Valentine's Day Sale

Valentine's Day has come and gone. Wheather you spent the day/night with your signigificant others, or your BFFs, one thing is for certain today. All of the heart shaped goodies in your local grocery stores, drug stores and card stores will go on sale. And while it's a good time to stock your office candy drawer with some on sale sweets- don't forget you should ABB, Always Be Bridesmaiding. This is also the perfect time to stock up on heart-shaped shower & bachelorette supplies. Oriental Trading is one of my favorite (and inexpsinve) places to get my materials. I perused their site for Valentine's Day goodies that could easily translate to Bachelorette parties.

Heart shaped rings that make great favors for the gals to wear out at night.)
Rose shaped soap set can be a prize for a winner of a shower game

Heart shaped cake mold is a great G-rated alternative for the bachelorette pary

Feather boas make excellent props for Karaoke Bachelorette parties

Lip decoration cake toppers add a little pizzaz to your cupcakes

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Charmed, I'm Sure

In 2006, my roommate at the time (aka Bride #7) was in a wedding and the bride’s sisters decided they were going to buy a charm bracelet for the bride and all of the BMs were to buy a charm indicative of their relationship or friendship, or something that reminded them of the bride. I fell in love with this idea instantly.

When the MOH for Bride #2 suggested we do this at her shower, I was totally on board. This time it was a little different, as we all ordered the charms from the same company. The pro? They were all consistent and would fit on the bracelet perfectly. The con? We were limited to the charms at one website. We used the website http://www.mycharmedlife.com/ and were all really happy with the results.

At Bride #2’s shower, instead of doing a poem, or a top ten list, etc as our bridesmaid "presentation"- we got up in front of everyone and presented her with the charm bracelet and why we chose each individual charm. Bride #2 and I were roommates in New York City in our first apartment after college graduation. We lived on 34th Street , so to remember our time living together (and before she moved in with her now husband), I got a charm of the Empire State Building (an iconic New York building, also on 34th Street ). Other charms friends got were our sorority’s mascot, a phone from a long-distance friend, a shopping bag from one of her shopping buddies, an elementary school from her friend from growing up, etc. We even got the moms involved, and her mother-in-law got her both her and her husband’s first initials to include. Other great ideas I know that Bride #7 and her friends did were their college mascot and Big Ben (because they studied abroad in London together.

I think this is such a special gift because it is so one of a kind. No one else will have the same bracelet, and all of the individual charms are so personal and meaningful. This is a gift your bride will cherish for ever. And for SuperBridesmaid’s future bridesmaids (no, I am not engaged-- this is just for the future!), this may be a test to see if you read my posts, as I definitely would love to have one of these. :)

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Forever And Ever Platter is Great for Showers!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have always loved arts & crafts. There used to be a paint your own pottery place by my old apartment that I loved going to called Our Name is Mud. Now they don't really do paint your own, but rather you can purchase customized pieces (and trust me, they look way better).
While searching for an engagement gift for Bride #8, I recently stumbled across the Forever and Ever Do-It-Yourself platter. I thought this was a great thing to have at showers. All of the guests could sign it and write well wishes to the bride & groom, then they have a great serving platter to use "forever and ever". And for only $42, this won't break the bank either.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Shower Ribbon Bouquets

A few people have been wondering what I am doing in my “profile picture” listed in the “About Me” section and on my Facebook fan page. In the picture taken by Beth Robyn Photography (by the way, I highly recommend Beth, who is available for weddings, engagement pictures, showers, and other events, etc.) I am constructing a ribbon bouquet for Bride #7.

What’s a ribbon bouquet? Well it’s an old shower tradition to take all of the ribbons used to wrap the bride’s gifts and compile them into either a hat or a bouquet. Personally, I prefer the bouquet because A) it can be used by the bride at her rehearsal to walk down the aisle, B) it’s more wedding appropriate! and C) the hat can look a little silly (but some people like embarrassing the bride).

