Briday Shower Party - Faith, Hope & Love

I hosted a bridal shower last weekend for my soon to be sister-in-law.  The theme was Faith, Hope and Love.  The colors were black, white and hot pink.  I had a budget to stick to, and I think I did fairly well. I ordered the invitations from Eclectic Note Cards & Stationery (Ebay) for 85cents ea.  This included printing and the envelope with the return address printed.  I typed the invitees name and address on a clear mailing envelope for a tailored look to the invite.  The ebay store was wonderful and quick in getting my invites printed accurately and shipped off to me.  The shower was held in a conference room at a local hotel.  This was the most expensive detail of the shower, but, it was worth it and convenient.  The price was $200 for the entire day and it included them setting up our tables and cleaning up. Decorations were simple but elegant. 

The hotel was supposed to have provided white linens, however, housekeeping was unprepared and did not have any available.  I thought it was a nightmare, but, fortunately, we were able to buy white plastic table covers at a local dollar store, which made a last minute unexpected purchase inexpensive.  I had made black satin runners (the length of a long banquet table) to go over the white table covers.  I bought the black satin on clearance at Walmart for a dollar a yard.  This was an excellent buy.  I made eight runners out of three yards!!  I had previously priced runners at a department store for $16 each.   At the center of each table, on the runner, I placed black plastic bowls evenly spaced apart.  The bowls rim had a thin white stripe.  I bought ten on clearance at Target for 98 cents each.  I filled these with water (at the hotel) and then placed red, and hot pink roses to float in the water.  (I cut the stem as close to the flower as possible) Also on the runner, I placed clear diamond shaped rocks (from Wilton-a box is $6.96 at Walmart).  This added some BLING" to the tables-they had an excellent appeal against the black runners. 

Also I bought in packages (3) for 75 cents each also at Walmart.  I primered them in white a week before. Then I went over them again in a pearl white paint.  After they dried I used a glossy black paint and made damask designs on the hearts.  I let this dry and then used hot pink paint.  I took the three large hearts and painted the word FAITH on one heart HOPE on another and LOVE on the last large heart.  On the smaller hearts I painted the words:  "With this ring…" "I Do" "Til Death Do Us Part" "For better…" "Or for worse…" "In sickness…" "And in Health"  "For Richer…" "For poorer.." basically all the traditional wedding phrases broken up to fit on to the hearts.  Since I had many hearts it was easy to duplicate the phrases several times.  I used the smaller hearts on the tables and scattered them along the black runners amidst the "bling".  The three larger hearts I used at the main table at the entrance. 

The main table also had a white table cover with a black runner the bling and I added the three big hearts.  I also added hot pink paper shavings (the kind you use to stuff a gift or a basket)along the black runners mixed with the bling and hearts.  I placed a collage of pictures (You can buy the set up at a Hallmark store)of the bride and groom also on the table.  Of course and guest book for guests to sign in.  Also I found a ceramic bride figurine-all white with no facial details-very classy looking at a dollar store.  I had a heart shaped hot pink mesh basket that I placed the shower favors in.  This was also on the main table.  The favors were travel sized compact mirrors.  I bought them thru Eyes Lips and Face (elfcosmetics.com) for a dollar a piece.  However they came out to less than a dollar a piece because I had a promotional code (you can find several on the internet I use the site currentcodes.com for promotional codes)that allowed me to take several dollars off my order. I also had a picture of the bride and groom duplicated for each guest in black and white size 4x6.  I paid four dollars for 40 prints during a sale at my grocery stores photo lab.  I placed each picture in unison resemblin a circle around the hot pink basket.  The main table looked really nice and did not appeared cluttered because it was a full size banquet table. 

For the food I made almost everything myself except for a couple of items.  I served croissants-I ordered the croissants from my local grocery store.  They went on sale a month prior to the shower.  I approached the bakery manager and asked her if she would honor that price for the amount of croissants I needed but for the following month.  She was only able to do this if I prepaid for them which was a great offer.  I order 57 croissants (7 containers of 8)for less than $18.  I stuffed the croissants with chicken salad.  I bought 15 pounds (3 five lb. bags) of boneless white chicken breasts at Walmart. The great value brand was the best price.  I added boiled egg and chopped pickle with Kraft Mayo.  I also added black pepper and sea salt instead of regular salt but I ground each myself-you only need a small amount.  I also had pasta salad-the salad was the colored spiral noodles with mayo and ranch bacon seasoning from the suddenly pasta boxes.  I added red onions feta cheese and chopped avocado to the pasta salad. I also made wraps.  I bought two packages of Rosemary wraps from my grocery store. Each pack contained six wraps. In each wrap I layered in this order kraft mayo green leaf lettuce one long deli slice of mesquite smoked turkey breast one long deli slice of mesquite smoked ham hot peppered deli cheese red onion and nacho jalepeno slices.  I rolled them up and cut them into fours.  With these two packs I made 48 small wraps.  They were a hit. 

