Dear Friends,

I’m so happy you are considering joining us in honoring Emily before her wedding. A girl only gets to be a princess once, so I’m hoping we can help Emily feel positively royal on the eleventh!

Please RSVP in the form at the bottom of this page.

Emily is registered at Amazon and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They also welcome donations to their mattress fund. Emily says the biggest need is kitchen/bedroom-type items, such as dinnerware, flatware, and small appliances and utensils.

We would like for you to share some of our favorite tried and true recipes with Emily. If you are able, please bring one of your favorite recipes printed out on 8.5 x 11 paper (pretty paper would be great, but it’s okay if it’s plain!).

Please also think of something you wish you’d known when you got married to share with Emily.

You can (and ought) to read Emily and Jack’s love story here.

Since we are doing an evening shower, I would like to suggest heavy hors d’oeuvres – enough for us to make a meal of. Think a bunch of small and lovely servings on your prettiest plate, so everyone can taste everything. Please bring enough that everyone in your party plus one or two extra ladies could make a meal off of it if that is all you had. Emily’s colors are navy and coral, if you want to use color for something. Coral like this:

Here are some ideas. I’ve linked to some simple recipes if you don’t have your own. You can download the recipes that don’t have a link by clicking here (they are our family recipes). Certainly feel free to bring one of your own favorite, these are just in case you need ideas or would like to try something new.

Savories

Ham Delights – A must at a Carolina party, these little sandwiches are irresistible.

Pigs in Blankets – So easy a child could make them, but hard to stop eating.

Heart Sandwiches – Cut bread with a heart cookie cutter and fill with chicken salad, pimento salad, tuna salad, egg salad, cucumber and cream cheese, and other delights.

Cheese Straws – Fun to make in a ring shape for showers.

Sausage Balls(1 signed up) – Hold me back! Can you ever have too many?

Meat, Cheese, or Veggie Trays(2 signed up for veggies) – Children love rolling the meat for these, and snacking on them if you aren’t watching carefully!

Savory Cheese Ball (1 signed up)- Did you know that if you have any leftover, you can squeeze it back into a ball shape just like new?

Mini Quiches – Here’s an easy recipe, or make your own in muffin tins or even mini muffin tins. If you are short on time, just make a regular quiche and we’ll slice it thin.

Individual Seven Layer Mexican Dips – The trick to these is to be very neat while making them and to use whatever you personally like for the layers – meat, salsa, green chiles are all in our own version.

Glazed Kielbasa Bites – Easy and look delicious!

Mini Corn Dog Muffins – Super easy with a Jiffy mix and hard to stop eating. Bring ketchup and mustard in little bowls to top them with!

Fruit and Cheese Appetizers – Short on time? These little beauties can be put together in a few minutes with cheese cubes, fruit and toothpicks.

Sweets

Heart-Shaped Sugar Cookies – This recipe is hard to make because it is so delicious you can hardly help eating the dough. Seriously the best recipe ever.

Whoopie Pies(1 signed up) - Best to make tiny ones for an event like this. Use a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon to drop the batter.

Cream Wafers – These are my faves. So delicious, but a little tricky to make! How I wish I weren’t going to be out of town in the days before the shower or this is what I would make.

Orange Juice Balls – Great for children to make! No eggs, hands are great. Utterly delicious.

Mini Brownie Bites – Brownies. Because brownies. An easy, delicious homemade recipe.

Lemon Bars – Ooooh, I love these so much. Easy and pretty fast, but addictive.

Cherry Cordial Cookies – A romantic and deeply wonderful cookie.

I’ll update this page once I hear who is bringing what.  The decorations, punch, crystal, and paper will be provided. If anyone would like to provide a corsage for Emily, please let me know. See you there, my friend!

Melanie Young