At the second shower I ever attended (I wasn’t a BM) - the MOH asked for my help because the rest of the BMs were helping unwrap and repack the gifts- and she knew I was artistic and creative. Little did I know back then that this would become my job at almost every shower I attended! Personally, I love having the responsibility. As a BM you usually have to help with the gifts anyway, and I find assembling the ribbon bouquet a lot more fun than unwrapping, re-packing or being on trash patrol!

So how does one create such a masterpiece? Well here are SuperBridesmaid’s tips to make a ribbon bouquet your bride will love!

What to bring from home:

1. Paper Plate
2. Scotch Tape
3. Pair of scissors (it may be helpful to bring an extra pair so that the unwrapping team doesn’t keep stealing yours!)
4. Stapler

Directions

1. Top of plate is back of bouquet, facing you
2. Poke holes in the paper plate
3. Tie ribbon in bows and bring strings through the back
4. If there is ribbon already curled or in a premade bow, you can staple on the plate or just find one string to pull through
5. Try to evenly distribute ribbon you have lots of colors of
6. Fake flowers are great to use- so try to make them prominent
7. Use extra (boring color) ribbon to tie the strings in the back together to make it easy for the bride to hold
8. If you have a lot of ribbons, you can have it trail from the bottom (and even tie together)

Helpful Hints

1. Since you want to finish the bouquet as the bride finishes opening the gifts, you need to work quickly- don’t get distracted by pretty gifts!
2. Grab two chairs- one for you to sit on (a little painful to do standing in stilettos!) and one to hold the pile of the ribbons and bows to use
3. Ask the BMs who are unwrapping the gifts to take the ribbons off first, so you have a big pile and your choice of ribbons
4. If you decide to make the hat, I like to use the tool on Bed, Bath & Beyond wrapping to make a little veil

Below are some pictures of hats and bouquets I have made. Which is your favorite? Do you prefer hats or bouquets?

Happy Bridesmaiding!

It's Cookie Time

At the first bridal shower I ever attended, I was not a bridesmaid. I was 23 years old and new to the wedding circuit, but it was where my creativity started to flourish. It was a childhood friend getting married, and I was chipping in for the gift with three other childhood friends. We didn't really understand why someone would want tons of pots, pans and other kitchen goodies- so we wanted to do something a little more special and personal so that she would look at it and think of us.

This was a perfect opportunity to buy her some gifts off the registry- but then add some fun items as well. So we bought her everything she needed to bake off her registry, including cookie sheets, measuring cups, rolling pins, etc. She really appreciated that because it was a lot of little things that people tend to neglect (it's much easier to buy a $40 serving piece then 8 $5 items). Then, we added in some fun cookie cutters (not something you typically buy yourself) and a cookbook dedicated purely to making cookies. Our main gift was a really fun taxi cab cookie jar to keep on her counter.

Why a taxi cab, you ask? Well, the five of us had always taken dance classes together- and always had these crazy outlandish recital costumes. One of our most famous was when the recital's theme was "New York City" and our costume was taxi cab drivers. This way, we knew the bride would always think of her dance class friends when she saw the cookie jar. Having trouble finding a cookie jar in the shape of something that reminds the bride of you? Just try these personalized cookie jars that you can customize with the bride's new name. They make the perfect gift for the bride who loves to bake!

Just click on the pictures above to order the cookie jars.

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Jersey Girl Gets a Jersey

Anyone who knows me knows that I love giving personalized gifts at a bridal shower, and rarely buy anything off the registry. Leave that to the groom's mom's friends who barely know your BFF. If you don’t get her something special and personal, who will? Bride #3 recently went to a shower, and told me about such a cute and original gift, that I had to write about it!
The bride is a Jersey girl (what up Garden State?!) who moved to Long Island when she moved in with her fiancé. Apparently, he’s also a big hockey fan, and like any good Nassau county resident- a diehard Islanders fan with season tickets. His loyalty for his favorite team rubbed off on his soon-to-be-bride throughout the course of their relationship, and one of her BMs took notice. Instead of buying her bride another vase, serving piece or place setting, this creative BM ordered the bride a personalized NY Islanders jersey- the back had her first initial and new last name on it. (Props to the BM for putting the first initial so the groom didn’t try to steal it!).
According to my sources, the bride was ecstatic and could not stop gushing over this extra special and clever gift. She can’t wait to wear it to a game and proudly display her new name. I thought this would be helpful to all of my followers because I think we all know a girl whose fiancé is a little sports addicted. And if you can’t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em (and look good doing it!).

