This post was sponsored by AVA Grace Vineyards. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!
Summer is the season of al fresco dining and I’m so excited to share with you all a recent dinner party I threw in collaboration with AVA Grace, a delicious brand of wines! I love to host parties and decorate tablescapes almost as much as I hate to cook so this post will have three easy steps for planning a low-stress dinner party of your own and spoiler alert, cooking isn’t one of them.
The first step in planning an outdoor summer dinner party is to start with inspiration. Maybe it’s a signature drink, a favorite bottle of wine, a family dish that you love or a set of plates you can’t wait to use. Just start somewhere and make all of the decisions around that one piece of inspiration. I planned this entire dinner with the premise of introducing everyone to a brand of wine I love, AVA Grace. Sourced from the world’s most fruitful wine-producing regions, these wines are beautifully balanced with exceptional quality and taste. The pinot grigio is zesty and bright with flavors of honeysuckle and lime while the rosé showcases a fresh, crisp dry style with flavors of apricot and honeysuckle.
Dress / Dainty Necklace / Layered Necklaces
The second step for planning a summer dinner party is to nail down the tablescape details and color palette. Because let’s be honest if it’s pretty people won’t care as much if you screw up dinner a tad. For this tablescape I knew I wanted to pour the rosé for pops of color on the table. I always love a little garnish in a glass and just couldn’t pass up these pretty yellow straws as an accent to the beautiful coral of the rosé. (Just to look at not to drink through, of course.) From there my color palette evolved to include these vibrant lemon melamine plates, gold accents and this buffalo check paper runner that I’m obsessed with! I always love to add layers to a tablescape so I started with the paper runner, added gold paper chargers and then the lemon melamine plates. I finished off the table setting with a pretty gold and white pineapple napkin and mini topiaries. If you were having a seated dinner you could use a gold chalk pen and write names on the bases of these topiaries! Another crucial component of a dinner party is ambiance and aroma. Delicious smelling candles and fresh flowers are always a must and make the table feel warm and inviting while simultaneously making everything smell heavenly.
Dress / Dainty Necklace / Layered Necklaces
The third and final step for planning an outdoor summer dinner party is to cook as little as possible. Seriously, why would you want to be in a sweaty and hot kitchen when you could be outside enjoying your guests and sipping your favorite rosé?!? I literally took one trip to fresh market on my way to my in-laws for dinner and got everything I needed! I visited the deli and selected a bacon potato salad and a lemon orzo with spinach. Then I went to the salad section and picked up a bag of kale salad with poppyseed dressing and grabbed a few avocado and heirloom tomatoes to slice on top. For the main dish I went with a no fail option, kabobs. And lastly I got a bag full of lemons to decorate the kabob plate with and for people to use to garnish their meal. If buying pre-made food when entertaining is wrong I don’t want to be right!
Dress / Dainty Necklace / Layered Necklaces
So what do you think? Is your mouth watering for some AVA Grace wine? I have convinced you to plan your own summer outdoor dinner party? Do you need these napkins in your life? Hopefully it’s yes to all of the above! Now let’s chat sources.
Rosé & Pinot Grigio – AVA Grace
Buffalo Check Runner, Gold Chargers, Lemon Melamine Plates, Lemon Melamine Serving Dish, Pineapple Napkins, Cocktail Napkins, Yellow Straws, Gold Candles, Topiaries, Shatterproof Glasses – All from Swoozies! (Also, through August 1st you can save 20% off at Swoozies w/ promo code SOUTHERNSTYLE)
Photos by Katheryn Blythe.
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