The best way to take the stress out of entertaining is to prepare as much as possible ahead of time so that you are not doing all the work when your guests arrive. Everything from cooking dishes ahead of time to setting the table and sprucing up your entertaining space well before, will make things much easier. Consider ordering food already made if time is tight and you don't like to cook. Let guests help you. Enlist a friend or family member to help you set up. When it's time to clean up let guests assist. Sometimes our best conversations are at the kitchen sink. Most importantly, relax. Everyone enjoys themselves much more if the host is relaxed including the host.
Tips on Spectacular Spring Entertaining!
unforgettable, Understated & Elegant Gatherings
As the weather warms up, we think more about entertaining friends and family Alfresco. Outdoor dining, barbeques and even picnics can be both casual and elegant as well as unforgettable...by including special serving dishes, centerpieces, linens and placemats. Set up a charcuterie board ahead of time. Use beautiful Natural Wood Charcuterie Boards to present casual spreads, cheeses and breads to make entertaining festive. Unique serving dishes like our oven-safe Mussel Serving Bowls make great center pieces that also function as a wonderful way to present a favorite casserole. Ask your guests to bring a dish. Guests enjoy bringing one of their specialties and it makes it less work for you. Use trays to carry things outdoors. The Handmade Burmese Rattan Trays come in handy and add a natural touch to any table setting. You can fill a tray with cutlery wrapped in napkins for easy casual dining.
Table Top & Serving
"We shape our homes and then our homes shape us." - Winston Churchill
Creating a home that gives us comfort as well as a place to share with friends and family, is one of life's great pleasures. It is what shapes us and gives us memories. Spring is the perfect time to freshen up your outdoors for entertaining. Configure your space to invite relaxation and conversation. A large dining table on the deck and comfortable seating around a fire pit will make entertaining easy. Add a colorful outdoor rug and throw pillows to make it fresh. Small details make a big impact. Add sparkle and richness with our Handmade Teak Plank Serving Tray. Plan a beverage bar to free up your time. Set out everything your guests need to help themselves...glasses, napkins, mixers, garnishes. Guests will love mixing up special cocktails at Happy Hour with the Gorgeous Shiny Brass Finish Barware Set. Presentation is everything! Each piece is beautifully made to last and your guests will love the attention to detail.
The Handcrafted Wood Plank Tray is inspired by the deck of a luxury vessel and adds an understated elegance to any gathering. Whether you are out for a sunset cruise or dining on your backyard deck, impress your guests with great style. Perfect for serving cheeses, shrimp cocktail or steaks off the grill.
The
Shiny Brass Etched Metal Barware Collection has a crisscross pattern to give it depth and richness. It makes cocktail making fun.
dinnerware, centerpieces and placemats
Set your table before the guests arrive. Instead of paper plates or flimsy dishes, use casually elegant stoneware dishes. Stoneware dishes like our Isla Dinnerware Collection are durable enough to use outdoors. The bold indigo tie-dye-like pattern has a sea urchin-esque texture. The variations in each piece give it an eclectic feel and make dining outdoors more special. Centerpieces are not always just flowers. A large bowl of colorful fruit is a nice change. Our Natural Wood Dough Bowls or Hand-Thrown Pottery Bowls are great for displaying a large bowl of lemons, tangerines or any vibrant fruit or vegetable as a centerpiece. Our Natural Seagrass Placemats add beautiful texture to your table setting.
Candle Centerpiece & Colorful Napkins
For a unique nautical twist add our Oyster Shell Hurricane to your table setting - It makes a great centerpiece - or use two with a bowl of fruit or fresh cut flowers in between them. Vibrant linen napkins are an easy way to freshen your table setting.
Table Accessories
Bring the outdoors in for those cooler evenings. Add Stone coasters, Sea Glass colored bowls, large pieces of coral, fresh cut flowers and scented candles to fill all the senses with a natural atmosphere.
F.A.Q
What is the best way to keep entertaining easy and less stressful?
What can I do to keep guests entertained?
Guests love a beautiful table setting, comfortable places to sit and talk, a firepit to relax by, good music and even some great games. Some games that we love are Conversation Starters - Table Topics, Charades. If it's a casual afternoon, Croquet, Corn Hole and Bocce are favorites. Maybe someone on your gust list plays the guitar? Ask them ahead of time if they would play a few songs. That makes it so festive and fun. I have many memories of childhood family gatherings where my grandmother played the Mandolin and my grandfather played the accordion. Those are memories I will never forget. That is what makes gatherings unforgettable.
We always choose soft soothing colors for bedroom walls. Some of our favorite paints for bedrooms are Benjamin Moore Seafoam, Benjamin Moore Chantilly lace, Benjamin Moore Silver Cloud and Sherwin Williams Sea Salt.