Our Wine & Cheese Engagement Party

My wonderful bridesmaid Brittany threw Chris and I an amazing engagement party a couple weeks ago. Another bridesmaid, Ashley, and my MOH, Amanda, helped out with the decorations and food setup as well as some of Brittany's roommates. I could not believe how fabulous the party was. I expected just a few bottles of wine and some cheese (since I knew the guests were expected to bring either a bottle of wine or a block of cheese), but I had no idea that they would have so many delicious hors d'oeuvres as well! The girls really outdid themselves. They made me wonder if hiring a caterer for the reception is really necessary...lol.

Brittany started out by sending adorable evites to the guests. Here's the main banner of the invitation:

Image Source

As I said, the food was absoluting amazing and yummy! There were mini burgers, mini strawberry cheesecakes, herbed potatoes with dip, fruit, & stuffed mushrooms. Brittany even went so far as to find napkins with a damask theme! How thoughtful is that?!?



Of course I can't forget the great wines & cheeses. The girls set up a display with balloons, a banner, and pictures of Chris & I along with the wine & cheese. They even put cute little bride & groom outfits on a couple bottles!



Me and the fabulous hostess!



And you'll have to excuse Chris's face in this one, but I wanted to show off how handsome he looks in his all-black ensemble. Grrrr... ;)



We topped off the party with a game of toilet paper wedding dresses! We split the guests up into groups and they had to design a wedding gown out of toilet paper on their "models" (which were all guys!). I then picked my favorite one by calling it pageant-style with runner-ups until the winner was announced. Trey's team (which ironically consisted of Brittany & Amanda) won! He's the second from the left with the "veil" covering his face. I picked them because he had a sweetheart, trumpet style gown which was closest to what I'm looking for in a gown! But I do have to say that the bow on Chris's butt was fabulous as well! ;)

My Wedding Colors & Possible Bridesmaids' Dresses!

So I had originally planned to dedicate this post to finding my wedding colors with my readers' help. But after spending a few hours brainstorming at my one of my bridesmaids' house along with another BM, I have not only found my colors, but also some choices for their dresses. Thank you Ashley and Brittany!

Color Palette Made Here

Here they are! I'm going with shimmery deep chocolate (color shown doesn't do it justice), taupes, and champagne-brown hues and a deep red. It's hard to really show it online, but I think the pictures of the BM dresses will help get the point across. I'll be using the brown colors as the main hues for the BM dresses and my dress sash. The red will be used as an accent on flowers and the men's ties and some decor.

As for the BM dresses, I found some Jim Hjelm designs (my fave bridal designer) that I absolutely loved awhile back. But I put them in the back of my head because they are a little pricier and didn't want to put my girls in an awkward position of possibly not being able to afford them. But after receiving a catalog from Hjelm today and showing the girls the dresses, they both agreed that they loved them and have more than enough time to save for them (the dresses average around $210-250). We haven't decided on long or short, but we've picked out a few style choices with my wedding color combo. We wrote down the pros and cons for having long and short dresses, so once we see them in person it'll be easier to make a decision if I haven't by then.

Here goes!

This is one of my favorites. I love the pockets and it would fit loose enough for the girls to dance in!

Style JH5818

This is like a short version of the previous dress and is Brittany's favorite.

Style JH5863T

When I first saw this, I thought it was a long dress. I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed it's short! This was Ashley's fave.

Style JH5808T

I also liked this dress just because of the color combo. It looks so classy.

Style JH5701T

Photo Sources

All of these dresses have different versions of each (different top styles like v-neck or strapless, or color combos, etc.). I'm making an appointment with High Maintenance in Athens for the last weekend in January to go look at some of these dresses. Not only are they an authorized Jim Hjelm seller, but I've also been a client of theirs before! I bought my last pageant gown from the store and loved all their staff. My mom, Brittany, and I (and any other BM who want to come) will go that weekend to check out the dresses in person. I'm also going to "test-drive" some wedding gowns there and at David's Bridal so I'll know what style I really like and my true size before hitting the ROTBs in March.

Other big news: Brittany is throwing us an engagement party at her house on February 21st! I'm getting together a guest list for her and then it's all in her and my other bridesmaids' hands from then on. It'll be nice not to have to plan something and just show up and enjoy the night. Can't wait!