First Posted: 7/22/2013

My bridal shower was this past weekend and I’m really excited to share all of the details with everyone! My family knows me all too well and did such an amazing job keeping it true to who I am and also keeping pretty much everything green.

Instead of having the shower inside and running air conditioners and all sorts of electricity, we rented a beautiful tent and just used candles. Although the previous week was insanely hot, Sunday was actually not too bad, so the shade provided by the tent was just right. The tent was decorated with paper lanterns that we plan to reuse for the wedding and cloth linens from Lavender Linens in Kingston. The tent was placed alongside my mom’s flower garden, which was a great natural backdrop as well.

One of my awesome bridesmaids was in charge of the centerpieces, and she came up with the cutest idea. Instead of tacky flowers and oversized centerpieces, we used potted herbs from Culver’s Greenhouse (905 West Packer Ave., Exeter). These are great because you can take them home and easily replant them in your own garden or just keep them as they are and use the fresh herbs whenever you’re ready to cook!

Something that really moved me at the shower was the favors my family and friends chose. All too often, favors are either left behind or just tossed out, so what they did was really cool. The favors were cards designed by my awesome maid of honor, Sarah, and bridesmaid, Meg, and were donations made in honor of each guest to the Blue Chip Farms Animal Refuge (a no-kill shelter right here in Dallas, Pa.).

Everyone remembers the food, no matter what the event. The shower food was provided by The Soupchic, a local caterer that serves the valley area and does such a great job. It really meant a lot to me that all of the food on the menu was vegetarian – I’m pretty sure all of the meat eaters didn’t mind it, either. The Soupchic cooks fresh and buys local, making everything from scratch. A few things on the menu were traditional hummus and a goat cheese and herb spread with bread, grilled vegetables, fruited couscous salad (amazing), fruit salad, vegetable piggies, and a delicious pasta dish for all of the Italians on my fiancé’s side! If you’re looking for great food that’s home cooked and local, I highly recommend The Soupchic; this girl has such creative menus that are always changing and always delicious!

I couldn’t be happier with how our shower turned out. A lot of thought and effort went into the planning of this once in a lifetime event and I’m very thankful for my family and friends who helped make the day so special!