A girl dreams a very long time for her wedding. I had no idea the showers that came before the big day would be such a sweet prelude.
I was given three lovely showers. No two alike, all three incredibly special, and not a single guest was invited to all three. That is what made it so amazing - I was given three showers, by three distinct groups who define me. Showers are meant to celebrate the bride, but to me, they were celebrations of those who surround me, those who define me, those who I will never know how to thank.
My first shower was thrown by my bridesmaids in Minnesota. After moving to the midwest, I was nicknamed "Georgia" due to my home state. 10 years later, the accent faded, but the name stuck. In many ways, I will always be a southern girl at heart. I do things a bit different than most of my Midwest friends, and in many way ways I keep doing them that way just so I dont lose sight of the fact that I am a southern girl.
My bridesmaids honored that Southern spirit, and threw me a darling afternoon tea complete with an entire menu featuring classic southern foods.
I was joined by sorority sisters, post college friends, and my mother and sister. After tasting and drinking (mint juleps of course), they put together the most touching game. It featured a video they made with Andrew as the star. They asked me questions about our relationship, and then played his answer. It must have taken forever for them to do and I cried the whole time. His reactions, while witty and sarcastic as only Andrew is, were incredibly touching.
My second shower was hosted by my design firm. We are a high-end interior design firm of 10 people. It is a little family - sometimes I hate them, mostly I adore them, and occasionally I try to run away. Only to realize, they arent going anywhere and they love me as I am. I am lucky to have this group of people in my life and even luckier to get paid to spend my day with them doing amazing projects.
My boss, and the principal of the firm hosted a couples shower at her home. We dined under the stars on lobster and mango salad. The food was sublime and the wine flowed like water.
It was a night of laughter and tears, and a morning of headaches...
My last shower was thrown the Thursday night before our wedding. It was hosted by my godmother/aunt and cousin. It included all of the bridesmaids along with my future in laws and many of the 10 sisters of my mother (yes, she has 10 sisters).
I had to wear an apron full of kitchen gadgets all night - it was my first glimpse into what it must be like to be pregnant. After having dinner catered from my favorite Mediterranean restaurant, I had to guess which "favorite" gadget belonged to each guest. And the truth is, I just learned how to use the special can opener from Pampered Chef (it cuts the sides - no sharp edges!!). And every time I use it I love it too, and I think of my darling aunt Bernie.
There was a time, before I was engaged, that I was throwing and hosting showers left and right. Between babies and weddings, I was inundated with the sometimes silly, female right. And I began to get bitter. When I got engaged, I foolishly thought to myself, that my friends and family wouldn't return the favor. I was wrong, incredibly wrong, and I hate that I ever doubted them or had such selfish thoughts. These women, out of their own generosity and good will, showered me with such exquisite class. They thought about every detail and made it their mission to make me feel special.
They have, without a doubt, put me in my place.
Then its off to the mall to find the shirts for the boys. We are asking them to purchase their own shirts and wear their own suits. We provide the bow ties (from J. Crew -done and done). Apparently there is a 
