Around the Clock Shower Part I

I'm finally getting around to posting about the Around the Clock Bridal Shower that myself, my husband, and my sister Jennifer hosted at my house for our friends Kim and Justin back in June.  Their wedding is fast approaching and we couldn't be more excited and happy for them!

The Theme.  Any time you plan a party, it's important to base the party around a certain theme.  This shower theme, Around the Clock, is when all the guests bring gifts for the bride and groom based on a certain time of day.  That time of day is listed on each person's invitation.  So say, a guest that receives their invite time of 10 a.m. can bring a gift like a waffle maker, coffee pot, breakfast recipe book, etc.  A guest that has 10 p.m. can bring a basket of bubble bath, candles, blankets, bedding that the couple registered for, etc.  This "time of day" assigned to each guest on their invitation starts as early as you need and ours {because of the # of guests} went all the way round the clock to 1:00 a.m.!That was a fun gift! ; )

Everyone got super creative and Kim and Justin got some really cool, great gifts!!!  Below is the invitation.  At the very bottom is a blank line {hard to see here, ooops}to fill in the time of day each person has.  I found my invites {here} and customized them to fit the party. 

Tip: Any time you plan to host a party, give yourself enough time to alot for eating and socializing, gift opening, any shower games you might play, etc.  Our party was from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.  You want to have enough time carved out so as to not rush your guests through each component of the party.

The Decor.  Your decor should echo the theme of the party.  For this one, clocks clocks and more clocks!  For the food station, I made clock signage and attached them to mason jars to detail which time of day the food items represented.  For example, I made a clock that said "Morning" for the part of the table that housed the breakfast foods.  I also did "Noon", "Cocktail Hour", "Night", and "Late Night" clocks.  I'll explain more in the Food section to come.  The mason jars worked beautifully because they held the clock signs as well as served as holders for large serving spoons and forks!



I simply used a clock template and added the verbiage on each clock
then printed it on heavy white paper, cut each clock out and glued onto round gift tags from Target. 
Done!  And super cheap! 

My mason jar {in the back} with some burlap ribbon inside, the "Morning" clock signage
and this particular mason jar held the forks since the buffet started at morning time foods!

As part of the decor, and something special for the bride and groom to take home as a momento, I made a "Time Capsule" where guests could write a little note to them or predict their future.  After guests wrote their notes, we locked it up tight! I put the date they they will be able to open it on a decorative label on the jar...one year to the day of the party!  I can't wait to hear what's in it next year!

I placed the notecards for guests to write on in a silver tin pale along with black
and red pens, the jar {from Home Goods} served as the time capsule, and I placed a little clock that Jenny
got from a teacher supply store in the center with the clock "set" to the couples wedding date. 8/18!
Always remember to have a sign to explain details like this at a party so your guests know what to do.

The Time Capsule sat at one end of the gift table and in the center of the table I placed a
clear vase {I had from a purchase a long time ago from TJ Maxx} with some cool red, black and white decorative
sticks {From Michael's} in keeping with the red, black and white color scheme.  Then I leaned a white "H" up against the vase as a nod to the soon to be hubby and wife's first initial of their last name.

We also had a welcome sign at the front door.  I used a dry erase board and decorated it with another one of the clocks like on the gift table with the same time set 8:18 {the date of their wedding}.  How I didn't get a pic of that I'll never know!  Ooops.


The Food.  This is probably the most labor intesive part of any party but I truly enjoy it because there are countless ideas out there on what to serve and how to serve it!  For our party, the Around the Clock theme was carried through in the food as well.  The buffet started at "Morning" and we had breakfast type food, then to "Noon" where we had lunch type items, then "Cocktail Hour" with appetizers, and on to "Night" filled with dinner foods.  I also did a "Late Night" snack for guests to take home with them! 

I used little chalk boards to describe each item on the buffet.  People want to know what they're eating!! Especially, someone with a food allergy of some kind, vegetarian, vegan, etc.

Here are some a whole bunch of pics!  : )  I'll recap after the pics of our full menu.

 



This pic was before we put the caesar salad out but it sat right behind the
mac and cheese in a large oval shaped white bowl we received as a wedding gift. 

Menu.

Morning:
Mini Muffins with Honey Apple Butter
Mixed Fruit Bowl
Mini Vanilla Yogurt with Balsamic Strawberries {cute little cups and spoons via Party City}

Noon:
Orzo Salad with Feta, Basil, Arugula, and Craisins {aaaamazing!!! my sister Leah's recipe!}
Chips with Fresh Salsa
Assorted Pinwheels: Tomato Provolone, Turkey Pepperjack, and Turkey Bacon Ranch
Veggie Tray with Ranch Dipping Sauce

Cocktail Hour:
Large Cheese Platter with Assorted Cheeses, Grapes, and Olives.
Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

Night:
Mini Turkey and Roast Beef Sandwiches with Havarti and 3 Spreads {honey mustard, bbq sauce, and mayo}
Mac-n-Cheese {Ree Drummond's recipe here}
Caesar Salad
Mini Red Velvet and Wedding Cake cupcakes from Jilly's.  {100% the best cupcakes I've ever had!}
Late Night:
Oreos and Twizzlers {to go with the red, black and white theme of course!}


Later, I'll be sharing the rest of the party with you.  From the drink stations to the gifts and the game!
Stay tuned!! : )