A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of throwing a bridal shower / sleepover party for a special friend that I like a lot, Christina. She has thrown countless baby, bridal, & bachelorette parties for her friends and it was finally her time to shine. We all wanted it to be the best weekend ever for her so we joined forces to come up with a super fun plan. I know she had a fabulous time and felt a ton of love so I would say the weekend was a success.

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Here are my top 10 ways to create the Bridal Shower weekend of your best friend's dreams.

1. Don't do it alone. Work as a team with other friends that care a lot and divide and conquer. I took charge of the shower food and sleepover stuff. Then my ride or die party planner Ronda handled all things bachelorette party. All the wonderful invitees pitched in by bringing something to share or helping split the finances. Working together makes life better.

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2. Use your resources....in order to make things affordable. We opted for a slumber party (at my house instead of a hotel) and a boat day (at Ronda's in-laws on Silver Lake). It was a whole weekend of festivities for a fraction of the price. Kind of like a staycation :)

3. Shop for decor in your own house first. I am a saver...I have a ton of vases, candles, pretty paper, already used gift wrap, & mason jars...I am sure many of you have a plethora of items like these too. If you don't, someone you know does...ask them for a favor. I filled my vases with wild flowers from a nearby park, mason jars held the candles, pretty paper was used to make garland with pictures of the bride and groom, & used gift wrap became puffy sparkle balls hanging from the ceiling.

My vases, wildflowers from outside and hearts and stars from my daughter's room

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I used cute "love" napkins in the garland and pics I printed out from the couples' website. — I used cute "love" napkins in the garland and pics I printed out from the couples' website.

4. Don't try and do everything in one day. I set aside evenings the week before the shower to do little crafts, cleaning projects, and start planning my meal. If you spend an hour or two a night, it isn't as overwhelming. I always do the MUST items first, so that if I lose steam, at least the important things are done.

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5. Pick party favors that go with the theme of the event. We planned a boat party/sleepover so for the guests I provided a little mini treat yo self bath kit. It included a bubble bath ball, loofah, face mask, razor, chapstick, nail polish, and glittery nail file. Everyone could get cleaned up after the lake and feel pretty before the shower.

Screen Shot 2018-08-16 at 8.33.18 PM.png — Goody bags for the girls

6. Plan a food menu that is easy to prep ahead and just reheat the day of the party. This is KEY. You don't want to be running around like a headless chicken making a big ol' mess the morning before the event. You want to be chillin' with a glass of sangria putting some casserole dishes in the oven. For my special lady, we went with a Fiesta theme because tacos mean the world to her and she's hungry (Hungarian) & Mexican (refried bean). Chicken tacos, Nacho bar, sweet corn & roasted tomato quiche, fruit, a big green salad, taco dip, and a coconut tres leches with blueberry glaze bundt cake. YUM!

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7. Make clean-up a breeze by having the bride-to-be's friend do all the dishes (crying laughing)....literally, she did all of them the whole weekend. I probably owe her a manicure. Hold me to it Marta :)

8. For drinks, I always think something big-batched is best. Easy, affordable and less mess. We did a citrus sangria and a champagne toast. Spiked lemonade and rosé works too! You should always have a non-alcoholic option as well (mine was water, hahaha).

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9. Keep your cool and be flexible. It's all about the bride, not anyone else. So just try and be like a cucumber, play-doh type for the day...if you can swing it.

Screen Shot 2018-08-16 at 9.35.26 PM.png — cool as a cucumber

10. Take pictures so you always remember how special the day was and all the hard work that everyone put in to make it that way. Take a group photo of all the lovey ladies you had the joy of spending the day with. Above all else, make sure that the Bride has the best time and feels all the feels. The goal is to make her heart burst, her eyes swell with happy tears, and her cheeks sore from smiling. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

photos courtesy of Chelsea Brian Photography: https://chelseabrianphotography.pixieset.com/

Next week will be breakfast items!