Mother of the Bride—An Info Source for Gift-Givers

Mother of the Bride, did you know one of your MOB roles requires you to be the go-to source for all kinds of gift-giving information? As your daughter’s wedding day draws closer, friends and family will call on you time and again for insider info. You will be asked everything from where the couple is registered to what colors they’re using in their master bath.

Instead of hemming and hawing because you’re clueless on some of the answers, why not be prepared with an inside-scoop list? Grab your MOB planner/journal—and also the bride-to-be—and make a list of the following items and their answers:

*Where is the couple registered?

*Couple’s address after the wedding

*Names and addresses of ceremony and reception sites

*Dates and places of bridal showers

*China brand and pattern

*Crystal brand and pattern

*Flatware/silverware brand and pattern—formal and everyday

*Dishes (everyday) brand and pattern

*Cookware

*Living room colors

*Kitchen colors

*Bedroom colors

*Bathroom colors

*Size of bed

*Favorite themes or collections

*Hobbies

There you have it, MOB—your personal gift-giving ideas cheat sheet. Now all you need to do is fill it out. Enjoy your insider-info role!

You might also like to read A Planning Journal for Your Mother of the Bride Notes, Mother of the Bride – Needed and Loved, and You Are Appreciated, Mother of the Bride!

*Hope this slightly revised post from May 2014 helped you today!

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) p.s. Sign up by 4-24 to get in on this issue’s giveaway. If you subscribe after that date, you will be included in all future Life Notes giveaways.

*Flickr photo by vidalia_11, Creative Commons License

Bridal Shower: Makeup Practice-Run and Demonstration

*I’ll be taking a blogging break during Valentine’s week. Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Mother of the Bride, a bridal shower is one of the highlights of the wedding planning experience. It’s a time of fun, fellowship, and celebration with family and friends. It’s a girly-girl time that is well worth making memorable in a variety of ways.

If you’re contributing ideas to the shower or actually giving it yourself, MOB, one fantastic way to make it both special and helpful is to have a makeup practice-run and demonstration. Not only will it give the bride and her makeup artist a chance to have a run-through before the big day, but it will provide an entertaining and informative demonstration for the shower guests. Fabulous idea, right?

To make it even more interesting and fun, extra features/activities could be included. For instance, the makeup artist (and her team if she has one) could do your makeup and/or the bridesmaids’ makeup as well. Different techniques and types of makeup would naturally be called for so all the more informative.

You could even have makeup samples for the guests to take home or lipstick shades for them to try at the party. And I bet you and the bridesmaids will be able to think of other ideas as well. Just have fun with it!

Does this sound like an exciting idea to you, MOB? If so, suggest it to the hostesses and see if it’s something they’d like to make happen. Might as well make the shower as girly-girl—and helpful—as possible!

*You might also like to read Bridal Shower Idea: A Cooking Class and Bridal Shower Cake: A Cupcake Wedding Dress!

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Flickr photo by Ashley MacKinnon, Creative Commons License

Bridal Shower Idea: A Cooking Class

Mother of the Bride, how about hostessing a bridal shower where everyone can learn a little something to add to their repertoire in the kitchen? I saw this idea on Pinterest with a pin by Loverly and immediately repinned it to my Weddings – This and That board .

If your daughter likes to cook or wants to further develop her skills in the kitchen, a cooking class bridal shower could be so much fun. Just think of the possibilities. You could ask everyone to bring their favorite recipes to share with the bride. You might suggest that everyone bring cooking or kitchen or food-related gifts. You could even make yummy treats together and then enjoy eating them after the bride opens the gifts.

These ideas just scratch the surface so let your imagination and creativity run wild. Brainstorm with those who will be hostessing the shower with you, and you will end up planning a shower your sweet daughter will always remember.

So pull out your apron, MOB, and put on your chef’s thinking-hat and get those ideas cooking!

*You might also like to read Bridal Shower Cake: A Cupcake Wedding Dress and Bridal Shower Gift Idea: A Wedding Towel Cake!

The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early November. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Since the readership of the Mother of the Bride Blog is ever-changing, I hope this encore post from October 2013 helped you today!

*Flickr photo by rennes.i, Creative Commons License

Bridal Shower Gift Idea: A Wedding Towel Cake!

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Mother of the Bride, are you looking for a cute bridal shower gift idea that will also be useful to the new Mr. and Mrs.-to-Be? Well look no further. A wedding towel cake might be just what you’re looking for!

A wedding towel cake as a shower gift has several things going for it. Not only is it a clever and cute idea, but the finished product holds all the visual appeal you need. No gift wrap needed! The towel cake can also be used as a centerpiece if you so desire, and you can go with a variety of colors. You could use the bride’s colors, the colors you’re using at the shower, or the colors the couple has chosen for rooms in their home.

The towel cake above has a bath and body theme, but towel cakes can also feature other themes. Among them might be kitchen, rustic, bride and groom, beach, coffee lovers, or a replica of an elegant wedding cake. You might think of another idea especially fitting for your sweet girl and the new home or region where she’ll be living.

What do you think, MOB? Is this something you could do to make your darling daughter’s shower more memorable? If so, have fun with it—and don’t forget to take photos!

 *You might also like to check out this Wedding Towel Cakes Pinterest board and this YouTube video how-to demonstration. You might also enjoy Bridal Shower Cake: A Cupcake Wedding Dress!

*Flickr photo by Corey Ann, Creative Commons License

Use Engagement Photo for Bridal Shower Invitation

3603572456_1c7fcaf33f_oMother of the Bride, are you helping plan a bridal shower for your daughter? Or do you know the girls planning the shower well enough to make a suggestion? If so, here’s an idea you might want to pass along—or incorporate into your own plans if you’re one of the hostesses.

Why not use one of the engagement photos on the invitation? The photo on the invitation above is fairly small, but I’ve seen a bridal shower invite done that uses the entire top half of the invite to feature the engagement photo. The details of the shower were then listed beneath it.  

I love this idea—how about you? Not only does it make the invitation gorgeous and meaningful, but it utilizes the expense for the engagement photos in one more way. Gotta love that, right, MOB?

*You might also like to read Bridal Shower Cake: A Cupcake Wedding Dress!, Bridal Shower Idea: A Cooking Class!, and Wedding-Themed Shower Gifts.