This Florist's Butterfly-Themed Bridal Shower Featured the Prettiest Lilac Color Palette

By Sara Dickinson
March 13, 2020
Donna Lam Photography

The creative bride designed her own whimsical party for 18 guests at a local restaurant.

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Sally's Bridal Shower

Donna Lam Photography

Sally met her fiancé, Emerson, through a dating app called Coffee Meets Bagel in September of 2018—and just like that, she knew they'd be together forever, she says. "We both had a good idea of what we were looking for, and everything just felt right for him to be the one," she tells us.

Sally, who is a floral designer (and has worked many a wedding!) at Jovial Floral Co., found herself putting on her design hat for her own prenuptial party about a year later. Her bridal shower was hosted by her maid of honor and sister, but she took charge of the event's visual aspects—including the florals, of course. She put together a butterfly-themed soirée with the prettiest lilac color palette at Panasia Sweet & Savory, a restaurant in Alhambra, California. Although the celebration took place on November 9, 2019, the middle of her very busy wedding season, she says that she didn't mind the extra work—and that she truly enjoyed the styling process and creative freedom executing her own party afforded her. "I love styling for styled shoots and weddings, but it was fun trying to create the luxurious, romantic look I love on a budget," Sally says. "It was definitely fun to have so much creative freedom to create spontaneously!"

She asked a small group of her favorite women—the party was comprised of just 18 guests!—to dress for a garden party and join her for fun games and sweet treats as she kicked off this exciting new chapter of her life.

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SoCal Butterflies

Donna Lam Photography

The bride plucked the butterfly theme out of real life: There were an abundance of butterflies in Southern California in 2019. "I wanted to bring the joy of seeing the butterflies and the inevitable whimsy of them into my shower," she says.

The motif was woven throughout the party—and hung from the rafters. Strings of lilac butterflies, which the bride made herself, hung from the ceiling as if they were fluttering overhead.

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Pretty Paper

Donna Lam Photography

Sally had some experience with graphic design, so she took on all the paper for the event, including the invitations which incorporated a lilac border; this detail reappeared on the day-of paper goods, including the program and shower games.

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Bride in White

Donna Lam Photography

For her party, Sally wore a white English Factory dress she bought on ShopBop.

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Romantic Shoes

Donna Lam Photography

She paired her dress with lace Bella Belle shoes with iridescent floral motifs (a nod to the theme's garden aspect).

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Warm Welcome

Donna Lam Photography

An acrylic welcome sign embellished with white 3D butterflies was placed on a wooden easel at the restaurant's entrance.

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Time to Check In

Donna Lam Photography

Guests stopped by a check-in table on the way into the party. The station held photos of the happy couple and a jar for date night ideas.

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Let's Gather

Donna Lam Photography

One long table was set up for Sally's guests to enjoy lunch, fruited teas, conversation, and bridal shower games. The table was topped with several lush centerpieces that included mostly white florals with a few pops of lilac to tie in the color scheme.

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Dreamy Compotes

Donna Lam Photography

Larger arrangements were placed in white footed compotes, and small translucent vases held tiny buds.

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Let's Play a Game

Donna Lam Photography

During the shower, guests participated in a few games and activities. For the "How Well Do You Know the Bride?" contest, Sally selected a Chanel perfume for the winner and a Chanel lipstick for the runner-up. They also had a wedding dress design contest with toilet paper. "It was pretty hilarious seeing them play around with toilet paper and intriguing to see how creative they got!" she recalls.

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A Lifetime of Happiness

Donna Lam Photography

The photo backdrop was not a detail Sally had planned in advance, but she was happy with the final result. The wall incorporate the phrase "Sally, here's to a lifetime of butterflies," and plenty of DIY butterflies, placed to look as if they were flying away—into the future.

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Look Up!

Donna Lam Photography

A lush flower installation by Jovial Floral Co. hung above the dessert table and photo backdrop, incorporating white florals and tons of greenery.

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A Special Group of Women

Donna Lam Photography

When asked about her favorite part of the day, Sally thinks back to a moment where each of her guests gathered around her in prayer to share blessings for this new phase of her life.

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Sweet Treats

Donna Lam Photography

For dessert, the group enjoyed butterfly-shaped cookies stamped with festive phrases by Sally's friend Eunice of The Dirty Whisk.

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The Butterfly Cake

Donna Lam Photography

Along with the cookies, Sally served a strawberry cream cake. She worked with Eunice to create a watercolor design with gold detailing and lilac butterfly embellishments made from rice paper.

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Whimsical Soaps

Donna Lam Photography

Sally's loved ones left the bridal shower with butterfly-shaped soaps that she found online; the bride tied dried florals to each favor with a silk ribbon.

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Sources

Donna Lam Photography

Photography, Donna Lam Photography
Venue and Catering, Panasia Sweet and Savory
Event Design and Flowers, Jovial Floral Co
Bride's Dress, ShopBop
Bride's Shoes, Bella Belle
Cake and Cookies, The Dirty Whisk

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By Sara Dickinson