no clue what a "Vintage Travel" theme was. But it really fit with the unique wedding my cousin had planned. Phil and his fiancé Misty married  on August 6th, 2014 in Sedona Arizona. Being from the Detroit area, it was a destination wedding. Then they'll be hosting a reception a few weeks after at their home. So, making a "Vintage Travel" theme to fit their bridal shower was perfect!

First my aunt started with some of the bride's favorite things. Her favorite color is yellow and we tied in a blue-green to accent as it is the dress color for the bridesmaids. As a health conscious bride, she enjoys shrimp and hummus. She wanted to incorporate both sides of the family. After that, she was hands off because she wanted to be surprised.

Menu

As showers traditionally go, we served lunch to all of the ladies. There was Greek salad, hummus, fruit, shrimp skewers and homemade chicken salad sandwiches on croissant two ways. 

Christen Chicken Salad which had chicken breasts grilled, light light mayonnaise, walnuts, light red onion, celery and cherries or seedless grapes served with provolone and romaine lettuce on a mini croissant. 

BLT Chicken Salad which is chicken breasts grilled, diced cherry tomatoes, diced bacon, light light mayonnaise, smidge of white wine vinegar and salt and pepper, served with provolone and romaine lettuce on a mini croissant. 

To quench our guests thirst we served fruit infused water, iced tea and a champagne berry punch out of glass canisters. There was also a hot tea and coffee bar. For dessert guests noshed on a beautifully decorated yellow and teal flower-ette cake that the bride and groom cut for practice and assorted finger desserts. 

Decorations

Details were certainly not overlooked in this department! Over the buffet hung carefully crafted paper lanterns and pom poms in the teal and yellow along with handmade white heart garland. Over the dessert table was a custom-made "postcard" of sorts that featured both Phil and Misty's initials made from cut maps and highlighted Sedona scenery. To tie in both sides of the family we used vintage pictures of marriages from either side on the living room mantle. In the dining areas there were two focal points of decoration which included: a vintage map, custom Phil and Misty passports, globe, black and white family photos and antique accessories like a camera and suitcase. Down the center of the clothes tables were potted cactus to represent the desert which doubled as guests parting favors. Finally, the table would not be complete without confetti! 

Activities

What is party without games? If there is one thing our family has mastered it is the art of skillfully crafting entertainment for the masses. The first game was taking Misty's childhood pastime of dressing up as a bride and giving it a silly twist. At each place setting sat a questionnaire for guests to fill out about Phil and Mistys relationship (their first date place, where they met, favorite date night, etc.). The groom to be was questioned ahead of time on camera, then The bride was quized. For every answer she got wrong she had to wear a piece of "goofy" clothing or accessories from a suit case. The guests earned a point for every questions they got right and the guest with the most points won a prize! We also had a "Pass This Book" game (which is a simple solution for guests to entertain themselves as hosts replenish food, move gifts, set up the next phase of the party, etc). Ours was in a vintage map photo album and filled with personalized rhymes about the bride with accompanying photos. For example: "Being on water is in Phil's blood, that is to say when he's not playing in mud. In his Donzi he's traveled the lakes greater, just like his Grandpa who worked on a freighter. Luckily, Misty loves it too or he'd be 'In Too Deep'. He loves his boat more than anything, including his Jeep. Pass this book to the person who's traveled the longest on a boat". It was a very detailed touch that let's the guests know a little bit more about the couples life together. 

In the end, the shower was a huge success! "Vintage Travel" ended up being quite the unique and unexpected but fun theme to work with. The great part is for all your party planners out there, it's easy to personalize. 

If it's a tropical destination wedding you can do pictures from their respective families on the beach or have the bride dress up in a hula skirt and sunglasses. If it's an Asian destination have their local cuisine and give the guests bamboo shoots for favors. There are a lot of customizable attributes to play with. 

((The happy couple Misty & Phil)) 

If you're working on a travel themed shower and want ideas, email me at GingeristaCO@gmail.com and maybe I can help you out! 😉 

Meet part of The Party Planning Mafia

Clockwise from top left: Margaret Ogden (Phil's Grandma), Christen Pietraz (Me!), Renee Ogden (Phil's Aunt) Amanda Dixon (Phil's sister & Bridesmaid), Karen Dixon (Phil's Mom) & my sister Mel Kolinski (Phil's cousin).