September Wedding Update: Bachelorette Party & Bridal Shower

Wow! It’s taken me two weeks to process how amazing my surprise Bachelorette Party and Bridal Shower was. I couldn’t wait to piece this blog post together and have the chance to relive the amazing weekend. If you’re following along on Instagram, you got to experience the festivities in real time!

Jacket made by my sister-in-law

So, a little back story. In August, I started a new job as a marketing coordinator for Compass Real Estate. I was talking to my mom one evening shortly after I accepted the job and was stressing about asking for PTO the week after my start date to go to the lake. During the conversation, my mom hinted that I should also ask off September 17th and the rest of that weekend. I figured something wedding-related was happening, but I didn’t press any further.

In the few weeks following, my mind starting racing with the possibilities. I had already spoken to my bridesmaids at length about my bachelorette party, so I knew that wasn’t a possibility since we planned to have it the Wednesday before the wedding. My best friend lives in California, so logically I knew she wouldn’t be able to fly to the east coast for a bachelorette party prior. I figured it was a bridal shower and prioritized finding a dress for just a bridal shower.

While searching for dresses for a bridal shower, I also found dresses for my bachelorette party and rehearsal dinner in November. I put both dresses in my cart but decided to wait to purchase until we got closer to November to spread out expenses. In late August, I was Facetiming with Claire and realized the dress I wanted for my bachelorette party was back-ordered until October 28th. I was so bummed and decided to sign up for restock notifications. THANK GOODNESS the dress was restocked with one in my size a few days later, and I snagged it up without thinking twice. Little did I know I was going to get to wear it a few weeks later!

Thursday

On Thursday, Matt and I worked a full day and then hopped in the car around 5pm to drive to Charlottesville. I figured we were driving to my house to spend time with my family before a bridal shower on Saturday. As soon as we got in the car, we got stuck in bad traffic, and instead of getting in around 8pm, our new ETA was 9pm+. Again, I was annoyed but didn’t think too much about it because I figured we were just going to my parent’s house for the night.

When we got to Charlottesville, Matthew started acting so weird and distracted. Again, I was in a terrible mode and so exhausted from working all day and then driving for two hours longer than I had anticipated due to traffic. Seconds before I turned into my neighborhood, Matt told me to drive straight instead of turning because we had to make a quick stop on the way to my house. That is the second I knew something was definitely up. We kept driving into town and my brain was going a mile a minute.

Matt directed me to a house in downtown Charlottesville with a carriage house in the back. He told me to park, grabbed my purse, and then led me into the carriage house. Not going to lie I listen to way too many true crime podcasts, and because it was super dark and rainy, my first thought was “OMG, I finally pushed Matthew over the edge! I’m a goner!” 😂 We opened the door and I walked up the stairs to see a sign on the whiteboard that said “Erica’s Bachelorette.”

Truthfully, the rest of the night was a total blur because I got to the top of the stairs, saw my sister-in-law at the top recording me, and then heard my best friend Claire say, “well, hey there!” Wow, you guys, I was in shock. One, I had no idea this bachelorette was even happening, and two, I had no idea my best friend would be there. Because, again, she lives in California!

The rest of the night was a blur! Claire and Amanda had decorated the Airbnb with balloons and perfect decor touches everywhere. We opened a bottle of champagne, talked and enjoyed the rest of the night.

Friday

On Friday morning, I woke up so giddy like it was Christmas morning. I was still so blown away and excited to see all of my favorite people. I still don’t think it has soaked in that they had planned this huge surprise without me having any idea.

The day was such a blast! Amanda and Claire had planned the perfect day starting with Bodos Bagels (bacon, egg and cheese for the win!) and a trip to get our nails done. After that, we went to a Charlottesville favorite, Carters Mountain, for Bold Rock and apple cider donuts. It was so nice just to sit with two of my favorite people and enjoy one another’s company.

After Cater’s Mountain, we returned to the Airbnb for a wine tasting and gourmet-level charcuterie by Amanda. Fun fact, my brother is studying to become a sommelier and always puts together the best wine tastings for my family. He put together the best, personalized tasting video for my bachelorette party! My sister is a student at UVA, so she was able to join us for the wine tasting and the rest of the evening.

After the wine tasting, two more of my good friends arrived just in time for dinner! We feasted on tacos, margaritas and sangria (all my favorites) and then changed into our party clothes for a fun night of games and more.

Low quality picture, high quality friends

I was so thrilled Matt packed a bag with all of my outfits for a bachelorette party. In true Erica form, my first thought when I realized that this was my surprise bachelorette weekend was how bummed I was that I didn’t pack my outfits. Thankfully, my friends know me too well!

Saturday

On Saturday, we woke up and headed over to my parent’s house for brunch which ended up being a surprise bridal shower. My mom had a full buffet brunch, mimosas and games waiting. It was so great to see my family and friends and enjoy time with everyone before the big day.

I have been wearing my Sarah Flint Perfect Sandal in Nappa Gold every opportunity I can to break them in before the wedding. I am also shocked by how comfy they are in comparison to all my other heels. You can use the code SARAHFLINT-BAERICAS for $50 off your first Sarah Flint purchase.

It was the best weekend with the best people! I can’t believe our wedding day is just around the corner, and I cannot wait to celebrate with all of our loved ones!