This Bridal Shower Featured a Springtime in Paris Theme, Complete With a Bouquet-Making Station

Nicolette first met her fiancé, Manolo, at the hospital they worked at, where they got to know each other over the course of six months before dating. From that point on, the two were inseparable, and they spent about a year and a half together before their engagement.

On a trip to the Maldives, Manolo planned the perfect proposal. "The hotel staff kept calling the room asking to speak to him and he was very protective over the safe, so I knew he had something big planned," says Nicolette. "Sure enough, on one of the days, he took me to a private sand bank, had dinner for us, and got down on one knee!"

After their engagement, Nicolette's mom hosted a bridal shower for the couple and 33 guests on May 20, 2022, at Shinola Hotel in Detroit, Mich. The pair's wedding color palette was fairly neutral with lots of white florals and greenery, so Nicolette wanted the bridal shower décor to be more playful.

The bride asked for wishbone chairs and cherry blossoms and left the rest up to the team at Ines and Marie Events. "Considering it was a fairly small event, we decided to go with bistro tables, which, along with the cherry blossoms, inspired the springtime in Paris theme," says Nicolette.

Flower-Filled Invitation Suite

The ivory-and-blush invitation suite was printed on a floral envelope liner and finished with gold wax seals. As for the dress code listed in the invitations? Guests were asked to wear city-chic attire.

Here Comes the Bride-to-Be

Nicolette wore a white BCBG dress that Manolo bought her years ago. "I kept it hidden away for a special day," she says. "Little did I know I would be wearing it to our shower!" She finished her look with YSL shoes.

Right By Her Side

Manolo made his appearance in a blue suit with a thin navy tie. "While it was non-traditional for the groom to be at the shower the entire time, our guests that weren't able to attend the [destination] wedding really enjoyed getting to meet Manolo and spending time with him," says Nicolette.

The Shower Setup

Shinola Hotel's glass conservatory room served as the perfect space to host Nicolette's shower. The dark walls and ceilings and black-and-white flooring were contrasted by the ivory linens and pink florals.

Cheery and Cherry

Pink cherry blossom trees were brought in from Black Tie Events to enhance the bride's vision for her "springtime in Paris" theme.

Take Your Seats

The table numbers and menus were printed with the same colors and fonts to mirror the ivory-and-blush wedding invitation suite.

Perfectly Placed

White charger plates paired with gold-and-white flatware on the tablescape. Blush velvet napkins were folded at each place setting and topped with floral-wrapped favors.

Escort Card Cocktails

As guests arrived, they were offered Sparkling Greyhound cocktails garnished with fresh florals. Each drink held a branded topper with the guest's name and seat.

Signature Sip

Along with the welcome drink, Nicolette's loved ones also sipped on French 75s, while "French chic" music played in the background, inspired by the Netflix show Emily in Paris.

Savoring the Food Selection

Guests enjoyed passed appetizers and a meal during the bridal shower, choosing between a rigatoni lamb bolognese dish with ricotta and mint, or a roasted chicken rosalina with creamy polenta and agrodolce peppers for the main course.

The Flower Market

A display with a custom "Nicolette's Flower Market" sign featured a variety of pink and neutral stems.

Blooming Bouquets

Instead of games, guests made their own bouquets from the flower market. The ladies from Ines and Marie helped wrap each guest's bouquet in pink paper and ribbon. A branded sticker that matched the signage for the flower market and the invitation suite was the finishing touch. "It was so fun to see guests create their own bouquets to take home," Nicolette says. "Everyone loved it!"

Flower Power

The two-tier pink confection, garnished with cherry blossoms, included lemon blueberry elderflower-soaked vanilla cake with lemon curd and blueberries.

Think Pink!

In addition to cake, guests were offered pink macarons from Canelle by Matt Knio Bakery.

Sweet Favors

The hotel provides salted caramel and truffles chocolates, so Nicolette decided to wrap them in printed paper that matched the invitation suite. She added each guest's name with a gold wax seal to serve as place cards.

Martini Toast

To cap off the night, Nicolette opened gifts (her personal favorite: a sentimental Waterford picture frame from her Godmother with a photo of her serving as the flower girl in her wedding 25 years prior) and toasted with espresso martinis.

Sources

Photography, Chelsey Barhorst Photography
Videography, Caitlin Hon Films
Venue and Catering, Shinola Hotel
Event Planning, Flowers, and Stationery, Ines and Marie Events
Bride's Dress, BCBG
Bride's Shoes, YSL
Bride's Hair, Maddy Westenberg, One Society Salon
Bride's Makeup, Linda Kanna
Macarons, Canelle by Matt Knio Bakery
Rentals, Nuage; BBJ; Black Tie Events; Detroit Chiavari