I was to make my Strawberry Salad for 78 people!
And I did!
I bought 6 bags (3 lbs in each bag) of the chopped romaine, 4 pack (2 lbs each) of strawberries, 10 packs (1 lb each) of parmesan cheese, 3 large containers of mayonnaise, 1 quart vinegar, 1/2 gallon milk, sugar and poppy seeds. Whew! It took me awhile to put it all together and when I was all said and done, I had 4 very large bowls and prayed that I had enough to go around!
When I go to the reception hall, the bridesmaids and some of her family were buzzing along getting the room ready! Her Mom made herself "in charge" and kept telling me, "Java do this"...and "Java do that"...hmmmm that didn't go over to well but oh well....she always seems to treat me like this and I'm guessing its because she is older them me.
(Click on any picture to enlarge it)
So anyway, we had 1 1/2 hours to get the room ready! And we did.
The rest of the food was pasta salad, mozzarella skewers with tomatoes, chicken wraps, turkey wraps, baked ziti and fruit kabobs.
Everyone LOVED the salad and kept coming up to me for the recipe!
For dessert, there was a table full of homemade cupcakes in 3 different flavors: carrot cake with cream cheese icing, chocolate with peanut butter icing and vanilla with chocolate icing.
First they cleared off the table that the food was on.
Mocha stood in the middle...
....while one bridesmaid brought over a present....
....and handed it to another bridesmaid....
.....that UNWRAPPED it AND OPENED THE CARD....
....she handed it to another bridesmaid to write it down on a tablet who it was from.....
....who then handed it Mocha so she could hold it up and show everyone and thank that person...
....and then it was handed over to another bridesmaid to stack it on the table!
80+ presents were opened in less then a half an hour!
I have never seen anything like it before!
If you blinked...you missed 5 gifts!
It was unreal!
Mocha didn't open ONE SINGLE present!
Not one!
Strange huh??
There was an intense game of volleyball going on when I got there!
Did I have enough salad?
I sure did! Even some left over!
Next on the list....
The rehearsal dinner!
I loved the shower photos. I can't wait to see your dress when it's done. The salad looked really good. I agree the present unwrapping process was a little different. For myself, if anybody every tried to open my gift(s) for me, they'd have an argument to contend with. That's the fun part of getting gifts is to open them.
ReplyDeleteWow, it looks like it was a great success! The wedding couple are just beautiful - and the gift-unwrapping process - talk about super efficient. But I would have thought that the bride would be the one to open them all - but maybe that's me being old school :). The salad looked really good - yumm.
ReplyDeleteAmazing that your son is getting married. You look like his sister, honestly!
Can't believe that shower! wow... and yes, I think the way they opened the presents is the thing to do now... U have a handsome son!.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a shower where they did the gift opening like that but I don't think I'd mind because with that many gifts, it can get boring for the guests. It looked like a beautiful day for all and they look pretty well set up for their first place.
ReplyDeleteI actually like that idea for opening the gifts.
ReplyDeleteSometimes people get pretty anxious waiting for all of them to be opened. Looks like it turned out to be a perfect day. I actually make that salad quite often for parties and it is always a hit!
looks like a nice shower! cute looking couple.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it went well. It looked like a lot of fun. Your salad sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYour son and future daughter-in-law make a cute couple!
All the best,
Marnie
aaawwh! They look so cute!
ReplyDeleteThe pass the parcel gift opening seems really efficient, but imagine not opening a single gift for yourself? Ahhh! Isn't that supposed to be the fun part? (I think under-40s are getting far too mature these days).
I wanna make that salad!
I am happy that everything turned out well. Such an exciting time in life. They have so much to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI realize that folks are different and have different ways of doing things, but... Your mention before, of the number of people invited, had me shaking my head. Judgmental wench, eh? I think of showers as being something more intimate with close friends. I have been invited to weddings and showers for people I barely know and my first thought(I know it's tacky) was "Oh, they're cruising for gifts." I would have sat their with my mouth open during the gift opening. If you go to the trouble of shopping for something special for someone,they could at least open it. I have tried to teach my daughters to be very appreciative and give validation to those who are kind to them. Maybe I'm just looking at things from my old fashioned perspective. I'm sure she is a lovely girl. You have probably raised that handsome young man well and his choices are his own. He is probably making a good choice and I'm just being nit-picky! Now, mama bossing you around is a whole different story. I'm sure you were gracious and kind in spite of that! Not to mention, one heck of a salad maker.
ReplyDeleteTake care!
Wow! Forget the shower I'm drooling over your dad's pool. Okay - I don't know about the mom bossing you around - whether you should just ignore it or is this a sign of things to come and be clear - you're are the groom's mother not her daughter. Tough call. Anyway I'm glad your salad came out great - that was a tall order for sure. I loved the cupcake cake. It looked like Mocha had a great shower and got a lot of presents in some really nice wrappings and boxes. Lucky girl!
ReplyDeleteHaupi
wow, what a party! And the couple is really handsome...
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how you get presents at this point. In Finland a couple gets all the presents at the wedding day.
'The shower' is normally partying with girl/boyfriends in a bar with some kind of funny program. Sometimes bride/groom are dressed up and they have to sing karaoke or earn money to get free drinks... :)
I like your shower more - good food with friends and family is a great idea!
Thanks for sharing!
Great job on that salad. That's a ton!! Glad it was nice.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like it was a lovely day! Great pictures :) I like the gift opening idea, i always feel so self conscious opening gifts in front of people.
