Do you need some amazing summer dinner party ideas? Here you will find how you can incorporate those costal tones into your summer dinner party tablescape, along with yummy food ideas and game suggestions.
Ahhhh! Summertime! My favorite time of year. Is it yours, too? I love to be able to dine outside and enjoy the warmer temperatures. Here in Michigan, it takes a while to warm up, so when it comes, we have to savor every minute.
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Summer Dinner Party Tablescape
Coastal Color Tones
I love bringing the surroundings of the venue to my tables. Can you see how the warm brown tones mimicked the color of sand as well as the picnic table?
If I was hosting this summer dinner party in a garden, it might make more sense for me to add similar colors of the surrounding flowers and perennials. When gathering your summer dinner party ideas, consider where you will be hosting and what colors will be around you. If you incorporate that color scheme, it will make your summer entertaining experience more cohesive and your guests will see your intentionality.
Centerpiece
White blooms from the wisteria were draped over the back of the boat centerpiece which beautifully mimicked a wake. The wicker boat treasure was found at Homegoods and the faux wisteria florals can be found at Walmart. I also considered placing a wooden pelican perched on logs as the focal point. Click here to see this fun Amazon find as another centerpiece option.
I decided to make the centerpiece more asymmetrical rather than symmetrical on the picnic table because of its narrow width. Do what works best for your space.
Dishes, Glasses and More
Woven burlap placements were laid under the gorgeous blue and white melamine dishes. My heart settled on these because they weren’t uber coastal, but had just a fun summer look to them.
Melamine dishes are my favorite to use for outdoor entertaining because of their durability. These gorgeous waved melamine dishes, from Amazon, were perfectly paired next to the crystal-clear fisherman’s rope-textured glasses from Homegoods.
I opted to keep them open-faced because I wanted to showcase their beauty. Laying a larger white dinner plate underneath was simply for esthetic layering purposes. The blue linen napkins as a plate topper softened the look and immediately elevated it to feel like a more sophisticated summer dinner party.
The gorgeous white roped candle votives were found at, wait for it; you won’t believe it but it’s true; the Dollar Tree. Go get yours! And, use battery-operated candles in your votives if it’s a breezy summer evening so they remain lit. You can find those on Amazon.
Tablecloth
This outdoor table cloth was an Amazon MUST! I immediately fell in love with the knotted rope design. Using a vinyl flannel-backed tablecloth is the best idea for an outdoor summer dinner party because of its durability.
Flatware
Do you see what I see? No, not the Christmas song! Do you see the dented coral I can see in this flatware? They were screaming ocean coral to me when I found them at Walmart and had to add them as the finishing touch to my summer dinner party idea.
Summer Dinner Party Food Ideas
- BBQ Chicken
- Chicken and Steak Kabobs
- Burgers
- Hot Dogs
- Baked Beans
- Corn on the Cob
- Potato Salad
- Pasta Salad
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad
- Cobb Salad
- Traditional Salad
- Watermelon Salad
- Caprese Salad
- Veggie Platter
- Grilled Asparagus
- Grilled Baked Potatoes
- Grilled Zucchini
- Cold Broccoli and Bacon Salad
- Waldorf Salad
- Fruit Salad
- Apple Pie
- Rhubarb Pie
- Strawberry Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- Lemon Bars
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Smores
- Rice Krispies Treats
- Ice Cream Bars
Outdoor Summer Dinner Party Game Ideas
- Horseshoes
- Cornhole
- Badminton
- Volleyball
- Bocce Ball
- Spikeball
- Croquet
- Ladder Golf
- Giant Tumble Tower (Think Jenga)
- Flying Disc Game
Conclusion
I hope you were able to take some of these summer dinner party ideas and incorporate them into your party planning. Summer gatherings are the best in my opinion because you get to be outside enjoying the fresh air and nature, all the while having good food, fun and conversations with your guests.
P.S. A Note of Encouragement
If by chance your summer party planning throws you a curve ball of any sort, be encouraged and know that you are not the only one this has happened to. Just know, it happened because there was a better layout or better outcome. Stay positive and don’t let it ruffle your feathers or distract you from enjoying your gathering or guests.