How a European Love Story inspired a French Garden Bridal Soirée

When my friend, Heather returned from a whirlwind European adventure last summer—filled with rich food, fine wine, and café-lined canals—she was glowing. It wasn’t just the magic of travel; it was the surprise engagement to her longtime boyfriend, now fiancé, Ron. They met in college eight years ago and started out as friends, but it didn’t take long for his quirky personality to win her over. They have been together ever since.

On the final night of their trip, during a wine and cheese canal boat tour in Amsterdam, Ron proposed. It was adorable and romantic, so perfectly them.

When I volunteered to host Heather’s bridal party the only thing she asked for was a French-themed party. I knew it had to feel just as special as the night she said “yes.” Inspired by the charm of Europe—I began planning a soirée that would bring a little taste of Parisian romance to the Jewell House. I couldn’t wait to see how I could transform this space into a French countryside oasis, or at least try.

Most bridal showers are usually a daytime affair, but in order to hold it in the garden, we needed to push back the time. July and August are two of the hottest months of the year in North Carolina—and the heat isn’t the only challenge. The humidity and bugs can be downright overwhelming! And you never know when you will get a surprise rain storm. So I opted for an evening affair in hopes it would be cooler temps and prayed the rain would hold off.

But first… my backyard needed some quick budget friendly TLC. Not much work has been done to the yard since moving in three years ago, except for adding a fence as Miss Finnie would frequently take herself on walks and removing a few dead trees and bushes.

Most of the planning and designing has been focused on the inside of the home, updating and curating each room to reflect the old bones while adding a few upgrades and selecting furnishings that kept with the age of the home. Every thought and design choice was carefully selected in order to preserve the home while honoring the stewards that came before me.

Most recently, the sunroom was renovated into a private guest room with an en-suite bath that I rent through Airbnb. (That in itself is another post that I will get to later) I’m also employment challenged at the moment so this party needed to be a DIY with the help of the girl gang. But that is nothing new , as I find it fulfilling getting creative with a space and the girls jump at the chance to throw a party!

I got to work. I didn’t want a cutesy party filled with balloons, pink confetti, and the word “bride” plastered on every surface. That just wasn’t the vision I had in mind. I was going for romantic, sophisticated, and quietly elegant—the kind of effortless charm so deeply rooted in European culture. The goal was to create an atmosphere that felt like a magical secret garden in Provence sprinkled with unique and personalized details for Heather.

This was my inspiration. From the old farm table, the vintage mismatched chairs, the glassware, the china, string lights and the victorian couch. This was exactly what I was going for.

My vision was a little fancy but not too perfect sit down dinner party with a French inspired menu. My friend, Lori is a master chef in the kitchen and was thrilled to customize a meal for Heather and the gals. It was absolutely incredible the effort she went to in creating the perfect dinner and even made the most delicious lemon tarts for dessert.

The ever so talented, Brittany also made gluten free mini coconut cupcakes and we enjoyed a cheese board during cocktail hour.

Prior to the party I needed to come up with a quick way to seat at least ten ladies in my backyard. My search on Facebook for a farm table came up empty with tables ranging from $300-$700 and very few provided seating for ten. I was lucky enough to find a wrought iron table base for $40 on marketplace and bought 1 x 8 wood planks from Home Depot, a pack of wood screws and I got to work. Unfortunately, after I installed the boards I realized one of the boards was a little warped, even after careful selection.

With time running out and working in the brutal heat I decided to replace the board after the party. With the help of a white tablecloth, no one will notice.

I wanted mismatched china and I searched several thrift stores before landing on these salad plates at Restore. With my coupon, I only paid $3. What a steal!

Lori also loaned me her precious family china as well as her heirloom silver that was passed down to her. I was instructed to count every piece of silver before and after the party. I love that she was so willing to share her family heirloom’s to honor Heather and Ron. So much love was entangled in the planning of this party.

I picked up these vintage wine glasses that looked so precious with the etching from a local estate sale. I love the detail on them.

Not one dish, glassware or silver was lost or broken after the party.

