Erin and friends at her bachelorette party.

I’ve been to a lot of bridal showers in my life and had a great time at all of them. I know some people groan at the idea of a bridal or baby shower, but there’s something fun about the ritual of showering a friend or family member with love, support, and gifts. Nothing is more fun, though, than your own shower. I’ve been lucky enough to have three bridal showers: one with Randy’s family, one with my friends in DC (including my bachelorette party), and one with my family. All three of them have been so wonderful in their own way.

Randy’s mom, Bonnie, threw me my first shower in Ohio, Randy’s home state. The shower was elegant and sweet, but the message behind it was what was important to me: “Welcome to our family.” I had met most of the women at the shower less than two years ago, but you’d never know it by their generosity and warmth.

My sister and matron of honor threw me a shower at Fontaine Caffé & Crêperie in Old Town. She invited a bunch of my girlfriends, and we spent the afternoon sampling sweet and savory crepes and drinking Champagne. That night we headed out to Café Salsa, also in Old Town, for Spanish food and sangria (and more Champagne!), followed by rooftop drinks at O’Connell’s. Although I had one accessory—a “Future Mrs.” sash made by my friend Stephanie—the bachelorette party was low-key, which was exactly what I wanted. I’ll never forget how good it felt to sit outside on a beautiful summer night, talking and laughing with some of my closest friends.

Finally, my two aunts, Joan and Tricia, threw me a family shower in New Jersey, where most of my mom’s extended family lives. The highlights of that shower were having my niece and nephew help me tear open the gifts, the awesome Barbie-bride cake that my grandma made me, and the hilarious game of bingo that went on for about two seconds before we realized that we all had the same bingo card.

Looking back on my bridal showers, I feel so grateful that I was able to celebrate with the women who have known and loved me all my life. I also feel really humbled that so many people took the time to help me celebrate this next big step in my life. The shower gifts are great, but the support of those women is what really made these events memorable.

To read Erin's story from the beginning, click here.