If I could make every meal look exactly like this shower spread, I would maybe give up my first born which I don’t have yet but that’s beside the point. The point is this porch-side wine party is perfection; an intimate gathering with the Bride-to-Be’s nearest and dearest and a surprise to boot. Alyse French Photography captured the cutest first look from the soon to Mrs. as well as the full delicious spread of wine, cheese and gorgeous florals by Hannah Elissa Floral Design & Event Styling. See so much more right here.

From Alyse French Photography… As a wedding photographer on first-time maid of honor duty, I suddenly found myself planning my sister Lorae’s bachelorette shower! We (me, my sister and five of my sister’s closest friends) would be gifting all sorts of pretty lingerie while drinking a variety of wines from all over the world and eating more cheese than we ever thought possible. :) First, we secured the location — my aunt allowed us to use her beautiful wrap-around porch at her home in upstate New York. I worked very closely with Hannah Elissa Floral Design & Event Styling to execute a shower that we felt fancy, rustic and glamorous! We used my aunt’s dining room chairs, antique side table, and whatever pieces of china/silver we could find. Thank goodness for family! Working with Leslie of Felicity Paper Custom Stationery Studio for invitations was a dream. The mint green chevron and beautiful calligraphy added a modern yet whimsical touch. Alongside these invites, you’ll see Hannah’s real masterpieces — mini floral arrangements of zinnias and amnesia roses. Hannah also had the vision of cocktail tables establishing the space as a sweet hang-out. And all our linens were rented from Cooperstown Event Rentals! The antique side table mentioned above provided the perfect surface to display our reds, our white, and our Prosecco for toasting (all from Empire Wine in Albany)! We borrowed my father’s carafes to show off the libations in the prettiest way. And we used melted tapers in antique hurricane globes to add a little ambient light.

I knew that family-style was the way to go for the food! It would dress up our table AND be efficient for eating all sorts of yumminess. We had a great array of wine pair-able foods — table water crackers, melba toasts, grapes, prosciutto, Brie, goat cheese, Havarti, Ghiradelli and Lindt chocolates, perfectly red cherries, oven-roasted almonds, an olive medley, a French baguette and mustard and horseradish spreads. Hannah and I wanted the table florals to look wild. We wanted our centerpiece to add drama with plums and greens that compliment the colors of our wines. We also wanted to create a sense of movement. Hannah did just that with dahlias, roses, zinnias, lisianthus, godetia, scabiosa and astilbe arranged in an antique vessel. She also used angel vine to make our claret colored napkins even prettier. Every part of this shower was a surprise to Lorae. And I think it’s safe to say she enjoyed herself. Mission accomplished!

Photography: Alyse French Photography / Party Venue: The Home of the Bride’s Aunt in Upstate New York / Floral Design: Hannah Elissa Floral Design & Event Styling / Stationery: Leslie of Felicity Paper Custom Stationery Studio / Linens + Napkins: Cooperstown Event Rentals / Wine: Empire Wine