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Life On Virginia Street

Life On Virginia Street

DIY . Home Decor . Travel . Style . Life

Tips for Simple Summer Entertaining

Entertaining and Party Ideas, Landscaping and Outdoor Spaces, Tablescapes

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Try one or all of my simple tips for entertaining in the summer and watch your guests be very impressed!

This is a sponsored post for IKEA U.S., where I am a 2017 Brand Ambassadör. As always, all thought and opinions are my own.

If I could eat every single meal outside, I would. However, living in Nebraska, it’s not always an option! So, in the warmer months, I make every effort to eat outside as much as possible. Today I wanted to share some tips for simple summer entertaining with style!

 Love the colorful outdoor lanterns, pineapple centerpiece and turquoise table runners on the outdoor table.

Up close picture of the cheese and meat platter, and a jug full of juice and fresh fruit.

Skip the Fancy Centerpieces

Your table can still have a party vibe without a fancy centerpieces. I picked up three fresh pineapples at the grocery store, and used two of these SOMMAR table runners to add some bold personality to the tablescape.

Three pineapples in the centre of the table.

Add to the Ambiance with Fun Lighting

The addition of whimsical string lights, fairy lights, lanterns, etc. help to add a magical feel to your outdoor parties, especially at night! I opted to use these patterned SOLVINDEN pendant lamps (found here, here and here). Although this was a day-time spread, the lanterns are solar powered and have built-in LED lights that create such a cool vibe at night! We had them hung in about ten minutes with some string and push pins! They’d also be beautiful hung in trees throughout a yard! This ambient lighting can make even the most basic of meals feel special!

 Love the colorful blue and aqua outdoor lanterns, pineapple centerpiece and turquoise table runners.

Get Creative with Serving Pieces

I love the SOMMAR pitcher because there is a clever long, freezable insert that goes down the center of the pitcher and connects to the lid. It makes your drinks really cold without watering them down with ice!

A drink pitcher with a frozen insert to keep the drink cool while being outside.

I also love to add water in unique containers to make it feel just a bit fancier. These SOMMAR bottles with stoppers are the perfect solution! And the pretty pattern on the glass coordinates so well with the other items.

Water in a clear glass jar with a pattern on it.

Plan Out Your “Anchors”

To plan for windy days (or “every day” as we call it in Nebraska), coordinate to have some anchors to hold down decor items that can blow away. To go with the fruit theme, I simply used some clementine oranges to hold down the napkins at the place settings. I then used the gold pineapple straw vessels at each end of the table to anchor the extra napkins there. Your anchors can look like intentional parts of your decor, even if their purpose is to solely stop items from blowing away!

A white plate with a blue and yellow napkin and an orange on the napkin to hold it down in the wind.

Add In Some Color

When hosting a party outside, keep in mind that the sunlight tends to wash out colors. I love to use bright and saturated colors for outdoor entertaining. These colorful SOMMAR napkins (I used this set and this set) are incredibly affordable and coordinate perfectly with the lanterns.

Bright colors on the table in the runner and napkins.

If being obsessed with straws is a thing, then I’m definitely obsessed with the SÖTVATTEN straws. It may be hard to tell in the pictures, but they are bigger than traditional straws, and I absolutely love the combination of colors included! Plus, they’re only $1.99 for a 100 pack! These green SOMMAR glasses are also a perfect addition!

Bright pink, blue, white and yellow straws in a gold container on the table.

Have a Back-Up Plan

If you don’t have a covered space, plan to have an indoor backup plan for bad weather. By ensuring you use serving pieces that are easily mobile, you should be able to move things indoors in a hurry if necessary! The FASCINERA chopping board is great for food prep, but is also the perfect size for a large meat and cheese spread. And it’s super mobile and easy to carry!

Bread, cheese, olives, and meat on a wooden board.

An aerial view of the table with the bright lanterns, and the table decorated for guests.

Remember, simplicity really is key when entertaining! Keep your menu simple so that you can spend more time enjoying your guests and spend less time executing your plans. Yay for summer parties!

For a fun indoor summer tablescape idea, be sure to check out this summer lemon and stripes tablescape too!

Thank you to IKEA U.S. for sponsoring today’s post! IKEA is a registered trademark of Inter IKEA Systems B.V. and is used with permission. The views, ideas and opinions expressed here are my own.

If you would like to follow along on more of my home decor, DIY, lifestyle, travel and other posts, I’d love to have you follow me on any of the following:

Pinterest / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Google+

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May 22, 2017 · 9 Comments

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Comments

  1. Jenny@EvolutionofStyle says

    May 22, 2017 at 7:21 am

    Love the lanterns! What a great idea, and even better that they have battery powered lights. I have a graduation party coming up and can imagine having these hanging from my trees in the backyard. Might have to make a trip to IKEA. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Kristen Woolsey says

    May 22, 2017 at 8:51 am

    The orange anchor idea is SO brilliant! Simple, but effective. I’d eat outside all the time too!

    Reply
  3. Jennifer Griffin says

    May 22, 2017 at 9:13 am

    Perfect setup, looks so inviting!

    Reply
  4. Pamela Branham says

    May 22, 2017 at 11:51 am

    Beautiful setting. Love the lanterns.

    Reply
  5. Rachel says

    May 23, 2017 at 11:48 am

    Hi there! Loving these lanterns! Great for our patio! Anchor is great too!

    Check out my blog if you have time! http://www.simplesouthernlife.com
    Thanks, Rachel

    Reply
  6. Megan | Adventure & Home says

    May 23, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    This spread is so fun and fresh! I love that you used the runners in the opposite direction most people think of spreading them! I love them so much better this way. They really pop. I love using fruit as a centerpiece, too. There’s so much available during the summer, it’s an easy choice!

    Reply
  7. Ursula Rosien says

    June 28, 2017 at 10:53 am

    Those paper lanterns are beyond cool! I so badly want to throw an outdoor gathering now ???? Thank you for all the tips ;(
    Ursula @ Kraft&mint blog modern DIYs
    http://kraftmint.com

    Reply
  8. Allison says

    May 31, 2019 at 6:56 am

    Love all the decor! I am currently shopping for new patio furniture and it’s overwhelming! Any tips?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      June 3, 2019 at 7:55 am

      Thank you! I actually just wrote a post with my tips on what to look for in outdoor furniture/decor. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful! https://lifeonvirginiastreet.com/2019/05/the-ultimate-guide-to-outdoor-furniture-decor/

      Reply

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