It’s offically the Memorial Day Weekend! As Americans, we celebrate Memorial Day in honor of all the brave men and women in the U.S. Military who have served and are serving our country. Thank you for your service! It also ushers in the official beginning of summer….and with summer comes doing all things related to being outdoors. Yay! Most importantly, we can entertain outside once again. Fire up those grills and wash off the outdoor furniture. It’s finally time!
Countless retailers offer endless options for outdoor entertaining. The photo shown above is courtesy of Pottery Barn.
When you think about having a few friends over for dinner and/or cocktails, set a table that reflects the beauty of summer. Choices abound with melamine and acrylic (nonbreakable) plates and glassware, serveware, linens, lanterns, candles, and table arrangments. Select items that reflect a particular holiday celebration or coordinate with your outdoor funiture/pillows.
Today, I am sharing some of my favorite table settings!
A PATRIOTIC TABLE
Celebrate the old Stars and Stripes with American flag star cork placemats.
Top the placemats with durable galvanized metal chargers.
Place white melamine plates atop the chargers.
Give a shout out to this great country of ours with American flag salad plates on top of the white dinner plates.
Continue the red, white and blue palette with colorful blue flatware.
Echo the stripes in our flag with red striped napkins.
Coordinate the chargers and napkin rings with galvinized rings.
A WHIMSICAL NAUTICAL TABLE
Lay the theme’s foundation with round hyacinth placemats.
Add brilliant blue melamine dinner plates.
Nautical interest is provided by the sailboat enamel plates .
Hammered flatware adds shiny appeal to the table.
Enhance the table setting with tapered acrylic goblets.
The fringed napkins finish the nautical whimsy.
Rope handled lanterns lend themselves well to the nautical looking table, but be careful outside, as they are glass.
AN ELEGANT BEACH TABLE
Start off the beach theme with fabulous shell chargers.
Top the charger with simple white melemine plates.
Add the coordinating white salad plates.
Bamboo flatware echoes the natural color in the charger.
Acrylic glassware quenches everyone’s thirst without the risk of breakage.
Napkins in a wide stripe pull the look together.
Give a nod to the beach with starfish napkin rings.
Center a driftwood candleholder on the table, and add a few outdoor candles to complete the beach look.
A COLORFUL TABLE
Ground the colorful look with hand woven chargers.
Top the charger with white swirl melamine dinner plates.
Add mixed colorful tile salad plates.
Colorful Duraclear BPA free plastic glasses ramp up the fun look.
White cotton napkins don’t compete with all the other colors.
Tie in the woven napkin rings with the woven chargers.
A few lanterns on your table complete the look. Again, be cautious with the glass lanterns.
A MODERN TABLE
Start with fiber leaf placemats.
Succulent napkin rings echo the dinnerware pattern and add a pop of fun.
Memorial Day is upon us! It’s time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Invite a few friends and family over for some food and drinks. There have never been more options to celebrate the joys of summer with beautiful table settings! I hope I have inspired you to do just that!
XO,
Linda
SixtywithStyle 