5 Design Tips to Style a Summer Tabletop

We're so excited to share these tips from this talent packed lineup of amazing wedding vendors! The sweetest and most photogenic treats by Sweet & Saucy, simply beautiful design by Nicole George Event Planning & Design, gorgeous florals by Inessa Nichols Design, paper goods by Design by Laney, on point, stylish rentals from Archive Rentals all perfectly photographed by Liz Erban Photo. 

Be sure to check out the full gallery and read on for all of these tips from Nicole George Event Planning & Design.

Can you believe that Summer is FINALLY at our fingertips? With cities slowly reopening across the country, we're itching at the opportunity to host a chic gathering where we can finally (and safely) get our creative juices flowing and bring people together again. For us, that will certainly entail an intimate summer dinner party! Teaming up with Inessa Nichols Design and Archive Rentals, we created our take on the perfect summer tabletop design adding in a flair for the unexpected atop some of our favorite design aesthetics. Although there will be many and all reasons to celebrate when this pandemic subsides, here are some tips of how to style your summer tabletop!

1. AL FRESCO STYLE DINING

We are firm believers that intimacy and ambiance go hand in hand! Al fresco dining under soft lighting with your friends, family, coworkers, whoever, is ultimately always more cozy when the setting is just right. Communal dining is the perfect way to create a "family-style" vibe to bring people physically closer together while also encouraging sharing all the yumminess (and libations) in front of you! In the spirit of summer, we opted for a white and light wood family style setting to add a sense of elegance to a typical backyard experience.

2. CREATE AN AMBIANCE

Coziness is key! Utilizing candles and soft lighting sets the tone while soft textures encouraging a comfortable experience allows your guests to feel at home. When we're hosting gatherings, indoors or out, we always lay out blankets, pillows, and extra yummy candles accompanied by soft lounge-y music in the background. Even with a structured tabletop, creating cozy nooks with lounge furniture is a great way to encourage conversation well after dinner is over!

3. DON'T BE SCARED OF VIBRANT HUES

Summer palettes have a range of feel good tones that can lean on the quirky side just as easily as a refined design based on your signature style. Although summer shades are traditionally bright and vibrant, they can equally be warm and neutral when accompanied by pattern and texture. My go-tos are warm terra cottas and mustards balanced by neutrals, always with a pop of pink when appropriate! For our tabletop, Inessa Nichols' floral design ran the gamut of perfectly vibrant and wild yet cohesive adding the perfect touch of organic meets modern.

4. MIX/MATCH PATTERN and TEXTURE

To play off of vibrant summer shades, we love how textures convey a sense of nostalgia. With our tabletop design, we were drawn towards soft cotton linen in the napkins, metal plates that reminded us of camp, and woven wicker chargers that practically made its way into every summer experience growing up. Archive Rentals' chic patio lounges were full of pattern and texture and mixing together pieces of different genres made us think that our grandmothers would pop out of nowhere with fresh lemonade on a hot summer day!

5. ADD IN A POP OF DETAIL

Whether it is curated desserts or cozy lounges designed for star gazing or a backyard movie, creating an "experience" for your guests is what they will remember. In our design, we customized name tags, added in summer-inspired desserts (mango tarts anyone?!), Archive's customized bicycle for a cute photo op, but the possibilities are endless. As long as it's personal and fun, your guests will have a blast!

Thanks for taking a peek at our Summer tablescape design - we hope that this inspires you to throw a fun and cozy gathering to celebrate enjoying our friends and family once again!

• Event Planning & Design: Nicole George Event Planning & Design
• Cakes & Catering: Sweet & Saucy
• Flowers: Inessa Nichols Design
• Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Design by Laney
• Photographers: Liz Erban Photo
• Rentals: Archive Rentals