Ultimate wedding & party destination since 2009

Summer outdoor entertaining with Crate and Barrel

July 12, 2017
summer outdoor entertaining

Hi, friends! Just a little mid-July check-in for ya. Have you all hosted any summer parties of your own yet? When building that Gift Registry, it’s a little tough to think of all the entertaining you’ll do as marrieds during the course of a year. But when the weather’s THIS nice, you’re bound to be outdoors every weekend, which is why we’re all about the backyard party in our latest shoot with Crate and Barrel. As always, we reccomend aiming for a Registry complete with a solid balance of everyday staples that you’ll keep around once you bring the dinner parties back inside AND a few special, summer-specific pieces that will elevate your guests’ experience. After all, they’re the very people that will celebrate with you during the wedding and sunny, carefree weekend after.

1. Bar decor. Whether you deck out an entire bar area or roll the bar cart outside, a festive garland (thanks, Honey and Poppies!) will make it look more at-home outside. Plus, you want everyone to know exaaaactly where the party starts. Mildly obsessed with how the Tig Metal Bar Stools look here!

summer cocktails

2. Cocktails. When it comes to a killer summer cocktail, the idea is light, fruity, refreshing, and full of color. Enter, Indian Summer Punch courtesy of The Whaling Club

Indian Summer Punch
• 3 ripe strawberries
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz peach liqueur
• 3/4 oz anejo rum
• 3/4 oz cognac
• fresh sage

Combine ingredients (except strawberries + sage) in a shaking tin. Muddle strawberries in a Peak Highball Glass, add crushed ice, pour other ingredients over ice, and mound with more crushed ice. Garnish generously with a fresh sage bouquet and straw. 

shrimp skewers

Once you have an idea for the type of sips you want to serve, you can go about pairing them with light apps to whet the appetite…

summer outdoor entertaining

3. Appetizers. In our case, prawn skewers and grilled fruit crostini via Haute Chefs. All grilled everything! Cakies, if you’re not using a Himalayan Salt Block for grilling, get one on the Registry. You can use them for both hot + cold foods, and they hold the temperature super well while helping you season it perfectly. (Not that there’s anything wrong with trying it out just ’cause it’s the prettiest way to serve up those bites…)

grilled peach crostini

You can even bring in natural elements to garnish the food. Adds a little interest to a classic set of Hue White Dinner Plates while maintaining the laidback vibe of a summer gathering.

summer outdoor entertaining

4. Seating. Isn’t the Rowden Crochet Pouf so sweet outdoors? Adding a few separate areas for lounge seating allows guests to sip and chat before and after the meal. It doesn’t have to take up a ton of space to be beautiful and inviting, either.

summer florals

5. Music. Lastly, don’t forget to prep a good summer playlist! May we reccomend…

“Cavaquinho” by Luis Bonfa and Maria Toledo
“And I Love Her (Mi Gran Amor Le Di) by Jose Alberto “El Canario”
“Coconut Grove” by The Lovin’ Spoonful
“Ces petits riens” by Serge Gainsbourg
“Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed
“Ode to Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry

summer outdoor entertaining

See more from this shoot in our gallery + grab our tablescape tips on the Crate and Barrel blog.

Shop all the entertaining essentials (or add them to your Registry) below:

Summer Entertaining Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker with Copper Finish | Peak Highball Glass | Copper Bar Spoon with Muddler | Helena Vanilla Ivory Linen Dinner Napkin | Himalayan Salt Block | Maple Appetizer Plate | Hue Light Grey Platter  | Rowden Crochet Pouf | Tig Metal Bar Stool | Weldon Taupe Throw Blanket | Lillian Brass Metal Small Lantern | Lillian Brass Metal Large LanternLillian Brass Metal Extra Large Lantern | Bocce Ball Set

And don’t forget to peep more outdoor entertaining tips on Crate and Barrel’s blog!

PS Thought we’d share this sweet lil’ film clip Crate and Barrel created with some of their very own couples over the years…

Cute, huh?

Photography: Heather Kincaid / Concept & Styling: 100 Layer Cake / Venue: Private Home (available for shoots) / Floral Design: Honey and Poppies / Cocktails: The Whaling Club / Food: Haute Chefs

*This post was sponsored by Crate and Barrel. Big thanks to them, and to all of our sponsors, for allowing us to share inspiring content every day!