"Colin Firth in a wet shirt" has nothing on this gorgeous, surprise Austenland-themed bridal shower #Parties & Showers#costumes#geeky weddings#literature theme#tea party#wedding shower Updated Oct 12 2015 (Posted Nov 25 2014) Guest post by Yume Lee As the quote from Austenland says "all I'd have to do is say 'Colin Firth in a wet shirt' and you'd say 'ah.'" Alternately, all I have to do is show you this bridal shower to make you say "AH!" Photos by Shannon Cottrell and Lauren Elisabeth Photography When Michelle and I first met, we bonded over our love of all things geeky: otaku culture, cosplay, comic books, video games, and of course… Jane Austen. Related Post I love this '50s housewife-themed bridal shower! Ladies: steal this idea for a '50s housewife-themed bridal shower. We're talking the perfect excuse to break out your biggest most colorful fashions, show off... Read more Naturally, when Austenland came out last year, we watched it. And when I say "watched it" I mean that there wasn't a single weekend in this year where we both didn't watch this movie together, or separately, and then quoted it back to each other. When Michelle asked me to be her Maid of Honor, I knew that the one thing I had to do was throw her a surprise Austenland-themed bridal shower — re-creating an outdoor tea party like the one depicted in the movie, complete with its mashup of vintage and modern contraptions. For all of us geeks who romanticize period films, here how you can throw your own Austenland bridal shower… The theme Because Michelle's wedding is mahou-shoujo/magical girl-themed, I also added touches of magical girl whimsy in our decorations and gifts. I also chose theme colors that were specific to Michelle. Since she's most easily recognized by her peach sherbert hair, we went with pinks, peach, and oranges… The signs Many of the signs had quotes and references to the funny and memorable lines from the film… The surprise Michelle didn't know very much about the entire theme of the shower. The only information I gave her was time, date, and that she should curl her hair for that day. I upcycled a dress for Michelle for the event, so I did tell her that she would be changing at the party. This white dress was inspired by the ball gown worn in the movie by Miss Erstwhile. Originally the dress was just a simple chiffon summer dress. Using my powers of Goodwill scouring, I found an amazing white blazer with incredible beading and embroidery. I took it apart and used a lot of it for Michelle's party dress… The decor Much of the furniture was pre-existing old furniture or patio furniture. These were all covered up with scrap fabric, or lace table cloths we all had lying around. This instantly made the items more vintage and less modern. Decorative frames, hat boxes, fake plants, throw pillows, props — the more clutter there was, the better the decorations looked: The food All of the talented guests brought delicious and beautifully made sweet and savory delights to the party… The fashion The guests were asked to dress up in some kind of vintage or period-inspired clothing. Regency clothing was great, but in the film there are plenty of in-jokes regarding items and materials being used from various time periods. The Photobooth A DIY photobooth area was put together by the bridesmaids and friends using the pre-existing garden furniture, complete with a backdrop for guests. It's always nice to have a photo area especially for theme parties… Fess up: Who else is scheming up Jane Austen-themed bridal showers now? Guest post written by Yume Lee Yume is an Asgardian Warrior trapped on Midgard, earning her keep as a graphic designer and creative jack-of-all-trades. She is half of the event coordinating team Bubble Punch, writer/host for Defective Geeks, DIY/Lifestyle blogger, and a member of the Skirts and Swords cosplay team. http://yumeninja.com PREVIOUS Cait & Matt's nerdy art deco and TARDIS blue wedding NEXT 5 money-savvy methods for lowering your wedding expenses (plus one awesome deal from Rocker in Love!) Show/Hide comments [ 8 ] GORGEOUS!!!!!! I cannot love your decor skills enough!!!! And the dress you made for the bride … !!!! I am fiercely loving this. And swooning appropriately. Reply This is such complete perfection! What an awesome idea and an amazing movie. 🙂 Reply Editing this post was like taking the most lovely acid trip ever. Reply That is so awesome, and well done. At Scrappy Seahorse Designs we LOVE Jane Austen!!!! In fact my daughter is planning her own Jane Austen wedding right now. Reply Thanks so much for posting! I'm so happy that everything came out perfectly for Michelle. Reply OMG I don't normally go for wedding showers, they're just not my thing, but man I kind of want this so much… I will have to remember this theme for a party in the summer! Reply Who even needs a wedding after that?? So fun and pretty!! Reply This is so cool and totally gorgeous! Reply Join the conversation Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign me up for your offbeat awesomeness newsletter! No-drama comment policy Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. Make sure you're familiar with our no-drama comment policy. Biz owners & wedding bloggers Please just use your real name in your comment, not your business name or blog title. Our comments are not the place to pimp your website. If you want to promote your stuff on Offbeat Bride, join us as an advertiser instead.
GORGEOUS!!!!!! I cannot love your decor skills enough!!!! And the dress you made for the bride … !!!! I am fiercely loving this. And swooning appropriately. Reply
That is so awesome, and well done. At Scrappy Seahorse Designs we LOVE Jane Austen!!!! In fact my daughter is planning her own Jane Austen wedding right now. Reply
OMG I don't normally go for wedding showers, they're just not my thing, but man I kind of want this so much… I will have to remember this theme for a party in the summer! Reply