Tips for Creating the Ultimate Girls Brunch

K: My sister kept her bachelorette party low key with a simple girls brunch and lingerie shower. I have to give complete credit to my amazing mother who manages to make entertaining look effortless all the time. She’s been hosting ever since I can remember. I’ve learned all my tricks and tips from her and I’m here to share them with you today. Take notes because she truly is the best!

1. Make A Centerpiece: My mom always advises to do everything in advance when you are hosting. Her centerpieces are no exception to this rule. Carnations notoriously last a long time and fresh fruit in her table piece was a sure way to add color while also making sure it’d be easy to arrange. If you’re going to be making an arrangement the night before, try using nonconventional floral items like fruit or even vegetables (see this for inspiration). I love the bright colors that she used in the one above because it kept with the overall color scheme of the party.

2. Create A Serving Space: To make it easy on yourself as a hostess, create a bar or a serving space so that you aren’t the one constantly dishing out food or drinks. We did a mimosa bar at my bachelorette party too and it’s such a fun activity. Add small bowls of fresh fruit for garnish, whatever flavored juice you want, ice with fresh flowers, and you’ve got an area that looks picture perfect. By allowing guests to create their own drink, it gives you time to talk and host, rather than refill glasses all day. This tip also works well if you want to create a food buffet. My mom usually does this if it’s a larger group, just to ensure everyone can portion their plate in the way they’d prefer.

3. Cook “Pinterest” Foods: Pinterest has so many amazing recipes out there. Oftentimes, I find that the ideas and recipes on Pinterest are actually very simplistic. The donut tower shown above only required a Styrofoam cone (like this one here), toothpicks, and donut holes. There was even time to create this the night before and cover it with saran wrap. If you can get things done beforehand, it makes party prep so much easier on the day of the event. By making easy Pinterest recipes, you’re guaranteeing a wow factor for your girls.

4. Have a Spot for Photos: In our world today, it seems like everything needs to be documented for Instagram. I’ve heard the younger generation state, “If it’s not on Instagram, it didn’t really happen.” While I truly believe there are times to disconnect, when people come to a hosted party, they’re probably hoping for some sort of a photo opportunity. Especially because this was an event to celebrate the bride, all of Elizabeth’s friends wanted a picture with her. My parent’s backyard has recently been transformed into an oasis, creating the perfect spot for photos. If you don’t have a backyard that would work for this, you could easily set up a photo area like this one or this one.

5. Keep A Color Scheme: The color scheme for this brunch was bright. Turquoise, hot pink, gold, and white were ever-present through the day. As a tip, the invitation can usually tell you what the color scheme is going to be. Elizabeth’s invitation had fun, flirty colors like hot pink and white on it. As a guest, you can pick up on this and dress appropriately. If the invitation is covered in pastels, keep your ensemble lighter. If it’s vibrant, you know that you can dress a little bolder. On a side note, how adorable are these pom pom placemats? I’ve found some similar ones and put them in the widget below.

I had to include a quick photo of my top because it is perfect for summer! The lace-up feature is great for a date night or dinner with the girls. I also love that it came lined with the tan underlay for added dimension. I got it at Express on a whim and thought it was the perfect little top for a bachelorette brunch.

On Katherine: Express top, AG jeans, Kendra Scott earrings