It's always exciting to be a part of your best friend's wedding. If it's in Spring that's an added bonus. Plan a bridal shower that reflects the season and bring the outside in.

Decorate tables with a plain white tablecloth to make your decorations and centerpiece pop. Get wedding favours related to spring, like flower candle holders or calla lily place card holders to add to your table's garden. Select very short vases and use flowers that trail out across the table.

Take some rose petals and sprinkle around the table. I like to use white place settings and flower print napkins to add some more color. Mix and match different colors of glasses for each place setting to create an interesting look..

A great cocktail to serve is a blood orange champagne mimosa garnished with a touch of fresh mint. Earlier or the day before, squeeze the fresh oranges so you'll be prepared for the big day. Try a nice salad with toasted nuts, goat cheese and chopped apple or pear. Follow up with some traditional tea sandwiches or mini quiches.

Amaze everyone with a dessert of cupcakes decorated to look like little wedding cakes. It will take some time, but it will be worth it once you see the look on your guests faces. Make small baskets of unique wedding favours so everyone can bring some of the fun home. Make some molded chocolate candies, add in a compact with mirror, a garden bookmark and send each person home with a a few fresh flowers from the table.

If you have the time get small clay pots and fill them with sand a a single hyacinth bulb ready for forcing. These are great to set on the table too, but you have to plan ahead of time so they are flowering. Another way to bring spring to the table is grow grass seeds in shallow clay pots and arrange around the table

It will be a shower everyone will remember.

By Kathy Hester