Even though we’re in the middle of winter right now, it’s actually the PERFECT time to start planning ahead for springtime (or summer) parties! So on that note, I’m excited to bring you a fresh burst of sunny party inspiration in one of my favorite spring palettes today. The combo of bright yellow + chic lavender creates such a sweet, feminine look that works well for all sorts of occasions.

The talented Valerie Gimre of Charming Touch Parties was so inspired by this happy color combination that she used it as the theme for this gorgeous Lemon & Lavender Bridal Shower AND for gender-neutral baby shower, which you can check out right here. So I guess this is technically TWO bursts of party inspiration for today. Thanks, Valerie! ;)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• pretty drink stirrers adorned with “soon to be Mrs” party flags & dainty yellow bows
• soft lavender paper cups embellished with bright yellow lemon silhouettes
• tall glass cylinders & apothecary jars filled with bright yellow lemons
• beautiful dessert table backdrop featuring the bride’s initial + pastel rag tie bunting

PARTY DETAILS as told by Valerie…

So it must be known that I adore the color YELLOW for parties. I love how it can brighten any event. The bright hues add a sweet and charming touch and can be combined easily with other colors. So, when asked to style two completely different gender neutral showers recently, we chose to use a “Lemon & Lavender” theme for each event. (See the baby shower here.) This color combination is something pretty special. It is distinctive, charming and just easy on the eyes. We were able to take this one theme and create two events that were similar in feel, but special and unique in their own ways.

The bridal shower we put together was for my nephew’s fiancé and hosted at my home. My friend and graphic designer, Beth Kruse, created some absolutely lovely graphics for our modern and charming theme. We played up the lemon concept with fresh lemons throughout the event. A naked cake was the centerpiece for our sweets table. Large glass cylinders filled with lemons were positioned on either side of the cake for visual balance. Lemon bars, cake pops and beautifully boxed favor cookies completed our simple but lovely sweets offering.

We covered my work desk with linens and created a fabulous cocktail table, complete with champagne, wine, water and juices. Celebratory signs and champagne stirrers added a sweet touch. Our guests were all given blank recipe cards with their invitations and asked to bring their favorite recipe to give to the bride-to-be. I find this to be such an easy, yet fabulous activity for any bridal shower.