“Bachelor”'s Hannah Ann Sluss Celebrates Before Wedding to Jake Funk with Spring-Themed Bridal Shower (Exclusive)

"It was honestly one of the most beautiful days," the former Bachelor star tells PEOPLE exclusively

Hannah Ann Sluss is gearing up for her wedding day!

On Wednesday, the former Bachelor star, 27, hosted a bridal shower in Nashville, Tennessee, alongside 40 of her closest family and friends to celebrate her upcoming nuptials to NFL player Jake Funk.

When choosing the venue for the party, the Knoxville native told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that she wanted to reconnect with her southern roots. "I have family there, and I spent some time there in my early twenties," she explained of selecting 1 Hotel Nashville for the location of the event.

"So I thought it was the perfect place, a perfect meeting point for old friends, new friends, everyone to come together. And it was honestly one of the most beautiful days," she continued.

Related: 'Bachelor' Alum Hannah Ann Sluss Is Engaged to NFL Boyfriend Jake Funk: 'She Said Yes!'

For the occasion, Sluss collaborated with Elemis, a skincare brand, which helped bring her spring-themed bridal party vision to life. Through the brand, each guest also received an exclusive gift bag to introduce the Hannah Ann x Elemis Coastal Glow Collaboration.

Elemis also worked with Sluss to coordinate with her blue color scheme and adorned the tables with hydrangeas from The Florista. She noted that from the moment guests entered the room, they could smell the flowers. "It was so stunning. I love doing floral arrangements, so I like how we incorporated that."

Her SAU LEE dress, a low-cut, white mini with embroidered floral detailing featured a slit on the side. Although she loved her heels, Sluss added that "after standing around for four hours, I'm like, I don't care how it looks. I'm wearing sneakers to the reception party!"

The bride-to-be also revealed that she only got the dress the day before leaving and realized it was too big. "When we got to Nashville, I found a woman down the street from my hotel, and she was able to fix it up for me last minute," says Sluss. "There's never a big event without some sort of wardrobe malfunction!"

Related: 'Bachelor' Alum Hannah Ann Sluss Shares Photos from Her 'Engagement Moon' with NFL Fiancé Jake Funk

During the brunch festivities, guests dined on biscuits, home fries, and fruit, however, Sluss didn't have much time to enjoy the food. "I barely even ate because I was making my rounds around the room thanking people for coming. We had people that flew in for it. We had people that were local driving in. So I just really wanted to go around the room and just show each person who was able to come that I appreciated them being there."

Among those who came to celebrate with Sluss was former co-star Victoria Fuller.

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Sluss also mentioned that when planning for the big day, she knew she wanted to have activities for people to participate in.

During the party, she had a "bloom bar" set up where people could go up and pick out flowers. She also hired Lauren Obrien, a live painter, who painted people on the spot and set up a dessert and mimosa bar. During the party, Funk also made a brief appearance and helped his fiancée cut the cake.

"It started to sink in and it also just reminded me of how fast these events go and just not to worry about the details, because at the end of the day, your friends and your family, they're coming to see you and that's most important to them. So don't stress about anything," she says.

"I feel like the wedding prep has been enjoyable. I have leaned into taking care of myself from the inside out more. So I'm just ready for it to be here. I feel like there's a lot of leading up to it and I feel like everything's just been super smooth. I'm just ready for the day to be here."

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