In the South . . .

Most of you know that I'm a southerner through and through and I have the accent to prove it! I heard myself say someone's name this morning. The name is 3 simple letters and I realized that I had said about four syllables for those three letters!

In the south, in addition to our accents, we also love to shower our brides. Our good friends hosted a tea on Sunday afternoon for our sweet daughter who will be married in May. The party was perfect.

Look at that flower arrangement. That was not done by a florist  . .that was done by one of the hostesses!! Do you see those round things on the silver tray? Those are Baby Bites from Pastry Art. You can check out the flavors here. Those things melt in your mouth.

Here we are surrounded by the hostesses. I thank my God for these people. They love us and we love them. Rain had been predicted for the afternoon but the first drop didn't fall until we had the car loaded with presents and we were headed home.

Pictured here is Laura with two of her dear friends - Brooke and Katie. These three girls met via our Tuesday night Young Professionals group that meets at our house and have been great friends ever since. I feel like they are a part of our family, too!

When Laura was a little girl we went to a wedding or shower and they had a feather pen and Laura fell in love with that pen and said that she wanted a feather pen some day. This old mama actually remembered and ordered one for the parties and wedding.

See those yummy foods? The ones on the left are veggie bites or veggie pizza squares. I'm not sure which recipe my friend used, but this is one that is really good, too. Mark's cousin, Nancy, who died several years ago always made these for family gatherings and Laura always loved them so it was extra special that our friends served them - it was like Nancy was with us!

I didn't ask but I think the little sandwiches were from Ousler's. The pimento cheese and chicken salad sandwiches from Ousler's are perfect for an afternoon party. Actually, they are perfect anytime!

I didn't take enough pictures but I tried to just be in the moment. That has been my goal for several things this year. I should have taken a picture of the gift tables. At this kind of party, the hostesses open the gifts and display the gifts on tables. The bride (and her mama!) stand at the door and greet people as they come in.

Laura and I truly felt loved. She was showered with all sorts of wonderful presents - a handmade quilt and settings of her fine china and other amazing surprises.

The wedding is not going to be large and it has been so hard regarding the guest list. I've tried to stay totally out of the list making. My hubby grew up in our church and I've been a member here for a long time and I've been on our church staff for 14 years and it would be wonderful to invite everyone we know, but those of you who have planned weddings know that is not a possibility.

What kind of pre-wedding parties are hosted in your town? I know that different parts of the country host in different ways and I love to hear how things are done elsewhere. Are weddings large social affairs or more intimate gatherings among your friends and family?

We can now say, "the parties have begun!" The wedding is less than two months away!!