The idea of a hope chest or trousseau is such a warm and lovely concept. There is something very dear about women either making or gifting beautiful linens for their engaged friend in anticipation of married life.
We were so fortunate to collaborate with the charming and very talented Jess Flood Event Design team who developed this idea of a Modern Trousseau themed bridal shower. They sourced all props, arranged the floral designs (love those spring cherry blossoms!) and even whipped together the dessert display! Thanks also to our beautiful model, Ticiana. Her soft, natural features worked perfectly with our cool gray and blush color palette.
The delicious welcome drinks pictured above in the champagne flutes were a classic cocktail recipe called “The Blushing Bride.” Meredith (of Jess Flood), crafted them from Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée sparkling wine, grapefruit juice, a splash of grenadine and a fresh raspberry garnish.
Wine Country Party & Events’ new Mendocino line of furniture, fabricated in their Sonoma workshop, was the perfect combination of muted colors and modern lines.
The sweet little vase below is hand blown glass in a gorgeous shade of pale pink. They are made by Sonoma County Glass Blower, Heath Harmon. Rough Linen, based out of San Rafael, made the most luscious linen household goods. The stone colored plates and vases are by Heath Ceramics, in Sausalito, and they are just the sort of thing a modern bride might consider registering for. Their dishes employ the best kind of classic design — the “Coupe” pattern is just as stylish now as when it was designed by Edith Heath in 1948.
Ambitalia Textiles provided the items that are in the hope chest. They have a beautiful and exciting line of kitchen textiles which fit in perfectly for the modern day trousseau. Their linen produce bags, market bags, bread bags, kitchen towels and furoshiki wraps can reduce your impact on the environment and make your kitchen more beautiful! They are available on their website, and at the Larkspur Farmer’s Market.
Here is a fun behind the scenes tid bit from Jess & Meredith:
“When we finished the indoor shots, we decided to move the chest outdoors and shoot it in the scenic rolling hills around the Jess Flood Event Design studio. These scenic hills are home to a happy and curious herd of cows, but they were nowhere in sight as we trudged the chest up the hill in a wheel barrow and eased it through the barbed wire fence. We got it set up and the contents perfectly staged at the peak of a green hill, when the cows noticed something unusual and literally came running from the lower pasture to investigate! They circled around the chest mooing and stomping. They nudged it with their big noses and licked it all over with their slobbery tongues! Then, our lovely model Ticiana, who is a farm girl and isn’t intimidated by any livestock, came running up in her pink silk dress and an oversized vintage coat and tried to chase them off. It was super hysterical! They would scatter for a moment and come right back.
We managed to get the chest, cleaned it off and took it to safer pastures where Kate also got some amazing shots with Ticiana and a well behaved chicken.”
A very grateful thanks to all who helped bring this to life. Including those mentioned and linked above, thanks also goes to: Barbara Callow for her expert calligraphy and Dorothea Couture for the hand-crafted flower hair ornaments. * FINALLY, a big thanks to Kathryn of Snippet & Ink for sharing our faux bridal party shoot with your inspired readers!
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From Merriam-Webster: Main Entry: trous·seau Pronunciation Guide Pronunciation: 
trü(
)s
, trüs Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural trous·seaux \-(z)\; or trousseaus \-z\ Etymology: French, from Old French, little bundle, diminutive of trousse bundle: the personal possessions of a bride usually including clothes, accessories, and household linens and wares
Tags: bridal shower, faux, hope chest, modern, tradition, trousseau
