Is a summertime get together on your agenda in the coming weeks? When it comes to entertaining, you might feel the need to switch up how you do it—from your table setting to your decorations and everything in between. Here are a few new ways to do that:
Back-to-basics presentation: Dinner at the country club might call for ornate silverware, elegant place settings and abundant floral centerpieces—but you might not need all that for your summertime dinner party or brunch get together. Think for a while about the formality of your event; friends, family or neighbors getting together may prefer the subtleness of a simpler table! This might include a nice solid tablecloth and smaller place settings that take up less table space. Of course, if you’re gathering loved ones together for a special meal, you’ll want them to talk to each other! Let them talk by keeping flowery centerpieces smaller and more compact—your guests will thank you for fostering conversation.
Natural look: A natural look for your lunch or dinner table is a fresh, new idea—and it might fit in just right with your occasion! A burlap table runner and glass bowl of lemons or freshly picked fruits and vegetables are a few ways to get the natural look. Tie together your guests’ napkins and silverware with delicate twine bows!
Carefree chic: We’ve all experienced it: dinner is running behind, but your guests are just around the corner! How will you have time to get everything neatly set up and ready to serve? Maybe you don’t! A more carefree approach to how you present and serve your dishes can look just great—not necessarily “thrown together” like you might expect. Think about simpler solutions like clear glass plates and serving bowls and mason jars for garnishes, sweets and other small pieces of food. We’ve even seen a nice wooden cutting board used as a serving tray for cheese, bread and fruit. When you use the simplest, most understated and sometimes casual dining ware, you can draw more attention to what’s really important—the delicious food you spent so long preparing!
Color blocking: Are you sticking with a simpler table setting? Keep your plates, napkins and centerpiece from looking mismatched by unifying them with a common color. This can be a bright blue or yellow for summer, but you can really pick whatever you prefer—as long as it ties together separate pieces, it will do its job in a fun, attractive way.
Creative party favors: Party favors are too often given little thought, and sometimes are forgotten completely! Let your guests remember your event for time to come by sending them off with a unique party favor. Think about something that’s unique, personal, or functional… or all three! If you prepared cookies for the day that your guests just loved, you can leave them with a nice jar full of the flour, chocolate chips, sugar and other ingredients they’ll need to replicate the recipe themselves. Did you throw a gardening party? Seed packets with gift tags can double as placeholders and small gifts to bring home.
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