I had two different kinds of chips regular ruffles to be eaten with ranch dip and corn tortilla chips to be eaten with spinach dip my sister made for me. I put the ranch dip and the spinache dip each in a clear crystal bowl next to each of the bowls of chips.  I bought large bright hot pink plastic bowls at walmart for 94 cents each for the chips. I had a fruit platter I made myself.  I used the del monte container of precut pineapple-you find this in a clear container in the produce section of your grocery store-walmart had a better price than my grocery store.  I bought two containers of strawberry-one pound each.  I used 3 cantelopes.  I washed and cut everything.  I placed the fruit on green leaf lettuce leaves on a silver aluminum round platter.  I also made a vegetable platter-I washed prepackaged baby carrots I washed and cut up celery broccoli and cucumbers.  I also placed the vegetables on green lettuce leafs on a silver aluminum round platter.  For the dip for the vegetable platter I placed ranch dressing in small crystal bowl near the platter.  For the fruit platter I bought fruit dip at walmart and I put this in a crystal bowl also near the fruit platter.  I made tea for the meal. 

For the cake I also made this.  I made a two layer ten inch white cake (I only use Pillsbury).  For the filling I used raspberry filling to add a twist to the tired traditional strawberry filling.  On top of this tier I also made a two layer eight inch white cake with raspberry filling.  I iced it white buttercream royal icing-wilton recipe.  On the bottom edge of each cake I rolled tinted hot pink icing into tiny balls.  I placed each ball in unison to make a border ont the bottom edge of each cake.  I pressed firmly on the balled icing to flatten a bit against the cake. 

After the cake edge was complete I placed bling accents (you find them in the craft fabric section of walmart)on each of the balls of icing.  Some blings were heart shaped others were round others were diamond or square shaped.  For the cake topper I used a large diamond ring (paperweight) you can get these on the internet for around ten bucks each.  I borrowed mine from a friend.  I cut a round heavy cardboard the same size as the top layer (eight inches).  I then cut a slit in the center of the cardboard to push the ring half way through.  Then I placed the cardboard with the ring in it on top of the cake.  I then used the remaining white and hot pink icing to cover the cardboard.  I saturated the cardboard with as much icing as possible-very thick.  I then placed red and hot pink roses (fresh)about a dozen mixed)with a very small stem in the icing.  It looked gorgeous according to the guests. 

For the drink with the cake I bought the hawaiian punch brand- a new flavor lemon berry punch.  Everyone liked it and could not believe it was store bought.  I served the food on black octogon shaped plates-I bought them at target.  They are the Hefty elegant wear line.  You would not know they are the hefty brand.  Target is the only place I have seen black other stores sell only the blue and red.  I bought the forks knives and spoons five packs of 48 at the dollar store for a dollar each pack.  I bought the napkins at Hobby Lobby they had the best price for what I needed.  I bought a large pack of hot pink napkins a large pack of white napkins and a large pack of black napkins.  I opened each pack and then alternated each color for a rainbow effect and then fanned them on the food table and cake table. 

For drinking cups I used clear hard plastic 12 oz cups I bought at party city.  These were a bit pricey but this was probably the only item I did not get on sale but it was what I wanted for the look I was trying to achiever.  For cake plates I also bought these at party city they had a small percentage off.  They were black and white damask design.  They went perfect with the colors and décor.  In a large hot pink tub I bought a walmart I had ice from the hotel's ice machine with a black ice scooper for drinks.  I also had a clear plastic pitcher of water for those who wanted water instead of tea or punch. 

For games we only had three and they were very non-traditional and low key.  I gave each guest a satin ribbon necklace with a silver ring (wilton).  I had one ring with a diamond accent on it I got this ring from the bubble gum machine.  I let each guest pick their necklace.  The guest that got the diamond ring won a prize. 

I had a stack of hearts that opened up like a book.  The hearts were white made out of poster board.  I had each guest write their name on the inside of the heart.  These were placed in large clear glass bowl.  The soon to be bride picked a heart and read the name inside the heart..that person won a prize.  I also made a stack of hearts same book style white out of posterboard except I covered the top heart with silver wrapping paper (just cut out several heart shapes the same size as the white poster board heart and then glue the silver one on top of the white one).  I placed an address label inside each heart.  Half of the hearts had the brides name preprinted on the label in hot pink ink. 

The other half had the grooms name preprinted on a label in black.  Only one heart had the bride's and groom's name preprinted on the address label in hot pink and black ink.  (You must make sure that you only have as many hearts as you do guests in the bowl for this to work) Each guest picked their own heart out of a large clear glass bowl.  The guest that picked the heart with the bride and groom's name won the prize.  Everyone loved this game. 

This was a lot of tedious work but worth it because my guests loved the ideas.  The prizes were given in black and white damask print bags tied with a hot pink ribbon.  All of the prizes were the same.  They were a journal a notepad a stack of sticky notes and a package of travel size tissue.  All had the same print black white and hot pink damask.  Damask is a swirly paisley type print.  I got these items for a dollar each at hobby lobby.  Everyone liked them.  The guest of honor received many gifts and she liked them all.  I gave my sister a gift also for making the spinach dip for me.  It was wrapped in bag just like the prizes but I had a candle that was in a terracota container that expressed a beautiful inscription about sisters.  I hope that my soon to be sister in law and I become as close as my own sister and I."