La Vie en Rose

The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is how to love and be loved in return!

What better way to mix some old world fun with a bit of the risqué, than with a Moulin Rouge themed bridal shower? My eldest sister and I recently planned a fabulous bridal shower for our wonderful sister, Melanie. Being two foodies, we first thought about what kind of food we wanted to serve and went from there. We wanted to be sure to create a mood that was laid back and  also lively.

Our first stop… the fabric district of downtown LA where we stocked up on tulle and feathers. In the fashion district we were able to find affordable boas and fans for the guests to help get them in character. These decorations were super cheap because they are sold as wholesale and if you’re feeling really bold , you can even haggle with prices (I left this to my older-lawyer sister.) We used purple Indian rag recycled paper to make individual placemats that pulled out the gorgeous colors in the feathers. Because we live in LA and the weather is always sunny, we had the celebration outside. We draped tulle over the banquet tables and on the backside of the house to hide the not-so-pretty laundry area. Guests were asked to bring a pair of fun underwear unwrapped. These served useful not only to the bride-to-be, but also as decoration. All the underwear was draped from the lights using clothespins to give a little burlesque feel. We stuffed feathers and tulle in art deco looking vases that were on sale from Pier One to give some dimension to the table decor.

A Moulin Rouge party isn’t complete with out enjoying some gourmet French food while listening to Edith Piaf sing about Paris and love.  The Francophile that I am, I made a simple chicken dish with herbes de provence, served it over linguini, and paired it with some red wine from a local winery, Carina Cellars (available at Whole Foods.) I learned how to make this dish years ago while working for a catering company, so I knew that it would be great for a larger group. Plus, if you say it’s French… it already wows guests as gourmet with out any effort. For dessert we bought a couple of small cakes from Whole Foods to give the guests options and to create a lovely spread of sweets.

While my sister is incredibly easy going, she did put in one request… no “typical” bridal shower activities. I found this to be the toughest part of the planning process. Amy, the maid of honor, came up with a 20 questions activity that got all the guests laughing.

She asked Tim, my sisters high school sweetheart and fiance, various questions about Melanie and their 12 years of dating. We all had to guess how many Tim got correct. Going over the questions and Tim’s answers was a riot after hearing Melanie’s own interpretation of the questions… facts can get a little bit fuzzy after so many years!

Another bridesmaid had a great idea to make individual cards for each guest that had a quote about love written on the front. Each guest could write a personal message to the bride and check on the envelope if she was to open the card before or after the ceremony. The cards were put into a decorated cardboard shoe box to keep them together.