Bride-to-be Alicia came up with the idea for her Parisian bridal shower from the moment that her fiancé proposed to her. "I am a firm believer that a bride’s shower should be a reflection of who they are, so I tried to do just that with my theme. I feel Paris was the city where fashion and beauty blossomed, so I really wanted to incorporate that. My inspiration came from a quote by Coco Chanel: 'A girl must be two things: Classy and fabulous.'"

This muse also led to the stunning centerpieces shown here, which also served as table numbers. Alicia searched several Michael’s stores to find the perfect vase and printed out individual perfume bottle tags. She relied on florists Anne and Anne to select accompanying flowers, and was thrilled with their "brilliant" color choices.

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At Tara’s bridal shower, one table number sign read: "Elegance is the only beauty that never fades." And beauty there was — everything from the cookies (modeled after shoes, wedding gowns and handbags) to the bride herself (outfitted with a pearl bracelet and necklace, Chanel makeup, Viktor & Rolf "Flowerbomb" perfume), was fashion-forward.

A self-professed Type A personality, Tara collaborated with her event planner, Matthew Abraham, and mom, Sylvia, to throw a party based on her lifelong love of style. "Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved clothes and accessories, and this has transferred into my adult life, as well. Fashion is what makes us unique or different, and I believe that fashion designers allow women to do just that," said Tara.

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Bride-to-be Meehan’s shower was a celebration of her sunny personality. Yellow was used to great effect in subtle ways: everywhere from a "here comes the bride" chalk scrawling to the strings on whimsical paper bells, suspended above the tablescape.

"I loved the dessert bar since it was so colorful and truly a piece of eye candy. A close second was the hand-stamped 'true love' wooden ice cream spoons," revealed the bride’s mother, Julia. Although Meehan knew when the shower would take place, she was purposefully kept in the dark about all of the elements that were being brought together.

The warmth and meaning of the day made an impression on both the bride and her proud mom: "My favorite part was watching all of the guests in attendance enjoy the details of the table, the food, and being made to feel special, as Meehan was treated. That is always truly the best part of any party or gathering."

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Bridal showers can have a bad rap, so we were determined to find real-life parties that were not only beautiful, but fun. These 15+ celebrations exceeded all of our expectations and then some — each one is filled with steal-worthy activities, special moments, and a team of ladies who made it all happen!

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When design wiz Kristy Rice heard friend Amy's happy news, she snapped into action, planning a bridal shower that featured special details that only a BFF (since middle school) could conjure. A nostalgic jumping-off point: A photograph of Amy and Kristy in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which informed the overall theme. A glorious riot of striped linens, toile patterns and gilt touches were used to ooh-la-la effect. But when it came to the edibles, it was hometown all the way, with mini-cheesecakes, fudge brownies and cotton candy for all. Talk about taking a personal approach!

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Bride-to-be Laura vowed to visit Tuscany one day with her husband after watching the film Under The Tuscan Sun. Bridal shower hosts — including planner Lina Wallace, her mom, mother-in-law, and bridal party — dedicated her party to this idyllic, must-visit destination. "I was told when and where the shower was going to happen, but that was it...I was so excited when I arrived. It was so beautiful, I felt they had brought a little piece of Tuscany to me!" said Laura.

Awed guests took in the citrus color scheme, sunflower place settings and centerpieces that included lemons from the maid of honor’s garden. "My planner, Lina, was so wonderfully detailed in her designs—she got everything down, from the Italian music in the background to the pizza stones that the food was served on," said Laura.

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Lauren’s offbeat shower theme was inspired by the iconic "For Like, Ever" poster, which she made into a wooden sign for her wedding ceremony. Hosts (and friends) Christy and Sharon incorporated this bold graphic design into the invitation, banners, garlands and menu signs.

Another fun surprise: "I really like to personalize the party for the guest of honor and decided to have my father-in-law create this sketch of Lauren and her beau for the inspiration string—how amazing is that? He is very talented and was able to recreate this from a photo I gave him," said Sharon.

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Alice in Wonderland

Kyla’s whimsical, over-the-top tea party bridal shower makes us want to take a trip down the rabbit hole with her. Hosts Susan and Dawn—best friends of the mother of the bride—captured the essence of the beloved storybook perfectly. Photographer Chrystal Cienfuegos was there to capture all of the fun as it unfolded.

Kyla came up with the theme, but wanted the rest to be a surprise. The imaginative set-up exceeded her expectations: "I was completely blown away when I walked into the house! It looked like a fairytale dreamland. Every detail was so thoughtful," said the bride-to-be.

"I loved spending time with my closest girlfriends. I wish I could have tea with them like that on a weekly basis—then my life would be complete."

Photography by Chrystal Cienfuegos Photography.

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You’re so focused on planning the wedding, but what about all those other events leading up to the big day? The good news is, for the most part, you shouldn’t have to do much work for them. “Let your friends or family members have control over planning these parties— that’s their domain as members of your bridal party,” says Lindsay Longacre, owner and principal planner of LVL Weddings & Events in Irvine, California.

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