A Fun, Floral Bridal Shower in Washington, D.C.

By Kimberly Krajicek
July 19, 2016
Abby Jiu Photography

This bold bride-to-be was celebrated with feminine and quirky details.

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The Bride-To-Be

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Bridal Shower Ideas

Adrienne Ferriero met her fiancé, John Gallagher, at a mutual friend's party in Virginia. The two hit it off and dated for nearly a year before John surprised her and proposed. "We were supposed to go to the beach for Memorial Day weekend, but John got the flu," Adrienne says, "Instead, I cooked dinner, and then he asked if I wanted to go on a walk. That wasn't out of the ordinary for us, so we walked to the lake behind my condo and sat on the bench. We talked about what it would be like to be married. He turned to me, got down on one knee, and asked, 'Will you be my best friend forever?' I cried and said yes!"

Adrienne and John set a date of May 26, 2016, for their wedding at St. Peter's Church, followed by a reception at the Mayflower Hotel, in Washington, D.C.

One month before the big day, the bride's mother hosted a classic, colorful shower. The April 10, 2016, celebration at the Trump National Golf Club had a guest list of 50 loved ones. With the help of Laura Ritchie of Grit & Grace, the day was elegant with fun details playing up Adrienne's love for makeup and all things glam.

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The Stationery Suite

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Bridal Shower Invitations We Love

Paperless Post created Adrienne's mix of floral and ikat invitations.

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The Engagement Ring

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Adrienne's yellow diamond engagement ring was from Liljenquist & Beckstead and was designed by John.

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The Location

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The venue's ballroom was the ideal space for Adrienne's vision to come to life. Originally from Florida, she was inspired by Palm Beach, in addition to the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, where she and John would go for their honeymoon. Stripes, palms, and bold florals decorated the space.

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The Dress

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Best Dresses to Wear to a Bridal Shower

Adrienne wore a floral dress from ASOS, matching the invitations and the theme of her shower. Her friends also dressed colorfully for the party.    

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The Shoes

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Adrienne's mother gifted her hot pink Manolo Blahnik shoes, completing her bright ensemble.

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April Showers

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Fun Swizzle Sticks to Upgrade Your Signature Drink

Guests sipped on Champagne, topped with customized acrylic stir sticks by LH Calligraphy that said "April Showers", while other stir sticks said "May Flowers".  The latter also played up the May engagement and wedding date—not to mention their wedding venue, The Mayflower Hotel.

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The Setup

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Ultimate Bridal Shower Checklist

Two long tables covered with navy-and-white striped cloths were balanced by the ballroom's neutral white walls. Grit and Grace and DC Rentals mixed things up at the place settings, using bold china patterns and gold cutlery to complete the lunch set up.

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The Décor

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Holly Heider Chapple created pink, vibrant centerpieces using peonies and anemones. Completing the look were lush palm leaves that gave the room a luxurious feel. Laura Hooper penned names in ink that mimicked the palm leaves printed on the place cards.

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The Menu

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Bridal Shower Foods, Recipes, and Menu Ideas

The menus outlined the meal, which started with a spring salad followed by pan-seared breast of free-range chicken.

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The Dessert

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Bridal Shower Dessert Ideas That Take the Cake

The ladies dined on Nutella crepes for dessert.

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The Guest Book

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Super Creative DIY Guest Book Ideas

Rather than having a traditional guest book, Adrienne's friends gave her colorful kisses. "Since I love makeup this was totally up my alley," says Adrienne, "I am a freelance makeup artist, and so the girls thought it would be cute to have some of our guests use their favorite lip colors to create a little card for me."

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The Little Notes

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Friends wrote notes of encouragement and love on small gold-edged cards and pineapple-shaped paper. 

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A Special Gift

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Bridal Shower Gifts for the Bride Who Has Everything

Adrienne opened a box that said "stop and smell the roses" gifted to her by her best friend. "She included many memorable things in there and wrote a long letter which was super emotional and amazing. She also had Bible verses framed that John and I were planning to say during our vows," explains Adrienne, "There were some other special BFF items in there, but it was by far the most meaningful gift of the day."

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The Gifts

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The bride-to-be continued to open more presents, including one from John's mother. The picture of her and John read "the real gift" on the back of the frame and was accompanied by a special message.

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More Special Moments

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Adrienne shared moments with everyone throughout the day, including her Nana.

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The Favors

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Bridal Shower Favor Ideas That You Can DIY

"I love and do makeup for clients and friends all the time, so this was the perfect little send off," says Adrienne of the nail polish favors given out.

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Sources

Abby Jiu Photography

Photography, Abby Jiu Photography

Location & Catering, Trump National Golf Club

Event planning, Laura Ritchie of Grit & Grace

Flowers, Holly Heider Chapple of Hope Flower Farm

Stationery, Paperless Post

Calligraphy, Laura Hooper Calligraphy

Rentals, DC Rentals

Hair, Nicole Cantu

Makeup, Shirin Ratner

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