There’s something wonderfully exciting about hosting an intimate summer party, particularly one sitting around your dinner table with your most loved. Gather your friends and family, pull out your favourite recipes, and prepare to create memories. But first, your summer soiree needs to be set up. So, without further ado, here are our top 6 essentials for setting the perfect summer party dining experience.
1. Choosing the Right Dining and Seating
The Heart of the Party: The Dining Table
Dining Room Chairs and Benches
A dining table with no dining room chairs is like a book with no pages - it’s simply not complete, and arguably, quite useless. Comfortable seating is the key to making your guests feel welcome and at ease. A dining table and bench combination creates a relaxed environment, and is perfect for squeezing on extra people at your summer party. Dining room chairs offer a more formal setting, with a more sleek appearance. We love to mix and match benches and chairs together for a more characterful dining table, such as styling together the French Farmhouse Wicker Dining Chair with the Hans Farmhouse Elm Dining Bench.
2. Versatile Summer Party Dinnerware
Much like with the dining table, dinnerware doesn’t need to be an especially bought party essential. Simply make dinner parties a consideration when investing in your tabletop crockery. Some people love to have ‘special occasion’ dinnerware, others simply style their everyday dinnerware a little differently for a summer party, or special event. In the interest of curating a well loved, and well used timeless collection of dinnerware, we recommend investing in one set of high quality, robust products that fit all occasions and last throughout the years.
White dinnerware sets can be styled in a plethora of ways, perfect for the everyday, and can also be beautifully elevated. The St Ives Collection is the perfect understated dinnerware range that can adapt to both your personal style, and every occasion. The St Ives Dinner Plates are fit for a bright, relaxed summer party setting, or an intimate evening summer party when elevated with St Ives White Pure Linen Napkins and elegant accessories.3. Glassware Party Essentials
Having a well-stocked glassware collection is essential to set any summer party dining table. Intimate evening dinner? Sleek red wine glasses. Summer party to catch up with old friends? Cocktail glasses to get the conversation going. Ladies summer party brunch? Champagne glasses for the all important morning fizz. And no dinner table is complete without water tumblers for your guests. Whether your tipple of choice is wine, cocktails, or something no-alcoholic, everything tastes better in beautiful glassware.
4. Servingware to Impress Your Guests
Servingware is both functional, and decorative - and what more could you want when setting the perfect summer party dining table? Kick off your summer party by delivering a beautifully presented platter with artisanal cheese and fruits. Or finish it off with a delicious shared dessert. The Kumasi Wooden Chopping Board is a charming option which will not only make your food look all the more delicious, but will also add a touch of rustic charm to the dining table. Wooden servingware pieces are great for more casual dining, as they create a warmer, cosy farmhouse atmosphere. For a summer party on the sophisticated side, opt for white ceramic servingware that complements your dinner plates. Overall, look for unique, eye-catching pieces that complement your overall theme, and your dinnerware and setting.
5. Summer Party Centrepieces
Creating a Focal Point
Centrepieces are the finishing touches that bring your summer party dining table to life, making them significantly more memorable. One of our favourite ways to centre your dining table is intertwining this point with number 4. At a dinner party, the food should be centre stage - so make it beautiful. Think outside the box; did you ever consider that the Cartmel Reclaimed Plank Bath Board could be used as a charcuterie board? It’s the perfect size for people from all ends of the table to graze away at its contents. It’s beautiful, functional, and a memorable showstopper for all your guests. Not to mention extremely easy to clear away ready for the next course.
Summer Settings
In line with the summer party theme, this gorgeous reclaimed plank bath board can also be filled with flowers and small trinkets. This is the perfect way to have your table beautifully decorated, but move it away once food is served, or you need more space. Choosing elements that reflect the spirit of the season also sets aside your summer party dining table from the everyday. Think bright blooms, natural designs, and light and airy additions. For a smaller focal point, perhaps fill a vase with fresh seasonal flowers. Even a decorative bowl full of summer fruits to brighten up the table.
6. Be the Most Chilled Host With a Wine Cooler
A wine cooler can be a game-changer for your summer party. It adds a touch of luxury and convenience that guests will truly appreciate. And as the host, it means you will spend less time walking to and from the fridge for top-ups, so I’m sure you will appreciate it too. Whether you’re serving wine, champagne, or other beverages, a wine cooler ensures they’re always perfectly chilled. The Victoria Silver Champagne Bucket is a striking option, acting as a sophisticated decorative piece in itself. The Andreas Stoneware Ice Bucket is a slightly more understated option that will blend into any summer party dining table.
Now You're Ready to set the Perfect Summer Party Dining Table
Setting the perfect dining table for your summer party is combining style, functionality, and a touch of personal flair. By focusing on these six party essentials – the right dining table and seating, elegant dinnerware, stylish glassware, decorative servingware, eye-catching centrepieces, and a wine cooler – you’ll create an inviting and memorable dining experience for your guests. You’re sure to be the host with the most.
