Celebrate a Bride-to-Be at Her Bold, Jewel-Tone Bridal Shower at the Hilton in Baltimore, Maryland
On February 13, 2021, Terrell Anderson took a big leap as he got on bended knee to propose to his girlfriend, Nita Smith, in the kitchen as she washed dishes. However, things didn’t quite go to plan. “He didn’t say anything—maybe he was nervous,” she recalls. “So I said, 'what are you doing?' and he asked me to marry him.” Since the couple love to joke around in their relationship, Nita didn’t take his question seriously—laughing it off and inadvertently hurting his feelings. After a few weeks, Terrell made a second, more concerted attempt. “While I’m in the kitchen prepping the meal, I see Terrell come up behind me. Of course, I was better prepared to handle his new proposal attempt due to my first reaction the month prior. I slowly turned around to find him kneeling, but this time, he had a ring in his hand.” Terrell told his sweetheart how much he loved her and repeated his question, to which she replied with an enthusiastic “yes!”
When organizing her bridal shower’s look and feel, Nita immediately knew what she didn’t want. “Even though both the bridal shower and wedding were both elegantly designed, I wanted the bridal shower to exude a more relaxed atmosphere,” she describes. “With my bridal shower taking place in August, I wanted the decor to include fresh summer flowers, bright and bold colors with a slightly tropical vibe.” Her jewel-tone palette lent itself to the lively, fun-focused event of her dreams.
On the day of her shower, the bride was bursting with excitement to see her vision come to life. “The room reveal was the moment I most looked forward to because I am such a visual person,” she tells. “When I initially reviewed my planner’s mood board and samples, everything was so elegant that I knew the event itself would be breathtaking—and it was.” Nita’s nearest and dearest gathered in a ballroom filled with striking blue, pink, purple and turquoise pops. Long white tables displayed low centerpieces featuring hot pink and fuchsia blossoms accented by tea candles floating in glass holders of varying heights.
Each place setting consisted of a custom, pale green charger underneath pink dinnerware and a vibrant menu—a single rose and gold flatware completed the set-up. In addition, a collection of bold balloons bedecked the ceiling in a whimsical pattern suspended over the entire space. However, the undeniable focal point of the event was Nita’s seat: a plush white couch with gold legs sat in front of a light blue backdrop with cascading blossoms and balloons running from top to bottom, giving the bride’s throne a design-forward, asymmetrical background.
“I opted not to go the traditional route by wearing white and elected a custom-made, one-shoulder ruffled fuchsia dress by Timmy Ajulo,” Nita said of her outfit for the bridal shower. “My favorite part of the day was the musical performance from my guests. Each group wrote and choreographed a remix of various songs related directly to my fiancé and myself and/or our upcoming nuptials.” In addition to performances and fun games, guests enjoyed custom cocktails, such as the “Marry Me Martini,” and personalized cookies featuring an illustration of a diamond ring, a cake stand and a gold depiction of the bride’s soon-to-be last initial.
After the event, Nita has a few words of wisdom for engaged couples. “Always remain dedicated to your partner and never forget what first made you fall in love with that person. During the wedding planning process, time moves so quickly, and things can become stressful—whenever you start to feel overwhelmed, take a moment to yourself and reminisce on all the great reasons why you first fell in love with your partner.” As for marriage advice, Nita encourages couples to stay focused on one another. “Never stop dating each other, don’t let the spark go out—marriage is constant work on both ends, and keeping that flame of intimacy, desire, transparency, and commitment ignited will allow your marriage to stand the test of time. Finally, love yourself and your spouse—know that things may not always be perfect, but nothing can break that bond when you are dedicated to each other.”
