Our Blooming Baby Shower

It all started with an Evite.

(Well, it actually started with a positive pregnancy test, but you know what I mean.)

Going paperless is the most earth-conscious way to send out invitations so it was a no-brainer to go with Evite.

There are so many beautiful designs to choose from with a plethora of themes to consider. Florals are always my favorite theme so when the invite popped into my inbox I was ecstatic!

Isn’t she stunning?

One of my favorite things leading up to the shower was reading the messages coming in from guests. It adds so much anticipation and excitement to the celebration!

My sisters did such an incredible job choosing my Evite for our baby shower.

And trust me, being the mini control freak that I am, it was hard to relinquish control but I can see that they can be trusted and they know me very very well. Love them.

For the venue, we chose our home away from home, Lucca’s Pizzeria in La Grange. Lucca’s is where we head if we are in the mood for a spritz, a bowl of pasta, and catch up with loved ones. We LOVE Lucca’s.

We went with the orecchiette with sausage and rapini, the spicy Gemelli pasta, their Cesar salad (it’s SO good!), a Margherita pizza, and lastly, my favorite za there, the prosciutto and arugula pizza. Everything was spectacular.

Kim Lesher from Bloom 3 created our beautiful floral arrangements.

With hues of light purple, peaches, dusty rose, and sage greens housed in cream-colored vessels, I was swooning!

One of my favorite details of the shower were the baby bottle shots. My sisters came up with a really fun and interactive way for guests to show the gender guesses…and also catch a buzz.

Two mini cocktails were created and served in 2 oz baby bottles. A blue one with a tequila surprise and a pink one with vodka vibes.

Nicole was walking around with the tray full of bottles asking, “Boy or Girl?”. You took the gender guess of your choice and, well, sucked on a mini bottle of booze from there. It was a hit! And so much fun watching grown women suck on baby bottles.

And then there was the stunning favor for each of our guests. Since flowers were the theme, my sisters sent everyone home with wildflower seeds to grow and bloom just like Baby Ciancio. How adorable are these seedling packages?

PS. I really wanted to jazz up my nails for the big day and do something fun, so I headed over to BeDazzled on Grand Ave. in Streeterville for some nail art. It’s safe to say that I am addicted and already planning my nails for delivery.

Oh and the cake! Omg, the cake was as delicious as it was stunning! My sisters and dear friend, Ellen Bowman, called upon the services of the extremely talented Toni’s Patisserie and Café in Hinsdale to create a blooming masterpiece.

I’m excited for you to see the cake, but sad you cannot taste the spectacular white chocolate frosting and raspberry preserve that was so perfectly placed between layers of white cake.

Isn’t she a beauty!?

About a week prior to the big day, I decided to write a speech for the shower. I know that it was a celebration for our baby on the way, but there was another special aspect of the day that I didn’t want to slip by without acknowledging.

The entire front room of Lucca’s was filled with some of the most meaningful and special women in my life. Friends from all moments in my life, my beautiful family, and friends of my mom.

It was imperative to me that I share how special their presence not only at my shower was but in my life. I also couldn’t go the day without remembering a few loved ones who are no longer with us, including our grandmothers, our childhood friend, Meghan Duff, our loved one and Adnrea’s mother-in-law, Carol King, and, of course, our my mom, June.

Having the opportunity to look at each woman and tell them how much I love them was the best gift anyone has ever given me. I will never forget standing in that space at that time looking out at forty human beings I so love and admire. Thank you to my friends and family for joining us to celebrate our baby, for your generosity, support, love, and friendship. I am one lucky woman.

I’d love to thank my wonderful father and sisters for hosting my baby shower and putting so much love and energy into the celebration. Every detail of the shower and the moments I had to catch up with my loved ones felt like a neverending magical dream come true.

Going through such a monumental moment like this without my mom is a bummer, let’s be honest. But the gift my dad, Michelle, Nicole, and Andrea gave me that day, allowed me to truly see the beauty that is all around me. And it is in the form of the people I love and the people that love me back. I cannot wait for our baby to meet these incredible humans in my life.

It’s no secret that this little baby is so incredibly loved already.

All in all, my baby shower was one of the best days of my life. Anthony and I are so grateful it’s hard to put into words. So, allow the photos below to do some of the talking.