When planning
a garden party for you and your friends, the idea is to create a
dreamy environment for a casual, relaxed evening.
Are your garden
chairs made of wrought iron like ours? Try to soften them up a
bit with a cover treatment. Using white fabric, create covers
to fit on the back of each chair. For seat covers, create a "T"-shape,
then slip it over the seat of the chair, attach the ties, and
observe the beautiful tailored look.
The look we
are aiming for works best with a glass-topped table covered with
a white table cover. Place an outdoor light on the ground directly
underneath the table, plug it into a garden power source and it
will create a really nice light coming up.
Heavyweight
frosted glass show-plates are perfect as the foundation for each
place setting. Clear glass plates look great placed on top. To
complete the look, try to find wine glasses with frosted stems.
The combination of clear and frosted glass will make your glassware
match perfectly with your dishware. At each place setting, place
down a white wine goblet for that Chardonnay, a red wine glass
for that Merlot and a champagne goblet for that essential bubbly.
Cutlery should
consist of a simple, stainless steel pattern. For napkins, white
linen works best, treated with some complementary ribbon such
as our two-toned white organdy and organza. Don't be alarmed by
the combination of ivory/white tones; when the sun sets, the colours
will blend together nicely.
Put your centrepiece
together quickly and inexpensively, using a crystal bowl as a
foundation. Fill it with water and add some Dendrobium orchid
buds. Although we chose to keep it plain, you can also add food
colouring to the water to give it a hued look. Add floating candles,
preferably white for this evening, to the arrangement. Be careful
to lower your candles carefully into the water; if you drop them
in, the wicks will get wet.
Many people
would agree that a backyard isn't complete without a nice bench
with big, comfy cushions on which to sit. A couple of side tables
help to complete the look. Add a large glass vase filled with
Casablanca lilies to each table, as well as a hurricane lamp containing
a tall, white, pillar candle.
As your guests
start to arrive, and dusk begins to fall on your midsummer garden
setting, you will see how picturesque your dream can turn out
to be when it becomes a reality.
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