Setting Your Summer Table

Summer is the most popular time for cook-outs and barbeques.  And while these get-togethers tend to be rather casual, dressing up your dinner table can be a welcome change whether you’re serving hot dogs and hamburgers or seafood and steak.  While the holiday season is filled with sit-down dinners and quality time with family and friends, we tend to eat our meals “on-the-go” at the summertime get-togethers.  But this doesn’t mean your summertime dinner table needs to be elaborately decorated – in fact, the simpler the better.  Use these summer table setting tips to surprise and impress your guests this summer.

Keep things natural.

Summer is the best time of the year to bring nature inside.  Set the table with simple placemats, dishes, and a napkin wrapped around a beautiful bundle of grass blades.  Try it for an effect like the one in this dining area designed by Catherine-Lucie Horber.

Make it functional.

Make everything available to your guests by gracefully leaving it out on the table.  Include water bottles, lemons, dishes, and silverware for guests to use when they’re ready.  Make it beautiful with a touch of greenery and other dishes for décor.

Be prepared for outdoor dining.

If the table you’re setting is outside, be prepared for all elements.  Have a backup plan for rain – whether that’s moving the table under a porch or moving the party indoors completely.  For dining in the daylight, make sure to have an umbrella for those who prefer to sit in the shade.  Finally, for summer evening meals, decorate the table with citronella candles to provide light and keep the mosquitoes away.

Have fun with it.

Left to right: Bowribbonsandpearls.tumblr.com,  FreePatterns.com, and ButterCream-BakeHouse.com

While setting the table may seem like a chore, decorating is certainly not.  Have fun decorating your table with themed placemats, easy-to-make centerpieces, or even nautical silverware holders tied with a mint for after dinner.