A British Tea Bridal Shower

I never thought it would happen…actually, he said it never would, but that’s what you get for saying never. My brother not only got married, but married the perfect girl last month! I, along with aunts, mothers, and the best bridesmaids a girl could ask for threw her a fabulous British Tea Bridal Shower fit for a princess. Stacks of old books topped with teacups and flowers set the scene for a relaxed, ladylike affair. It was the perfect day to welcome the guest of honor into our family.

First off, a huge shoutout to Maid of Honor, Kat, for these beautiful pictures! And to my willing mother and sister for providing me with all the teacups and pieces that I was missing for my centerpieces. And to all you bridesmaids—you’re the best!

The Theme

The options were endless for this bridal shower! My sweet sister-in-law has so many diverse and wonderful interests—all the bridesmaids had great ideas. We finally settled on a British bridal shower. Having a broad theme, I chose to go with a British Tea theme for the decorations and centerpieces, that way we would have a cohesiveness to the whole shower.

The Setting

We had our little gathering at the Manheim Historical Society. It was spectacular! Huge wooden beams above the space created some beautiful rhythm and we were surrounded by history of the area.

The Details

I may have gone a bit overboard with the details of this bridal shower. I really couldn’t help myself! I had a blast creating signage and gathering all these sweet pieces. My mom, being an amazing florist, provided and arranged all of the flowers!

 

Old books served as a great base for a majority of the centerpieces. They allowed me to create a diversity of heights and brought in the perfect colors!

Silver was the perfect way to add some shine and bling without being gaudy. It also blended right in with the Downton Abbey fabrics and British feel. I had fun digging through my silver stash (collected from years of yardsales) and shining it up! I’ve even decided to incorporate it into my own décor now. Our place settings were little and lovely; I found the perfect dessert plates on Etsy (yeah, those are paper!) and this great downloadable print for British Tea Drinking Etiquette (get it here)!

The Food

I can’t take any credit for the food, but how gorgeous does it look!?

 

A British Flag cake really set the tone for the theme while tiny desserts, sandwiches and scones incorporated our tea decorations and centerpieces.

The Activities

Similar to my sister, at her baby shower, my new sister isn’t a huge fan of attention; in fact, she was dreading it. So, as loving bridesmaids, we chose activities that would be about her, but wouldn’t put her in the spotlight or embarrass her in any way.

My favorite was the date night activity! This is a great idea to keep your guests busy and serves as a great conversation piece! Leave Popsicles for everyone to write down their favorite date night ideas. Collect all the sticks at the end of the evening and wrap them up sweetly for the bride-to-be!

There’s a million little details that I love about this bridal shower, but what I love most is what this whole affair meant: Kristin was forever going to be a part of our family! In the picture above, I’m explaining the teacup that my mom hand-picked for this occasion. It’s a special gift that I also received at my bridal shower. The teacup gift is starting to become tradition, and I love that! I hope that every time she digs this dainty teacup out of the cupboard that she remembers what an answered prayer, a treasured member—what a special sister she is.