At the end of July, my mom and sister threw me an INCREDIBLE surprise bridal shower that was truly out of a fairytale. My family has a ton of traditions when it comes to weddings and a ‘surprise bridal shower’ is one of them. I truly LOVED being surprised with everything from the date, location, details, guest list, and more. There are so few joyful surprises in life and I’m so happy that I have this one to remember.

Before I even get into the details, it goes without saying that the day was absolutely perfect thanks to my mom, sister, future mother-in-law, aunts, and all of my bridesmaids. Every detail was BEYOND but would have been meaningless without the love they surrounded me with throughout the entire day and throughout the wedding planning process. I love them more than words could even describe.

Now, without further ado, let’s get into the details of the day. My mom and sister described their vision as LoveShackFancy-inspired. However, if anyone ever saw my bedroom growing up (take a glimpse here), they’ll know that this entire shower was very much Marie-inspired from the bows to the flowers.

What I Wore:

Don’t worry, the dress was NOT a surprise. This incredible dress is an Alexia Maria. If you are a fan of bows and have any black-tie event coming up, you MUST shop their website. I literally want everything. Believe it or not, I chose my bridal shower dress last Summer right after I got engaged. I thought I would wear it to our engagement party but when we decided to do our engagement party in NYC, I chose this Alexia Maria that felt like it matched our NYC venue a bit better.

I’m SO happy I saved this dress for my bridal shower. It fit right in with the hyper-feminine theme and just felt so special with the oversized bow. I loved both dresses from Alexia Maria. The quality was second-to-none and hope that they are both dresses I can pass down to my sister or a daughter one day. That being said, if you love this look but you’re on a budget (because what Bride isn’t?!), BHLDN has a similar option for a fraction of the price. And if you love the look but you’re not a Bride (😂), LoveShackFancy, has a similar version in pink + black.

The Venue:

The shower took place at Raphael Vineyard out on the North Fork in Long Island. I grew up on Long Island so most of my family is there and with Tom being from Connecticut, it was only a short ferry ride.

This was the first time I’ve been to Raphael and it was truly such an amazing venue for the occasion. The interior is so unique, borrowing decor inspiration from Italian vineyards and the rolling vines outside left me in awe.

One of Tom and mine’s favorite thing to do together is food + wine pairings around the world, so my mom and sister brought this hobby of ours into the bridal shower day. Raphael created an amazing 5-course tasting menu that included a wine pairing with each corse. Everyone was stuffed (and a little tipsy) as they RAVED about the menu on their way out.

The Details:

My mom is a detail person through and through. She comes up with the most amazing ideas to elevate a party, a home, a vacation, ANYTHING, so when it came to my bridal shower, she really pulled out all the stops.

As I mentioned above, she was inspired by the pinks, bows and florals that LoveShackFancy covers their stores + clothing in but these are accents that I’ve loved throughout my entire life. When people entered the room, they didn’t say that it reminded them of LoveShackFancy, they said it reminded them of my childhood bedroom, which felt so special and meaningful given it was my bridal shower.

My mom worked with Kristin from Eventful Days who helped her find the best vendors for everything and anything that she could think of. From the mix of real (Natures Design Group) + faux florals (NY Backdrops) to the custom champagne glasses (Platinum Affairs) to the embroidered napkins, everything in the room was curated to a t with bows, pearls, and pink velvet accents.

So when I tell you my mom thinks of everything, I’m NOT joking! She even decked out the bathroom with a pink + white floral vanity set, custom soaps from Farmstead Naturals, pink velvet pillows, and photos of me and Tom.

Growing up on Long Island, long trips out east always included stopping at farmstands for flowers on our way home. That’s why everyone who left my bridal shower received a bouqet of roses + hydrangas as well as a bottle of Raphael rose

The Fun:

Like any shower, the day included quality time with all of my favorite ladies, opening WAY too many kitchen supplies, and games that tested everyone’s knowledge of how well they know Tom and me.

Historically, I’m adamantly opposed to bridal shower games. I hate when they get inappropriate and they can be so cheesy but my sister picked ones that were PG and all in good fun and I was glad she did. Of course, each game was passed out with an adorable pearl-adorned pen and if you won, you received a bottle of Chanel Chance perfume.

Last but not least, my family weaved in all of our special traditions throughout the day. From the 12 roses that are delivered ‘from Tom,’ while I opened presents to the special gifts I received that have been passed down for generations.

It’s not lost on me on how lucky I am to have such an incredible family that planned an event so unbelievably me without me being involved in the planning. I think that is the most special part of the surprise. Every moment was absolutely perfect and I felt so loved throughout the day and beyond. They say your wedding day is the best day of your life, but this day is going to be pretty hard to beat.

All photography was done by Zoot Shoot.