showered with love

i'm a big bridal registry lover, and trust me, i took advantage of my own. and in most cases, i think it's the go-to way to shop for a bride-to-be, but i actually think the bridal shower is a nice occassion to go rogue and get her something really pretty and unique, and extra feminine. 

one of the best gifts i got for my shower was a beautiful ivory satin case for lingerie, toiletries...really anything girly and special. i used it for my wedding day trappings, but also on my honeymoon and still today. it was different and thoughtful, and so not the type of thing i would have bought myself at the time. these are some of my favorite selections for special girl gifts...

first of all, the lucky butterflies and loving doves from baccarat are just beyond. so delicate and pretty...whimsical and lovely, just like the months leading up to a wedding, and these would serve as a forever reminder of that feeling.

i love the lalique heart paperweight - such a classic. and this crystal ringholder from monique lhullier is beautiful and affordable. what better time to give a gorgeous way to keep one's bling?

another one of my favorite shower gifts was the wedding votive from bernardaud...it's a perfect confection of bisque porcelain that glows in such a special way whenever you light it. i just love it as a special reminder of being a bride, and i love giving it just as much.

i think the thing with the gifts we all register for is that they have specific purposes - some as basic as a coffeemaker and others with as pointed a need as pitting a mango (who even eats mangos?). some of the things we get are workhorses we use day after day, and others never see the light of day due to lack of counter space or a general useslessness that never occurred to us or our scannergun-wielding husbands-to-be. 

so i think a shower is a nice time to treat someone special to something that has no mundane purpose at all...whose only job is to look pretty and feel special, just like a bride should be.