I had the right amount of antique chairs scattered through out the house and some stored in the shed. I gathered them up and added them to the table which ended up looking so European effortless, especially with the china and glassware.

My friend, Christine collaborated with me on the décor, and she had a brilliant idea that instantly brought the vision to life: using my old scooter from my Denver days—paired with a vintage wedding dress—as a whimsical photo booth backdrop. I absolutely loved it.

The scooter had been sitting outside for several years, weathered by the tropical climate, but with a good power wash and a little love, it became the perfect nostalgic prop. It added just the right touch of character and European flair.

I found the perfect dress with the right amount of lace at The Rescue Mission here in Wilmington. The vision was taking shape and it was exciting.

The photos were priceless!

Three weeks before the party I started working on the yard, mostly clearing out weeds and trimming back trees and bushes. Since I have not been gardening or maintaining the yard very well this year I had to put in some long hours getting the yard presentable, which was brutal in the heat.

Unfortunately, I did not have a lot of time or money to create the garden of my dreams. I had to come up with a quick plan of action to turn this yard into a French garden party. I added potted plants, pulled weeds, and trimmed back the bushes and cleaned up the pine cones and pine needles. Lastly, I added fifteen bags of mulch, which made a world of difference.

A day before the party, when pulling the furniture out of the shed I sadly broke one of the legs to the bar table I had planned on using – I had to quickly improvise. I found some left over wood pieces from a pervious project ( I keep everything) so I rushed to Home Depot for liquid nails and cinder blocks. Instant bar! It ended up being the perfect set up and I couldn’t believe how well it turned out! It was sure a crowd pleaser!

Kyle humored me in playing bartender again, but I actually think he likes it. He did such an incredible job keeping everyone happy and hydrated. To keep things simple I created a cocktail menu to feature three signature cocktails Kyle would be serving and kept it with the French theme.

The decor is one of the best parts of putting an event together. It’s the jewelry of the party. I didn’t feel the need to go over board on decor since it already had a nice backdrop with the garden.

Lori gifted me some small vases that we filled with roses and baby’s breath which Christine picked up from Trader Joe’s. They have the best selection and prices on flowers. I added paper lanterns and candles for lighting and since the string lights were already installed we were all set.

From my last blog post you may already known how much I love a French chandelier, and of course I have one hanging from the tree in my backyard. I found this particular one at a consignment store in Wilmington a few years ago and didn’t know what to do with it since it is not wired. Kyle had the bright idea to hang it from the tree branch as a centerpiece over the table. It just needed a votive candle. Wa la!

I added pictures on twine of the couple from their trip to Europe and their combined bachelor/bachlorette party in Nashville.

I had the guests fill out advice cards for the couple, and we played a game where Heather had to guess who wrote each one. She got every single one right—she really knows her friends!

We gave out these cute mini bottles of bubbles for the ladies

I wanted guests to feel welcome, when they arrived so I created a poster in Canva from one of Heather’s engagement photos and had it framed in a gold frame I found at Restore. I loved how it was displayed on the front steps before guests walked through the gates.

I wanted to display the day of events so I looked on Facebook for a large chalkboard but didn’t find what I was looking for so I created my own version. I bought chalkboard paint and applied it to a historic door I had purchased for another project that I never used.

I also wanted a directional sign when guests arrived so they knew to make their way around the side to enter the backyard.

I was gifted a vintage couch from a friend of mine a few months ago which had the perfect mix of vintage and European charm. Using an indoor couch outside is a bit unexpected but that’s the fun of it. Finnie also joined in the fun.

Lori spoiled us with her special French cuisine that she made in my very own kitchen. She absolutely outdid herself.

I am so grateful the weather wasn’t too extreme. I prayed all day the weather would hold, which thankfully it did. Kyle even made sure we were fanned during dinner.

After dinner, and gifts were opened, the men joined us for a little dancing and music before the night ended.

Honoring this special gal and showering her with love, gifts, food and laughter was truly an honor and joy I won’t soon forget. Heather is truly a special friend to each and every one of us and we are thrilled to be part of her wedding journey.