Deep South Party: Hydrangea Wedding Shower

Every Southern girl loves a good party. I would throw a party every single weekend, but my husband might commit himself to the local insane asylum if that were the case. My brain tends to overflow with ideas to the point I have a hard time narrowing down specifics for a party. My key to party planning that helps narrow down all the ideas is to pick a theme. No, I am not saying to go all Winnie the Pooh on me, but it can be as simple as a color or a feeling that you want the guests to take from the celebration.

This past weekend I had the honor of throwing a wedding shower for a friend from my work. We tend to have showers for coworkers at the hospital, but this girl was just so deserving a blow out pretty shower. She is getting married this fall in Charleston. Those of you that know me well know that "fall" and "Charleston" make by knees go weak!

I chose the theme of Southern chic - the whole feeling I want for guests. It went well with her colors - a navy teal and dark green. It was easy to plan food for the shower with the "Southern" concept. The menu included fresh summer fruits, vegetable crudites (definition = fancy word for raw cut vegetables) with ranch dip, warm yeast rolls with maple honey mustard and ham, cornbread muffins with jalapeno jelly and smoked turkey, cheese krispies, white cake cupcakes with buttercream frosting, and a chocolate fondue station (not pictured).
The food was delicious and light enough for an afternoon affair. The buffet table was accented by cream roses and greenery tied to the corners with navy tulle, hydrangeas in Mason jars, burlap tablecloths, and candles in small jewel Mason jars.

I am a big fan of using reusable resources for party decor. Burlap tablecloths are so inexpensive when you can buy burlap for 3.99/yard and cut to fit the size of table. Handle burlap gently if you would like to reuse it as it tends to stretch out of shape easily. Once the party is over they can be folded up and stuck in your party cabinet/box. They are great to bring out around fall with different colored leaves and pumpkins or even in the spring with garden fresh flowers. Mason jars are one of my favorite things. I mean seriously at 9.99 a flat you can use them multiple ways. I grouped them in different numbers around the house with cuts of hydrangea and tulle and ribbon tied around. The small jeweled jelly Mason jars show beautiful reflections with a tea light.

The picture below is one of my favorite accents from the party. I took a large Mason Jar and hot glued a 4 inch strip of burlap around the jar. I then took a sharpie (acrylic paint watered down would work well) and free handed a T for the couples married initial. Two of these flanking the mantle looked awesome but so simplistic.
I hope that you have found some of these ideas helpful. A few of my biggest tips for party planning is that simple decorations with fresh flowers are classy and chic. I would rather spend less and be able to reuse stuff down the road than fork out a fortune and throw it out with the crumbs.

with Belles and Beauxs

Don't forget to check out the giveaway from yesterday's post. Giveaway ends Monday, August 23 at 8:00 pm EST.