Long Island bridal showers have become DIY worlds brought to life

April showers may be over, but planning for bridal showers is moving full steam ahead across Long Island. And while weddings tend to be somewhat formatted, these celebrations come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Long Islanders are particularly creative when it comes to these fetes letting their imaginations run wild. And often, there’s a brilliant dose of DIY when it comes to executing the lighthearted gigs.

Sometimes bridal showers act as a preliminary icebreaker before the big day suggests, says Heather Cunningham, the owner of bridal organization, Brides of Long Island. “They’re a way to connect with friends and family in a more intimate setting,” she says adding, “Bridal showers are celebrations spiked with incredible creativity, love and joyful anticipation.”

The couple: Jolie Clark, 29, and Brian Clark, 32

Shower date: July 15, 2023

Guest count: 65

Total spent: $7,000

Strong visuals were central to Jolie Clark’s shower, powered by her mom Karen Klein, 66, and sister/maid of honor, Mia Klein, 34. The duo, with help from family and friends, created what Clark calls, “an Italian Beach Club,” in their backyard. “I wanted a nontraditional wedding shower. Something different, colorful and that had a true theme,” she says of the late afternoon event. “I think a lot of people don’t really want to go to showers, they’re a little sleepy.” Hoping to underscore her family’s “deep Italian Heritage,” her goal was to bring “the Amalfi Coast to Long Island.”

Star of the show, (other than the bride to be) was the bright red Aperol Spritz cart from which many a Spritz Veneziano was served, hand-built by Clark’s aunt, Michelle Mormando, and her father, Noel Mazario.

Mom happens to be an expert craftsperson, so sewing tablecloths of rich blue toile for the long, rented tables was no problem, though finding enough fabric took her everywhere from the East End to New Jersey. She crocheted sunflowers on burlap bags that housed the silverware (gold, plastic), and created a macramé backdrop arch for photos. As a take away gift, along with homemade lemon-shaped cookies, she made and wrapped her own lemon verbena soap with a label that read, “From Jolie’s shower to yours.”

The big issue was finding enough Blue Willow china to serve 65. Klein cleverly posted an all-call to local mom groups on Facebook asking to borrow pieces, and put stickers on the back of each plate noting whom they belonged to. Among the lenders? The mayor of Amityville, Dennis Siry.

“We thought the décor was really important and there was a balance of sweet touches and homemade things. We leaned into our strengths,” says Mia. For atmosphere, the family covered the underside of the backyard’s large pergola in vines and plastic lemons from Amazon. Food was catered from Uncle Giuseppe's, flowers (blue and white hydrangeas) came from Lidl and liquor from Costco.

The assembled played two games: one where guests were asked to sketch what they thought the bride’s dress would look like (these images hung with clothespins on a line) and the popular he said/she said shoe game where the bride and groom answer questions about one another.

“I think it was the most beautiful, fun and different,” says Clark. “It was a smashing success.”

The couple: Brittany Hickey, 26, and Bryan Taus, 34

Shower date: March 9 (wedding is May 25)

Guest count: 45

Total spent: $7,000

A photo of her beloved, late paternal grandmother, Frances Hickey, inspired Hickey to celebrate her luncheon bridal shower in Barbie mode. “I was very close to her and I found a picture of her wearing stripes — she looked like the original Barbie,” explains Hickey. Coincidentally, her shower date fell on “National Barbie Day.”

Held at Italian restaurant Nunzi’s, the bride-to-be requested that all the guests wear pink. “People fought me on it,” says Hickey. But in the end, she says, “There was a shared sisterhood vibe and that’s what I wanted.”

Family friends built her a life-size Barbie box for photo-ops and there was a backdrop with a neon sign she purchased at Amazon that spelled out her grandmother’s pet name for her: “Dolly Girl.” Jack Hickey, her grandfather, helped her build it.

A DJ was directed to play pop songs by female-only artists such as Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani from the late '90s. These were the basis for  a game: a version of “Name That Tune” where guests had to guess a movie the song is from. “It was like bringing out your inner child,” says Hickey.

As for her own ensemble, Hickey went full-on Barbie donning a beaded dress that she says, “probably weighed 5 pounds,” along with high, white stilettos. “I wanted something fun,” she says. Ditto for the flowers. She told the florist to “do your own thing, be creative, make it hot pink and use feathers.” Mission accomplished. Attendees left with a goody bag that included cat-eye sunglasses and red lipstick, “So everybody could look like Barbie,” says Hickey.

The couple: Stephanie Jones, 53, and Kenneth Maldonado, 54

Shower date: April 30, 2023

Guest count: 82

Total spent: $3,000

“Butterflies have always been part of my life,” says Stephanie Jones, the owner of beauty salon StudioTen in Baldwin. “They are one of my favorite things and a metaphor for change.” Hence the butterfly motif at Jones’ bridal shower at The Royal Room in Freeport, where a giant paper butterfly was central on the dance floor, and the winged creatures graced her cake and even the clouds of white rose centerpieces. Her favorite colors — orange and green — turned up in the multi-sized balloon scape and the bride-to-be asked her guests to dress in green.

This, her second marriage, Jones wasn’t keen on having a shower at all — she didn’t have one for her first, but her sister, Jeannette Jones-Vazansky, along with bridesmaids, she says, insisted. A DJ and 82 of her nearest and dearest gathered in the late afternoon for a meal of collard greens, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese bites and crab cakes. “I picked the date and the colors. Other than that, I didn’t have a hand in it,” she says crediting her sister and bridesmaids. “I was so happy and overwhelmed. Though she opened presents at the event, there were no bridal games. “We sort of felt like we were too old,” explains Jones. The crowd, however, was not too old to boogie and a DJ got them dancing. Jones entered the room to “her” song, also played at her wedding as the first dance, months later. It was, “I Found Lovin’” by the Fatback Band. And … she did.

The couple: Jenna Starr, 26, and Andrew Starr, 27

Shower date: July 22, 2023

Guest count: 58

Total spent: $5,000

The groom’s last name inspired the theme for this backyard evening affair held at the home of the bride’s aunt, Marybeth Medolla, 56. Welcome signage reading, “Sangria, Sunset, Starr” set the stage. “I wanted something untraditional and I wanted to be barefoot,” says Starr.

Starr’s mother, Catherine Silletti, 54, says, “Luckily I have a very creative sister,” referring to Medolla. “Jenna didn’t want to have one of those restaurant parties and just wanted it to be an evening of ladies having fun.” The event was catered by Prime in Garden City.

“We didn’t leave a stone unturned,” Starr's aunt says. “It’s all about the details and I wanted to create an environment where everybody felt part of it and could get to know each other.”

On display, a rolling rack filled with bridesmaids’ robes in emerald green (the color of their dresses for the wedding) and gift baskets. Medolla incorporated a crystal chandelier from her home into the tent, added a sparkling curtain from which guests entered, hung flower-filled vases from the trees and set up a Sangria bar. Partygoers signed in on giant Jenga game pieces, (a fun memory for the couple when they play the game) and took instant photos upon which they wrote good wishes and advice. A star at Starr’s shower was the 1955 Ford pickup truck that her aunt borrowed from a friend and filled with buckets of flowers (these from Whole Foods) for guests to choose for bouquets.

Says Starr, “It was a 100% a dream and everything I ever wanted.”