Tips for Entertaining Outdoors and Creating a Summery Tabletop

Entertaining outdoors is one of summer’s greatest pleasures. And we like to do it up in style! So when a dear client, Bridget, asked us to help plan a summer soiree in her Capitol Hill garden earlier in the season, we happily agreed.  We’re thrilled to share that Flower Magazine was on hand to capture our party preparations for the “Southern Hospitality on the Hill” feature in their July-August 2022 issue. I’m sharing some additional behind-the-scenes shots and offering my top tips for creating a memorable outdoor tablescape. There are plenty of warm days ahead to host a garden party in your own backyard!

Designing a Capitol Hill Gem

Bridget and her husband, Charles, live in a historic Capitol Hill row house with the most enchanting front and back gardens.

How gorgeous is this colorful corner of their front yard? I’m sure the birds enjoy it too!

We had the honor of designing the Capitol Hill interiors a few years ago and enlivened the home’s traditional bones with sophisticated florals and unexpected shades of lavender.

Bridget, who hails from Louisiana, and I bonded over our shared Southern roots and love of Southern hospitality. As we planned the outdoor celebration, we took our inspiration from the interior design.

Setting the Stage

The front courtyard set the festive tone. We wanted to create a sense of welcome right from the get-go. Big pots of begonias on the round garden table greeted guests as they made their way up the brick walkway to the front door.

Even though our focus was on the outdoor spaces, we didn’t overlook the interior. Bridget and I worked with Ursula Gunther at fleursDC to design floral arrangements for both inside and out.

For instance, guests passed this pretty hallway vignette, with a silver compote filled with roses and more adorning an antique demilune table, on their way to the backyard.

Making Backyard Magic

Our clients’ magical backyard oasis boasts many charming moments, such as this leafy arbor arching over the aged brick wall.

It serves as the perfect backdrop for entertaining outdoors. Fresh hydrangeas adorn the lemonade drinks station.

Creating a Summery Tablescape

Taking the time to set a stunning table — whether you’re dining indoors or out — is a lovely way to make guests feel special. Plus, a thoughtfully planned tablescape establishes a party mood. Bridget and I had a ball preparing for her summer soirée.

Here are my top five tips for entertaining outdoors and creating  a celebratory tabletop — as illustrated by the one I designed for my client’s backyard bash.

Lay an elegant foundation – Treat an outdoor dining table just as you would an indoor one and cover it with a beautiful linen cloth. This green and pink number takes its color cues from the garden. Linen napkins elevate an outdoor affair too.

Add natural texture – Layers create interest in any design scheme, and organic textures feel just right in an outdoor setting. Here, we layered hand-woven, rattan placements over the tablecloth. The mats not only add interest and depth but also help define each place setting. And the square shape provides a nice counterpoint to the round dinner plates.

Mix it up – Don’t be bashful about mixing colors and styles when it comes to glassware and china. For this table, we combined green stemware with clear old fashioned glasses etched with a fleur de lis motif (in a nod to my clients’ Louisiana roots). We topped a white dinner plate, sporting a basket-weave border, with a scalloped-edge salad plate in alternating shades of periwinkle and pale gray. Atop each square salad plate sits a smaller round plate, scattered with gold polka dots.

Festoon with flowers – No proper Southern table is complete without a lavish display of flowers. Fresh cuttings from the garden can do the job beautifully, as we demonstrated here. To adorn my clients’ outdoor tables, I gathered hydrangeas of varying hues from the garden of a sweet neighbor and asked Ursula of fleursDC to create a long, relatively low arrangement that would allow conversation but still make a floral statement. Scattered among the hydrangeas, jewel-toned anemones add a touch of whimsy.

Make it personal – It’s the extra touches that make a tabletop memorable. In addition to the main centerpiece, we placed a petit floral arrangement at each setting. These mini hydrangea moments served as perfect party favors at the end of the evening. We also casually tucked a hand-written place card beside each individual arrangement.

Entertaining Outdoors in Style

In sum, pull out your beautiful things…go a little overboard with the flowers…make your guests feel special. These are the ingredients for any special soiree.

Speaking of ingredients, my talented client whipped up these delightful cookies to treat her guests.

We are trying to squeeze every bit of summertime fun out of these last few weeks. We hope you enjoy these last magical weeks of summer and host a garden party or two of your own.