Friends, did you think I had disappeared? After sharing the guest room reveal last week (HERE), I’ve been a little M.I.A. – I’ve been focusing on work, life, getting the house ready for summer, and among a a lot of little things, helping to plan my future sister-in-law’s bridal shower. My mom is technically hosting in her home next month- I’ve just kind of inserted myself and named myself “co-host” because I love being able to use a little creativity to help make this a (hopefully) special day for the bride. The setting will be in south Alabama at the end of June – I’m planning on “sweltering” to be an understatement – with a simple garden party theme. After talking general details and a few specifics, the invitations were first on the list to tackle. We also considered the invitations as an opportunity to arm Madeline, the bride, with a special shower take-home. What would be a keepsake that would be meaningful? More than a simple notebook of well wishes that would end up in a drawer? The bridal shower invitation idea with recipe cards was born.
*contains some affiliate links
One of my favorite gifts ever was when my mom gave me a recipe book she had hand written, just for me, with my favorite family recipes growing up. (If you need a special gift idea, this one is a winner!) The bridal shower invitation idea with recipe cards is similar to that special gift, but with 35 or so of Madeline’s nearest and dearest having a hand in it. The goal: to have the box filled with special recipes by the end of the shower. Because I was incorporating an add-on in the invitation (the recipe cards) and I wanted to make them extra special, I made them just a tad more formal. Here’s how I pulled them together. (addresses blocked for privacy)
The Kate Spade recipe box comes with 40 cards inside (HERE), but I ordered an extra pack (HERE) to make sure Madeline has room to grow.
We have always used Minted for our Christmas cards; previously, I had used a few other online companies and they couldn’t compare. The print quality and card thickness are far superior to other retailers. With several edge and corner options, I went with a rounded edge on recycled, heavy stock. I also LOVE that they will print your addresses for no charge; I uploaded an Excel spreadsheet into my Minted address book and was good to go. Custom stamps (HERE) are a splurge but if you have a special event coming up, they have a ton to choose from. I ordered a pack of tissue paper squares (HERE) to separate the invitations from the recipe cards. While the original purpose was to prevent fresh ink from smearing, I think the simple addition is an adorable touch.
I came up with the little poem-esque rhyme below. Fact- I can’t ever resist the opportunity to use a pun, rhyme, or alliteration (#basic) haha. I’m always looking for simple ways to personalize where I can.
My friend Kris at Driven by Decor is so smart, she even suggested that this concept could work for a baby shower. Ask all the guests to bring along their favorite, easy family dinner since their time will be more limited with a new baby. Love that idea!
Have you sent out creative invitations or received one that you absolutely loved? I would love to hear about it in the comment section below! Stay tuned for more shower details, coming late next month.
STATIONERY SOURCES
Invitations | Stamps | Recipe Card Box | Extra Recipe Cards | Tissue Paper Inserts
*Thank you to Minted for being a shower sponsor*
What a lovely thought and certainly sets the stage for a delightful garden party
Sandi, thank you! I hope they are a hit!
These invites are so pretty Kelley, and I love the recipe card idea! My niece is getting married on Sept. 1 and I just did her invitations through Minted. They are beautiful, we’re so happy with how they came out! Now I need to think about the shower and I’m definitely using your cute idea – thanks so so much!! Have fun at your future sister-in-law’s shower, co-host!
Lisa, thank you! I am always so pleased with them- now that the invitations are done, we are gonna have to get creative, sister!
Where did you purchase the pillow that is shown on your home page?
That was a HomeGoods find 😉
Those turned out just beautiful. You have such wonderful southern charm!
I got married in 1986 and that’s exactly what they did for my bridal shower. They just inserted a recipe card with the invitations and everyone gave their favorite chocolate recipe since we both liked chocolate at that time. We had so many wonderful family recipes that had been passed down for generations. It was truly special. We made a few of the recipes over the years but the best part of the gift came much later. Since that time, over thirty years ago, some of these people/relatives have died. It is wonderful to pull out a recipe that is hand-written with their handwriting. It brings back many fond memories of them. So it’s kind of like two gifts in one.
Sue, thank is absolutely amazing. How incredibly special; thank you for sharing with me. I really hope they will be treasured for years to come. I also love that there was a specific theme- chocolate! Wishing you a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. xoxo