shower time for the old lady

i guess our bout with the 'rona was actually pretty well timed, because the old lady's bachelorette/shower weekend was scheduled for about a week after our lives went back to normal.  rock-ell, her bestie from high school and her matron of honor, had been planning a fun vegas getaway for weeks - and so we were all grateful when everyone was all good to go and ready to party.

as the bridesmaid, the bean was the official hostess of the bridal shower - with a bit of help.  we'd booked a private room at fleming's restaurant, who was wonderful to work with, and along with a few other vendors we managed to pull together a pretty nice party.  

the bean had also hand-drawn the official logo, which appears on pretty much everything related to the wedding.  we'd turned to our trusted bakery - the same one who did our wedding cakes and the fabulous ones from my surprise party - and they'd created a beautiful cake that incorporated the logo and the colors perfectly.

we'd hired a balloon artist who created this super fun floral backdrop for us, and it was actually even prettier in person than in any of the pictures - mostly because i hadn't realized how dark the room was going to be. oh well.

my sweet friend delovely details had worked her magic and made the prettiest favor tags, along with the custom dress hangers i'd ordered for the wedding party.  

i was excited to eat - i'd been looking at the menu for weeks and i knew it was gonna be good.

once we'd gotten everything set up, the bean and i were happy to be the first to pose in front of that backdrop...you know, to help the photographer figure out exactly where to have everyone stand.

i think everything turned out well, and the room looked really nice.  and my florist had done a really nice job of choosing the perfect blooms for the centerpiece arrangements.

and then, right on time, our guests began to arrive.

mimosas were flowing, everyone was hugging, photos were being taken...all we needed was the bride.  and then we looked up and she was there.

i was pleased to see that the favors (custom luggage tags and a little zipper pouch, perfect for holding masks and other essentials like lip gloss and hotel keys) i'd made were so well-received.

i was getting the quick-and-dirty from the bachelorette attendees here, heh.

as the hostess, i'd encouraged the bean to be ready to stand up and do a quick little welcome speech at the start of the party.  she did so in typical bean style - quickly with a little giggle and a touch of sarcasm.  she cracks me up.

the appetizers had been served to each table - there were crab cakes, filet mignon skewers and burrata with prosciutto.  everything was delicious.

somewhere between salad and main entree, the old lady made the rounds to get table photos.  since it was a pretty small and intimate gathering, it didn't take too long.

the bean was extra happy to have some time to hang out with her cousins.

and while i'd been a little nervous about how the afternoon would go, it was all for naught as everyone just had a great time hanging out and chatting with each other.  the time just flew by.

and of course, there were photos in front of the floral wall.

toasting our beautiful bride.

we squeezed in a couple of games:

and while dessert was served, presents were opened.

and before we knew it...we were hugging everyone goodbye and it was all over.

it was a wonderful way to kick off the wedding festivities, and the bride had a fantastic weekend.  took her several days to get caught up on sleep and everything, but i think it was worth it.