There’s nothing quite like the vibrant colors of a summer sunset, is there? I can’t think of a more perfect color palette than the beauty of an evening sky as inspiration for your tablescape this season! Join me as we take a detailed look at this stunning Summer Soirée, full of locally sourced decor, sustainably produced florals and tons of summer tablescape inspiration.
A fabulous way to pull together a gorgeous party table is to look to your surroundings for inspiration. When you apply the season, the location, or elements of the natural environment to your decor, it’s always a win! That’s exactly what Christine McFarlane Events did to style this tablescape – she pulled from the beautiful Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s waterfront setting and incorporated natural elements and sunset colors. Let’s take a look and find ways you can do the same at your next party…
Summer Tablescape & Centerpiece Ideas
Summer is superb for dining al fresco! This lovely handmade wood table from Honeywood Rentals creates a warm rustic feel for this dinner party. Foregoing other table linens, each place setting was grounded with a wooden charger plate topped with white, gold-rimmed dinner and salad plates, a handmade name card designed by Signs of Our Lives and a white linen napkin tied in a knot. The gold silverware is the perfect accent to the plates and the golden setting sun too, don’t you think?
The center of the table was decorated with locally grown flowers and designed by Violet Floral Designs. A swag of greenery ran the length of the table and was accented with a mixture of flowers in sunset colors – I just love the mix of oranges, pinks and yellows. And no table is complete without lighting! The tall orange taper candles in a bold orange looked elegant in brass candle holders lining the table.
A unique focus of this party was that whether locally made, vintage, or restored, all of the decor elements were made in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland. If you’re like me, it’s becoming increasingly important to make environmentally-friendly party decor choices and there are lots of ways to do just that. For example, you can:
- Support local businesses,
- Buy organic, fair-trade, compostable or recyclable products,
- Rent or borrow vintage or restored pieces,
- Find locally grown flowers and
- Repurpose party decor from one party to the next.
Summer Party Bar Cart
Want to take your backyard summer party up a notch? Create a cocktail station with an elegant vintage bar cart to serve your signature cocktail (here’s a similar mid-century styled bar cart)! This party featured a themed Maryland Mule and the cart was styled with a sheer swag, more orange candles and matching sunset florals. Consider adding a cute sign like this custom one from Signs of Our Lives so your guests know more about the cocktail they’re grabbing!
Outdoor Photo Backdrop Ideas
It’s always fun to have a special place for your friends and family to gather to take pictures so they can remember the party for years to come. When you’re outdoors, sometimes you have to get creative with where to set this up! I love the solution they came up with here by utilizing a nearby tree! Why not hang a white sheet (or a colored or patterned sheet) from a limb as your backdrop?! This sheet had a sweet hand-painted saying on it and Violet Floral Designs decorated the branch with a lovely array of summer flowers.
Summer Dessert Table
Finally, we can’t forget about dessert! Keeping with the simple rustic theme of the evening, a wooden table was decorated with the same white sheer used on the bar cart and held in place by three cake stands, each featuring a unique cake in sunset colors, designed by Whipped Cakes. The orange candles tied the dessert table to the dining table and bar cart and looked elegant in a mix of wooden and brass candlesticks.
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An outdoor Summer Soirée is an ideal way to gather friends and family this time of year! I hope you pulled some inspiration – whether for your tablescape, bar cart or photo backdrop – from this beautifully styled sunset inspired shoot! Be sure to Pin this post for later Party Planning!
Featured Vendors
- Photographer: Katherine Elizabeth Photography
- Reception Venue: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- Event Planner: Christine McFarlane Events
- Floral Designer: Violet Floral Designs
- Equipment Rentals: Honeywood Rentals; Something Vintage Rentals
- Calligrapher: Signs of Our Lives
- Cake Designer: Whipped Cakes
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