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Bridal Underwear Makes A Great Gift!

One of my favorite gifts to give a bride is underwear. It could be for her "OMG! You just got engaged!" gift, part of her shower gift, or part of the lingerie shower/honeymoon gift game at her bachelorette party. It's always a great gift, because not only do they make a festive commerative of the big day, but they can still be used after that. Everyone can always use an extra pair of undies as it helps push off doing laundy for one extra day.

When your bride gets engaged, you can rush on over with a cute white lacy pair that says "bride" or a blue "I Do" (check that "something" off the list!) for her to wear on the big day. Everyone's favorite thongs, Hanky Panky, has a whole bridal offering and are even offering free shipping on their new website through 12/31/09. I highly recommend checking out their bridal selection. They are so comfortable, and all of our lingerie drawers are stocked with them anyway- so why not get her favorites for her big day? Anyone who attended Bride #6's wedding, got a little show of her bridal Hanky Pankys all weekend long!

As you know from previous posts, I am a big fan of "the honeymoon gift bag" gift for the shower, and love adding in personalized undies, that say "Mrs. Groom's Last Name." All of my brides' husbands have loved seeing their name in rhinestones across their new bride's tush. I prefer to do this on boy shorts (gives you more room!), and this pair from advantagebridal.com is my go to. If you don't have time to get it personalized (don't worry, SuperBridesmaid sometimes procrastinates too!), then I recommend this pair of "Just Married" boyshorts from exclusivelyweddings.com.

Is your bride a little racier? She might prefer something with a bit of a joke like the options from customizedgirl.com- but note to self, keep this pair for the bachelorette party. Your bride might die of embarrassment (or never forgive you) if she opens up a pair of thongs that say "Groom's playground" in front of her boss, grandmother, and future mother-in-law. Pairs like this are like penis straws, and meant for our generation's eyes only.

Do you have any favorite pairs to give your brides?
Happy Bridesmaiding!

Towel Wedding Cakes

When the other bridesmaids and I were coming up with gift ideas for Bride #1, we wanted to get her the towels off her registry and roll them up and decorate them like a wedding cake. Unfortunately, her future (but now) mother-in-law beat us to the punch and bought the towels. She had them professionally made into a cake format, and it was amazing.

It really inspired me to be able to do it in the future. Bride #3 loves her monogram, and I knew she would love it. So the other bridesmaids and I chipped in for all the towels on her registry, had them monogrammed and I made them into a wedding cake. It took hours but it came out looking amazing. I got rave reviews at the shower, and no one could believe I made it myself. It took a while for Bride #3 to disassemble the cake and actually use the towels because she didn't want to take it apart, but hey- you can't dry yourself off after the shower with a tier of a cake! So it had to be done...

Bride #7 was my roommate at the time I made my first towel cake, and saw me slaving over it for hours. As soon as she got engaged, she put in her "request" for one at her shower. We just had the shower this past weekend, and Bride #7 loved her cake just as much as Bride #3. Once again, only positive remarks and some people were in total awe.

I have to admit that I'm quite proud of the results and wanted to share them with all of you. I love giving this gift because it's something practical the couple needs, but is presented in a beautiful and special way. If you are interested in having SuperBridesmaid make a wedding towel cake for your next shower, please email me directly at superbridesmaid@gmail.com for pricing.

Happy Bridesmaiding and enjoy the towel cake photos!

