Last month, Stevenson Ridge had our 2015 Bridal Open House {Love in Paris}. Each year, we host our Bridal Open House to give brides the opportunity to see our venues, cabins, and cottages and chat with our preferred vendors. We had a great turnout of brides and wonderful vendors who participated. We thank everyone who made the Open House a success. 

We also announced our Facebook Photo Contest Winner at the show. Heather & Sal won with 1,112 likes! This lovely couple won a romantic getaway package at Stevenson Ridge that includes a photo session with Amanda Beside Eric, dinner provided by Country Lane Catering, and dessert provided by Fat Girl Cakes. Thanks again for everyone who attended and participated. We look forward to next year's show!

March is always that weird, in-between month during the year, which can feel more like winter than anything else. However, March also brings a new life to the season as people are getting more excited for what's to come. The excitement probably comes from the warmer weather--days are getting longer and we're almost a quarter into the year. For brides, that means we're getting closer to their wedding day. March really kicks off our wedding season at Stevenson Ridge. We had a St. Patty's day-themed wedding on March 15th with lots of green, a bagpiper, and a little Irish luck. But once we got to April, it definitely felt like spring--with perfect weather and floral arrangements everywhere! At the Ridge, we love each season, as each is unique, but the springtime keeps us the busiest.

You said "Yes!" and now your wedding day approaches, which mean it's time to celebrate the bride-to-be! Most brides have a bridal shower and a bachelorette party to start the wedding festivities. We thought it would be fun to find the most popular party themes, plus a few unique ones:

Bridal Showers

The most popular bridal shower themes have been a tea party, a vintage-inspired get-together, or brunch. Some unique themes have been the movie starlet, "my favorite things," and putting a twist on the tea party with a little Alice in Wonderland. Other fun themes would be location-inspired bridal showers such as country/south, fiesta/Mexican, and "love in Paris." Also, some bridal showers have been colored inspired, featuring the bride's favorite colors or the wedding colors. Bridal showers are great chance for everyone to celebrate the bride before her big day.

Bachelorette Parties

We've noticed with our brides that the trend is no longer going to a gentlemen's club but rather spending quality time with their bridesmaids. The most popular bachelorette parties are a pamper/spa day, wine tasting in Charlottesville, or dancing (with maybe some karaoke splashed in there, too!). Some other party ideas: going to a casino or the race track, a fondue party, enjoying the great outdoors, or attending a drag show. Whatever your Maid of Honor chooses for your bachelorette party, just remember to have fun and enjoy the day with your girls.