A "Grand Budapest Hotel" Bridal Shower for Guest Blogger Jenny Bernheim of Margo & Me

By Jenny Cipoletti
May 21, 2015
Jana Williams

Inspired by the Wes Anderson film, this celebration's every detail was a visual feast of decadent décor. Love and laughter was the icing on the cake.

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The Theme

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Ever since seeing The Grand Budapest Hotel (and rewatching it nearly a dozen times), Jenny Bernheim of Margo & Me has felt inspired to create something wedding-related that echoes filmmaker Wes Anderson's colorful, quirky style. The bridal shower was the perfect opportunity to play around with the luxurious elements in the movie—from the color palette to the ornate cakes and pastries. Her maid of honor, Paige Newell, and planner Leslie Kaplan, of Encore Event Design, brought the bride's dream to life at the intimate pary on April 9, 2015, at The Peninsula Beverly Hills in California. Twenty guests celebrated the bride-to-be in a festive fête designed in pretty pastels, light grays, and pops of fuchsia, French blue, and mixed metallics.

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The Invitations

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The stationery featured cheeky wording and whimsical designs. Prim and Pixie designed the pieces, which were letterpressed and tucked into a coral-colored paper sleeve finished off with an illustration of the hotel that inspired it all, the date of the event, and the saying "love and laughter before happily ever after." The suite was delivered in boxes boasting a band printed with each recipient's address and a custom postage stamp.

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Fashion Forward

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Though many brides opt to wear white at their bridal shower, Jenny wanted her look to fit in with the theme of the afternoon and instead went with a colorful ensemble. After seeing this Monique Lhuillier look walk down the Spring 2015 runway, she was enamored with its structure and the delicate floral pailettes.

She paired the separates (it was a strapless dress with a top) with silver Jimmy Choo sandals, a clutch, her XIV Karats engagement ring, a cocktail ring, a bracelet, and earrings.  

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The Location

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The Peninsula Beverly Hills with its opulent chandeliers and rich textiles—and its lobby boys!—was a natural choice to mimic the feel of the film.

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Surrounded by Love

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Jenny was joined by her mother and sister, who is her matron of honor. 

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Cheers to the Bride

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A "Blushing Bride" cocktail made of Champagne, peach schnapps, and grenadine was served on a bar cart set up on the patio. The ladies also sipped on rosé and lavender-infused Champagne, while hors d'oeuvres were passed.

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A Parisian Touch

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Reminiscent of the bridge in Paris to which lovers make a wish and affix a lock, guests were asked to write a love note for Jenny and her fiancé, Freddie.

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Locked and Loaded

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The wishes were locked to a birdcage. "Reading each one after the shower, with Freddie, was the best part," Jenny recalls.

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Please Be Seated

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A large table was set up in The Peninsula's Magnolia room.

One of Jenny's bridesmaids handled music—queuing up the Nouvelle Vague radio station on Pandora so that artists like Billie Holiday, Telepop Music, and La Tienda accompanied the seated lunch. Another fun touch? Each of the ladies went around the table and said one word that they felt described the bride-to-be.

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Wall-to-Wall Décor

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Even the sconces were adorned with fresh blooms. 

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The Place Cards

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"I love the element of a secret society from the movie," Jenny says. "So the keys represented my bridal shower secret society." Tassels and shield-shaped tags finished off the look.

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The Place Settings

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A trademark of the hotel, the napkins were custom embroidered with each guests' initials.

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Straight Off the Big Screen

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The pastry chef at The Peninsula re-created Mendl's Courtesan au Chocolat towers and topped them with delicate shavings of gold foil. "They were almost too beautiful to eat!" Jenny says.

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The Tables

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Mismatched vintage pieces were used to set the table. Lilla Bello created the arrangements of tulips, ranunculus, garden roses, spray roses, and peonies that ran down the center. A wide selection of foliage (including umbrella ferns, rose hips, oregano flowers, and chocolate geranium) was mixed in for extra texture.

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Lovely Lilacs

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Fragrant bundles of lilacs, hyacinth, and ranunculus in small footed vessels were interspersed among the larger centerpieces.

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Puppy Love

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The pet-friendly hotel rolled out the red carpet for the guest-of-honor's beloved French bulldog, Margo. She had a plush doggie bed and bowl on hand to enjoy during the festivities, and a custom floral collar made by Lilla Bello, pictured here. 

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Snap Happy

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A fun backdrop for the Flipbooth (which creates flipbooks instead of traditional photographs) was inspired by the bold colors in Wes Anderson's movies.

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The Cake

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A triple berry cake by Sweet Lady Jane was the centerpiece of the dessert table. Key lime tartlets and meringues were also on offer.

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Cupcakes for Days

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Flower-topped cupcakes were another element of the over-the-top dessert table.

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To-Go Boxes

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No Grand Budapest Hotel-themed shower would be complete without Mendl's boxes. These were used to pack up pastries from the dessert buffet as a take-home treat.

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The Favors

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Jenny wanted to give each of her girls a gift that she personally loves and chose a handful of her favorite things: her go-to summer-scented Svensk Co. candle, Compartés Alfred Coffee-flavored chocolate bar, Essie nail polish in Blushing Bride and Private Weekend, and a can of Sofia Champagne. 

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The Sources

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Photography: Jana Williams

Location and Catering: The Peninsula Beverly Hills

Event Planning: Leslie Kaplan of Encore Event Design 

Flowers: Lilla Bello

Stationery: Prim and Pixie

Cake: Sweet Lady Jane

Rentals: Archive Rentals; La Tavola Fine Linen

Hair and Makeup: Nikki DeRoest of Hello to Beauty

Flipbooth: Flipbooth LA

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