A Bridal Garden Party
/Nantucket Island
Summer wedding soirees and garden parties are back! And it feels SO good! It’s time to return to the social beings we are and celebrate life, love, health, happiness and all things BEAUTIFUL! Today, I celebrate with a trip to our happy place, Nantucket Island, where I hosted a lovely bridal garden party at my home.
Having lived in Tampa, FL for several years, I’ve had the joy of visiting the Coton Colors store regularly (seriously a kid in a candy shop!), designing tablescapes with several of their bold and beautiful patterns (scroll through tablescapes to feast your eyes on these). However, I always found myself drawn to this white pattern, which has long been one of my absolute favorites. The architecture of the ruffle design is the lead actor on the stage without distraction. It’s simply beautiful and beautifully simple and feels happy and festive, especially when layered! Ruffles forever!
I love this company for its practicality of dishwasher and microwave safe earthenware, its whimsical designs and vibrant use of color, and for this white, in particular, which is exquisitely eye-catching. You will stare at it for a long time. The swirled glazed colors of cream and white feel organic and create a soft and enticing canvas for stand-out food presentations.
“Light cream and white hand painted brush strokes grace the artisanal look of the Signature White color palette. The gentle curves of our signature ruffle edges bring forth a casual elegance to your dinner table.”
Coton Colors
My touch of whimsy which I always add to a tablescape for that extra little something, was use of my Balinese Festival tabletop parasols made with sustainably grown wood set on a hand-carved base. The tassels swayed with the gentle island breezes, a reminder that we were on a magical island 30 miles out to sea. Straw tabletop accents, bamboo chairs, scallop shells for the first course, starfish and tortoise shell flatware served as natural catalysts to enhance the island theme which had organically taken shape.
Florals Peonies from my garden provided the perfect shade of romantic pink as the pop color to this otherwise all neutral scape. I planned a simple single stem in a small vase, which also served as a place card holder. The springs of delicate fern stood wistfully in small etched vintage bottles of water.
“The fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, a rare fusion of fluff and majesty, the peony is now coming into bloom.”
– Henry Mitchell, American writer
Peonies are the most romantic June flower giving off the most beautiful scent
Monogrammed napkins were tied up with faux boxwood napkin rings to mimic the moss balls in moss vases.
Monogrammed napkins bring the ultimate personalized touch to any tablescape
Simple white lapel place cards attached to the vases kept the eye on the main actors. I used a hole punch to make two holes in which I threaded a sprig of delicate fern through the card for that extra special touch.
Place cards gently escort guests to the table, eliminating any awkward moments.
Candles are my everything! I design them into almost every tablescape for both day and night. Here you see a combination of two styles, plain white and a two-toned trellis design in creme and white which I just love and was a perfect match to the dinnerware.
Candles set the tone add warmth to a tablescape
Clear Glass Wine Bucket etched with island of Nantucket meshed nicely into the neutral design, beautifully displaying an Italia Brut Rose’ one of my new pics from Goosneck Vineyards.
Gooseneck Vineyards Italian Brut Rose’
“Never Miss an Opportunity to Celebrate Everyday.”
– Laura Johnson
NOTE: To see more of the fabulous array of dishware from @cotoncolors scroll through to visit the following three tablescapes:
A Nantucket Inspired Summer Tablescape - Featured in Tampa Magazine
A Tale of Two Knights - Birthday Party on a Poolside Chessboard
Resources
Dinnerware Coton Colors
Flatware Event Rental Co Nantucket Island
Linen Table Cloth Williams Sonoma
Monogrammed Napkins A Cook Print
Peony vases and place card holder Private Collection
Balinese Festival Parasols Luna Bazaar
Ferns Flowers on Chestnut
Scallop Shells Event Rental Co Nantucket Island
Starfish Private Collection
Stemware Private Collection
Placemats Private Collection
Candlesticks and Candles Private Collection
Wine Bucket Anderson’s Nantucket ~ Heritage Large Bowl
Italian Brut Rose’ Gooseneck Vineyards
Photography Briansagerphotography.com