Because I rarely enjoyed attending them in the past, I considered not having a bridal shower or bachelorette party at all.
No way, if you have to sit through millions of other bridal showers and bachelorette parties, then everyone else should trudge through yours, too, said my big sister and maid of honor.
I know that most brides relish the thought of spacing out two celebrations dedicated to her upcoming nuptials but I decided to jam-pack my bridal shower and bachelorette party into one single day. I had to compact both parties because my sister, and two of my bridesmaids, are from Boston and they’ve visited me plenty of times since my engagement. And my bosses haven’t been easy on me just because I was getting married. Work became extremely busy and my precious summer weekends consisted of nonstop planning and catching up on relaxation with my fiancé.
Both celebrations were everything I wished for: traditional without going overboard.
The author in her Melissa Sweet dress.
I donned a Melissa Sweet dusky rose dress, and strutted into My Kitchen restaurant in Forest Hills, Queens. The venue was all white, casually sleek, with exposed brick, and French doors. I had ample time to greet each and every visitor — my Tita (Aunt), cousin, childhood friend, college friend, and the girlfriends of my guy friends. There were no trivia games or silly contests. It was all about ladies lunching over endless mimosas. The gift-opening ceremony ran like an efficient GM assembly-line thanks to my beautiful pro-bridesmaids. It also helped that I gave my guests the option of shipping straight to my house or contributing cash to my Honeyfund.com honeymoon registry (a genius concept for brides who know they don’t need a waffle-maker, a quesadilla-maker and a fry-daddy).
I hugged and kissed my mom, and thanked my future-mother-in-law, and Titas for their gifts. Then my friends and I geared up for a Girls’ Night Out. My sister and sister-in-law subtly decorated my new house and non-subtly stuffed my fridge with champagne and Skinny Girl Margarita bottles. My friends showered me with lingerie gifts before we headed into the city.
My sister surprised me, yet again, when I found myself walking into the Spice Market in the Meatpacking District. She had told me that it was booked and that we had to go to our second-choice restaurant instead. One of their luxurious private alcove dining rooms was all ours. My party girls and I laughed and gossiped over every sumptuous course of Southeast Asian cuisine, which was fitting because I am headed there for my honeymoon. We toasted the night with Passion Fruit Sangria and girl talk before we continued the party at the rooftop Gansevoort. We then headed to Gaslight for more cocktails and dance then ended it with a nightcap at a local Queens pub near my house. We survived the night in high heels and all!
Friends partaking in the author’s bachelorette night celebrations.
When I finished my gift-opening session earlier that afternoon I gave a brief speech to thank all the women from various walks of life for attending my special day. I concluded with,
And last, but not least, I want to thank my big sister, she did everything.
We are not over-sentimental maudlins when it comes to gushing about our love and appreciation for each other, because we don’t have to be. (In fact, I doubt I’ll ever show her this post because she would definitely think it was cheesy.) I made millions of best friends over my lifetime but now that I am past my early twenties, and a few months toward getting married, the only girl I call every day to vent, laugh, or seek trusted personal or professional advice is my big sister, my maid of honor, my best friend.
I only hope my party-planning skills live up to her expectations. After all, earlier this summer, her boyfriend proposed to her in Fenway Park! ♥
