Bridal Shower: Christine

If you recognize this bride-to-be's face.. its because you've seen her here before.. not once, but twice! (You can see those posts here and here.) Christine is engaged to Isaac.. and they are getting married TOMORROW! And just a couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Christine at her bridal shower. I wish someone had been taking pictures of my face as I walked into the backyard and saw all of the gorgeous details that were put together in celebration of Christine's upcoming nuptials. Needless to say.. I took A LOT of photos. There was just so much to take in! So this'll be one of the longer posts I've done.. but there was no way around that. I hope that no one (especially Christine) will complain about that. :)

So here it is. Hope ya'll like them! 

From Rachel (who hosted this shower along with her sister, Rania and Christine's mother, Laila):

"We wanted to create a french vintage theme.. using pink and gray as the main colors."  

So here's a little buffet of details that shows you how they managed to do just that! 

 I adore this pic of Christine.. and can you believe that set-up?  I die! 

It was a warm and sunny day.. not a cloud in the sky. Perfect backdrop to this gorgeously transformed backyard!

Part of the dramatic transformation is definitely in part to the decision to have those chandeliers hanging from inside the tent. Such a dramatic and perfect addition to the event. 

I love the contrast of these gray striped runners with the light pink tablecloths. And see that gorgeously detailed place card below? Rachel and Rania designed and created those themselves!

The fabulous hostesses incorporated a rustic feel to the pink and gray frenchiness.. which they did so well with the pitchers, loose, gorgeous flowers and.. birds. In love with that ceramic bird! Oh.. and the table settings? All perfectly placed and set by Rachel and Rania.

All these lovely flowers were chosen and arranged by Rania, who doesn't do it for a living.. but obviously has quite the talent for it! 

Not only does this pretty birdcage add to the theme, it also served a purpose! Guests were asked to write marital advice to the happy couple, then to place those cards in the cage. How cute is that?! 

I feel weird calling these shawls "party favors".. they are just too grown up and pretty! So I'm going to go with "parting gifts" instead. Rachel and Rania rolled these up and tied DIY "Merci" tags on them with a bit of string. Then below is the shower invite.. colored and designed to set up the theme of the shower.

As any photographer would tell you, we love it when a spot has been purposed for portraits. A vintage couch and pretty details were arranged to create a perfect backdrop! 

And here are some of those portraits! Starting with two of my favorites of the day: Christine and her lovely mother Laila. 

Had a chance to grab a group shot of Christine and her guests.. and one of Christine with her bridesmaids. Love! 

After catching up with her guests and having some drinks.. it was time to eat! Ground beef stuffed potato balls anyone? If you've never had one.. you are missing out! 

Love the vintage frames with the food place card. Just as yum as the food looks! And as they ate they enjoyed some live acoustic music. 

After great food and music.. it was time for some traditional shower games. Love Christine's smile in these shots! I want to point out that a lot of the younger guests at this wedding were accompanied by their mothers. Multiple generations all hanging out and having a great time. Yes, even taking some shots!

And you can't really have a party without some dessert! Rachel and Rania did a fantastic job designing the dessert table, er.. I mean, the Patisserie table! I especially love this detail as shared by Rachel: 

"Christine loves peonies, but they were out of season. So we were so excited to find a few of them! There weren't enough to include in the arrangements, so we decided to decorate the cake with them." 

So wonderfully thoughtful and the outcome is just so pretty!

Every single one of the deliciously sweet treats were accompanied by a little frame with a DIY description like this one:

And one of my favorite detail photo arrangements to date.. gray striped straws, a C for Christine on just about everything, complimentary colors, and oui! those pink macaroons! I swoon!!

Finally, it was time for Christine to open all of the gifts her loving friends and family had brought. After all, what is more french than lingerie?! Ooh la la!

How perfect are those last two photos of the gorgeous Bride?! *happy sigh* 

So.. if you were impressed with all of the work that was put into this shower.. all credit should be given to Rachel and Rania. And when I complimented Rachel on everything they had done, she admitted it had been a lot of work and added: "I honestly was so happy to do it for my best friend." She added: "We've been best friends since 1st grade and I'm so happy for her. I wish Isaac and her the very best!" So really, this isn't just about Rachel and Rania's amazing talents.. its really about their love for Christine.

Christine... you have quite the entourage! Your family and friends are so incredibly sweet and loving.. and wow do they know how to laugh and have fun!! I'm so blessed to have met you guys.. and consider it an honor to have been a part of such important moments in your lives!  Isaac.. you are an incredibly lucky man and I wish you and Christine nothing but many happy years celebrating a wonderful life.. together!! May your wedding day be everything you dreamed of and more!!

xo- Andrea

Where did all the cute stuff come from?

• Flowers - Rania Shenouda
• Table Runners -  Sur La Table 
• Tents, Chandeliers, Tables, Chairs, Plates and Cutlery - Town & Country Event Rentals
• Cake - Some Crest Bakery
• Sweet Treats - Vanilla Bake Shop
• Lunch & Catering - Porto's
• Vintage Decor - Rachel DeLaMontanya 
• All paper goods and cards - DIY Rachel & Rania