ReplyDeleteWow! So it all seemed to work out, with the HUGE invite list and all! What a cute couple they are, and so fun that they guys got to do something, too...
ReplyDeleteVenti and Mocha make a gorgeous couple. You are going to have some very beautiful grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteYou pulled it off. The salad looks and sounds yummy. Interesting way to open the gifts, but very organized, too. Looks like everyone had a great time. I wonder if the guys had even more fun? Good luck with the rehearsal. Can't wait to hear all about it.
Trudy
www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com
holy moly, what a shower. Looked awesome.!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe salad looked great and I am so glad that there was enough. The present opening was definitely unusual. However, having that many people at a shower is unusual. I think that Mocha must have discussed how this was going to be done with the bridesmaids and probably arranged it, SO she must have been good with it. I wouldn't have liked it, but that is just me. However, I wouldn't have wanted a shower that size either so.... This is totally new territory and it least it went fast. With that many gifts it could have taken hours!
ReplyDeleteOh... and I, too, am so curious about your dress!
Congrats on salad for all. I like the cake.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a good time, and yes i find it strange that she did not get to open her own presents.
ReplyDeletefun times.. What a wonderful salad..
ReplyDeleteWhile it's nice to see my gift opened by recipient, and it's fun to see some gifts opened by the recipient, 80 would get boring to just sit and watch. So while this assembly line approach was weird, at least it was time efficient.
ReplyDeleteMom's of the Bride are supposed to be guests at any shower, never are they to "throw," one. Interesting that this MOB was delegating to you. Hm. Shame on me for being a wedding cop again. Seems like I can't help myself!
That is one big shower event - bigger than a lot of wedding parties in England! Sounds like a fun day and a great success with your salad!
ReplyDeleteVery different from any shower I've been to, but I guess if Mocha was happy that's what matters. She and Venti look like a very happy couple! I hope you'll be sharing that salad recipe!! :)
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Java! Loved your post and the photos. And what a great idea your "40 bloggers" is. I've met so many great people already.
ReplyDeleteHi Java, lovely shower, but so big! And I would have had a hard time with that mom bossing me around, but I know sometimes we just have to keep our lips zipped!
ReplyDeleteOdd way opening gifts, its nice to see the bride open them, but with that many I can see how time consuming that would be..and I am sure when she got the gifts home she went through them one by one again.
Salad looked delish, too!
Barb
I got back on because I felt bad about my post all day. I agree with Ellie and say shame on me for being the "wedding police". I agree that waiting for a bride to open 80 gifts would take forever and be boring for guests. That's why I think a small shower would have been ideal, but that's just me. I had five separate showers with different groups of friends and they were all from 8-15(?) people.I hope the bride was happy with her day. Certainly the salad rocked! I hope you had a splendid time. It looks like the guys had a great time.
ReplyDeleteThe salad looks delicious, the couple is beautiful, and the day looked perfect!
ReplyDeleteWell, I wouldn't have been too happy, not getting to open my own presents! And, what about the traditional breaking of the ribbons...you know, however ribbons the bride breaks are how many kids she's going to have?
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear everything went well. The pics are beautiful, food looks yummy, especially your salad, and the cupcakes!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful couple your son and future dil make!
Oh, that salad is so delicious ... since you posted the recipe the first time, I've made it several times and love it! And the cupcakes look so cute the way they are displayed.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the shower went well. I guess the gift opening was a lot more efficient that way, although I would have missed out on opening my own gifts if it was me. I like that part! So much fun. But probably boring for all the people to sit there and watch.
You are such a trooper to take orders from Mocha's mother! It probably only happened because you looks so youthful that it was hard for her to remember you are actually the groom's mother. :D
Well, Java, I guess you can tell that we're all fans of weddings. This was a huge!!! shower, wasn't it? Is this the only one she'll have? What a beautiful couple. How's YOUR dress coming? Can't wait to see it....and you in it.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos to capture this special day. They are an adorable couple. Can't wait to see photos from the wedding.
ReplyDeleteYour salad sounds delish. Would you share the recipe.
Hugs,
Kat
looks like a great shower and your salad looks so yummy, I never heard of the bride not opening her presents but when all was said and done she sure got a lot of great stuff..every bride needs alot to get started!! So glad the guys had fun too..they make a beautiful couple!!! how far is the wedding bet your excited can't wait to see those pics...
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the shower was a huge success! How fun! I also love the fact that the men had a "Man Party". Success all around!
ReplyDeleteJust look at all those gifts! Yipee! The couple look so happy & cute together. . . made me smile.
ReplyDeleteWarmly, Michelle
What am amazing array of gifts (and food, yum). I remember being mother of the groom - you don't count, you get left out, your sort of superfluous (IF that is how the bride's side deals with it). I hated every moment of it until the wedding day - he was handsome, she was beautiful & that's all that mattered.
ReplyDeleteOh, and p.s., as long as Venti and Mocha get along and are amazingly happy, it just doesn't matter about her *side of the family* - one rehearsal dinner and one wedding day then it's all over and life goes on! Phew! She's beautiful, as is he!
ReplyDeleteVery strange indeed but isn't this the same shower that EVERYONE was invited to?
ReplyDeleteLooks like Mocha was happy though.
That is an amazing gathering. Glad it came off without a hitch. Lots of moms get a little crazy before the wedding so we'll give her a pass on that, but let's hope she cools it once the craziness is over. The boys party looked like more fun!
ReplyDeleteLoved looking at the pictures!! She got tons of gifts!
ReplyDelete