Diary of a Bride-to-Be

Diary of a Bride-to-Be – With one month to my wedding, it’s time for the bridal shower. I can feel it in the air, like Victoria is finally revealing her Secret, and it involves me parading around in a hot-pink teddy with a helmet of ribbons on my head. I am so nervous with wedding jitters that I have decided to begin keeping a diary to secretly discuss my cold feet, cake tasting quandaries, and the death wish I am currently harboring against my caterer.

But the main thing on my mind right now is my bridal shower. It’s been like this ever since I happened on one of the shower invitations, sticking out my friend Bonnie’s purse at the bridesmaid dress fitting the other day, and I couldn’t help but peek. Yikes! From the provocative lingerie postelette, emblazoned with a “Sexy Lingerie Party” message and enhanced by bright red underwear set with matching stilettos, if my invitations are any indication I am in for something pretty raunchy. And it’s not even my bachelorette party yet!

Maybe it’s no big deal, but my grandmother and mother will be there, and with my wildest chickpal Felicity planning the shower, I hate to picture their Episcopalian faces when Fee pulls out the edible undies. Anyways, I’m probably overreacting. What can I say? That’s why my nickname’s Type A. Oh, and because my name is Annabelle, soon-to-be wife of Matthew Malcolm O’Conner. Pleased to meet you.

If you’re reading this, you’re most likely a jittery bride just like me, or at least a bridesmaid or member of a wedding party. Well, let me tell you how the whole thing turned out. It was a little wild, but all in all, it was actually the perfect bridal shower.

When I got home after work that Friday, the telltale lingerie postelette is stuck on the door. I open to screams of ‘surprise’, showers of chocolate candy hearts, and festive streamers, thoughtfully constructed from my bridesmaids’ most exotic lingerie. Beneath a canopy of zebra print bras and electric blue garters, the bridal shower activities began.

One thing I really liked that Felicity incorporated was a game called Shower Gift Bingo. It’s kind of a spoof on traditional wedding gifts, but it’s fun too. It’s played like traditional bingo, where each of my bridesmaids got a bingo card. Instead of numbers or letters, the bingo slots featured traditional wedding gifts, like bakeware or candles, and every time I opened a gift the girls would check their bingo cards for that item. The first bridesmaid to get bingo wins, in this case my sister Sophie. For that she received the honor of going first in the next round of festivities, the age-old bridal shower game ‘Pin the Kiss on Johnny Depp.” All the bridal party loved this one!

Having an interactive bridal shower with games and activities really took the pressure off me, and I know everyone had a great time. The coolest part was that my maid of honor, Melody, got me this awesome album called a bridal shower brag book to capture all the highlights of the event. She took Polaroids throughout the shower and then promptly stuck them in the pages of the book. With its ample pages and pretty pink rosebud cover, the brag book was a perfect ready-made keepsake, and will always remind me of my special bridal shower.

Best of all, I actually got some fabulous bridal shower gifts. The most risquĂ© shower present I received was rhinestone thong underwear with the words “bride-to-be” sparklingly printed, which even Grandma Maybl had to admit were adorable. I also got a sweet butterfly tank set that will be perfect for our Barbados honeymoon! My favorite gift was the personalized camisole set, a cute pick cotton duo featuring a large monogrammed ‘A’ on the top and bottom. I think my bridesmaids are trying to tell me something, but even if I am pretty anal sometimes, even I can admit it was a perfect bridal shower. The night was full of games, gifts, and giggles, just like a good bridal shower should be. After all the fun I had at my shower, I can’t wait for the bachelorette party. And I really can’t wait until my wedding night, when Matthew sees my bridal shower gifts