Bride #3's Towel Wedding Cake

Bride #7's Towel Wedding Cake

LL Bean Bags

As many of you know, I am a big fan of giving LL Bean Boat & Tote bags with the bride's new initials as part of the shower gift. I recently did this for Bride #6. When I got an e-mail after I placed the order that the color I chose was now out of stock- I wasn't happy. I called LL Bean, and they were so great and accommodating! I had originally ordered the medium bag with long handles, and they were totally out of purple mediums- so they gave me the large purple bag and didn't charge me for shipping. It ended up being cheaper than the medium with shipping! Then, since I was a novice at ordering the large bag (the medium with long handles is my usual standard)- I ordered the large bag with the long handles rather than the standard handles. Bride #6 is about 5'1", so the long handles on the large bag were WAY too big. The bag started at her waist! No problem though, I called LL Bean and even though the bag was monogrammed, I can exchange it for a new one! Plus, they're shipping the new one out with free shipping and all I have to pay for is the shipping to send the old one back. Fabulous! Lessons learned from this experience? A) When ordered Boat & Tote bags go with either the medium bag and long handles or large bag and standard handles and B) Always go with a reputable established company. Don't cheap out and order an imitation Boat & Tote bag on a cheapie website...go for the real thing. Their customer service was impeccable and they have super fast shipping!!!

Happy Bridesmaiding!

Shower Gifts

One question I am always asked about is a shower gift. There are many different opinions on shower gifts, and whether or not to get a gift off the registry or not. The fact of the matter is- you are never wrong if you stay within the registry. I mean, the bride chose that gift- obviously she wants it!
However, as one of her bridesmaids, you are obviously one of her closest friends (or family members). Who knows her better than you do? If anyone is at liberty to get a gift off the registry and know that she'll like it, it's you! Just use your judgement!
One of my favorite things to do is have all of the bridesmaids chip in together and get a sort of combination gift. Half from the registry, and half using our creative imagination! One of my most common gifts is the travel/honeymoon gift and it's a great compromise of on and off the registry. This gift can include any or all of the following items, depending on your budget.

• Luggage that the bride registered for
• Luggage tags (possibly even personalized with the couple's monogram or last initial)
• LL Bean Boat & Tote bag with the bride's new initials
• "Mrs. _____" tank top for her honeymoon or morning after brunch
• Just Married Underwear
• "I Love [Groom's Name]" underwear
• Travel cosmetics bag (possibly personalized with name or bride's new initials)
• Travel lingerie and/or shoe bags
• Sunscreen
• Bathing Suit Cover Up
• Travel slippers
• Robe (possibly personalized with name or bride's new initials)
• Honeymoon Journal
• Honeymoon disposable camera

I have given this to numerous brides, even for weddings that I am not in, and have always gotten the most positive reaction. They all love it!

If it's just you and you are limited, but want to go off the registry, the following are some great generic gifts that I heard are always appreciated!

• Lingerie (use your discretion how risky you want to get here)
• Picture frames
• Serving Pieces
• Gift Certificates (restaurants, spas, etc)

If you want to be really special and go off the registry, here are some other ideas.

• Create a scrapbook of the bride and groom's pre-married life together and give her a blank album to start when they get married
• Buy the bride a personalized recipe box with her new married name. Secretly e-mail the other bridesmaids and important family members (sisters, both moms, grandmas, aunts, etc) and fill the box with the recipes. I did this for Bride #5 and she said it was the best gift she received at her shower. She was so touched to have in her possession the recipes her friends and family members are best known for. She even gave herself the deadline of her one year anniversary to make each recipe at least once. Her husband is loving every minute of it!
• Personalized stationary with the bride's new name

As I always say though, keep your bride in mind. If you know she really wants her registry completed- buy her something off the registry and use your creativity somewhere else. We did this for Bride #2 and Bride #4. We bought them their pots and pans and then their luggage and they were both thrilled to get the high ticket items they didn't think they would otherwise receive.

Happy Bridesmaiding!