It’s summertime, which means one thing: it’s garden party season! We absolutely love our backyard, although it’s a city garden, it’s spacious enough to entertain a few guests, and is bright and quiet which makes it perfect for both relaxing and entertaining friends and family. Though hosting might seem stressful, it definitely doesn’t have to be. With my three tips to planning the perfect summer party, you’ll give your guests an affair to remember (and you’ll actually be able to enjoy it too!)
1. Create a seasonal tablescape.
A color scheme is key when creating your perfect table setting. With the summer sky as my backdrop, I went for a color scheme of cornflower blues, warm yellows mixed with rich terracotta shades. Suddenly the table felt like Southern Italy, so I ran with it and added more and more patterns and really filled the table up layering ceramics, adding different textures and a hand-embroidered linens and rattan placemats. You know I am a maximalist when it comes to decorating and entertaining. The tablescape reminded me of dinners out during our honeymoon in Positano, packed and pretty and over-indulgent.
2. Use fresh blooms.
Everyone knows I absolutely adore fresh flowers! When entertaining outdoors, I always grab a few seasonal florals that are easy to work with. Depending on where I’m styling them, they could sit in a large, statement vase as a focal point or even in tiny vases or pretty mugs if I’m using them as a stretched centrepiece along the table. I even incorporate fresh produce into my arrangements sometimes, which adds an unexpected pop of colour and texture to the table. Tip: Try to hold off on flowers until the day-of, to avoid them dropping in the heat and humidity.
3. Serve up sips and sweets.
We love hosting barbecues (Mackenzie is our grill master) but also aperitivos and afternoon teas. This time around I served fresh cocktails, lemonade and cake.
