A Miss to Mrs. Merriment Gathering

In the spirit of celebrating the season of weddings and all the festivities that ensue during this exciting time, we are sharing a recent celebration held for our sister, Logan, as we gathered for her bachelorette dinner and merriment!  
 
My sister, Courtney, and I planned a celebratory fête a few days leading up to Logan’s wedding to gather her closest girlfriends for a whimsical dinner.  
 
Join us as we share how we kicked off the celebratory wedding weekend with a festive bachelorette fête in honor of our sister, Logan! 

 

The Gathering

Since the wedding was a destination wedding, in lieu of a “traditional” bachelorette weekend, we planned to kick off the wedding weekend with a festive evening of dinner and merriment full of champagne, Logan’s best gals catching up, and gifts galore for the bride to be! 

We opted to host a dinner for her bachelorette party since everyone would be arriving at various times throughout the day. We gathered two nights before the wedding ceremony to kick off the festivities and celebrate Logan with a whimsical gals’ occasion full of bold colors and statement décor to tie in the feminine theme. 

 

The Inspiration

Keeping with the traditional nature of a bachelorette party where the guest list is mainly the close family and girlfriends of the bride - we wanted the overall feel of the gathering to lean a little more feminine with a palette of pinks, blooming florals, butterflies, and festive icons for the occasion. 

 

The Mood

The evening felt elevated yet light and celebratory! It was a night to celebrate our sister in a stunning setting surrounded by those she loves. We wanted guests to walk into an intimate and welcoming environment and feel the excitement in the air as the big day was a mere two days away. 

A Few Descriptors of the Gathering: 

• Whimsical  

• Intimate  

• Feminine

   

The Prep  

We recruited a few family members and friends to lend their expertise for this festive dinner. Thankfully between myself, Courtney, and my cousins, we have all settled into natural roles to easily execute a dreamy tablescape and gathering. Once we decided on a floral feminine theme, the look came together in no time! 

• Me (Taylor) – Party Organizer & Co-Host! As one of Logan's Maids of Honor, I loved being able to host and plan this sweet gathering. I was in charge of all the logistics and making sure the evening was executed flawlessly.  
• Courtney – Table Designer & Co-Host! My sister and I made the dream team for this bachelorette party. Since I was the logistics coordinator, I recruited Courtney to plan the table arrangements and design...her favorite part! 

 

The Menu  

Since we hosted this dinner at the home we were staying at, we wanted to ensure we could spend our time hosting and not in the kitchen cooking so we opted to hire out the food preparation and clean up so we could all enjoy and celebrate together.  

Since the weekend would include a few more formal dinners with the main courses and proteins already selected, we wanted to ensure the menu would be different from the rest of the weekend events. We were all so pleased with this delicious procession of courses, and everyone enjoyed taking a moment to dine around the table together to celebrate Logan.  

 

The Final Menu:  

• Drinks: Champagne, White Wine, Red Wine, Ranch Waters 

• First Course: Roasted Beet Salad with cranberries, candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese, sherry vinegarette 

• Entrée: Pan Seared White Fish with citrus brown butter sauce, steamed asparagus, and herb roasted potatoes 

• Dessert: Caramel Cheesecake

 

The Bar

Since we were gathered in a home, we arranged a side table as the set bar to include a few drink options for guests to enjoy and help themselves to throughout the night. We set out a few bottles of red and white wine, Champagne, and Ranch Waters to kick off this celebration. 

 

The Table  

One thing we love to do when planning a tablescape is finding ways to incorporate different textures into the design. While scheming on a look for Logan’s Bachelorette dinner we knew we wanted the table to feel feminine, floral, and inviting.  

We arranged each place setting with a Fundamental Wood Ruffle Dinner Plate and paired with detailed fine China bowls that had elegant gold details and subtle pink flowers to add to the whimsical feel while also bringing in a pop of color. To add depth to the tablescape, we love mixing dark and light colors, so I incorporated our Color Block Navy Napkins along with navy glassware that we found at an estate sale.  
 
Next to each setting, we arranged a personalized place card and menu designed by one of our talented friends who dabbles in painted illustrations.  
 
We were thrilled to remember our Flagship Stores had a few purple and pink marbled taper candles and knew they would pair perfectly with the vintage brass candlesticks to tie in an eclectic feel. We placed the candles throughout the table along with tucked vases of bright pink ranunculus or “buttercup” flowers and fresh palms. 

 

The Décor  

Since this was a sit-down dinner, the tablescape became the main area to house the dreamy décor. We also placed a few floral arrangements around the common areas of the house and bathroom to create an inviting space.  
 
To include a personal touch, we adorned the bar with festive “F” foil-stamped cocktail napkins to celebrate Logan’s new initial.  
 
Along with the poppy place settings and lush floral arrangements, we grabbed a few glass lanterns to add dimension and levels to the table.  
 
A striking surprise addition from our mom was the most fabulous, mirrored champagne bottles from Laurel Elizabeth Design. This was a fun nod to a festive detail to come at the reception in just a few days. 

 

The Final Look  

The feminine and whimsical design of this bachelorette fête came together with ease thanks to my talented sister, Courtney, and the rest of the family who contributed their expertise. It was simply a magical evening that was also easy to execute! Get inspired to celebrate a bride-to-be in your life with this Miss to Mrs. Merriment gathering.