Days are warming and nothing tastes better than meals outside! Plus, how fun is it to create your own cozy dining nook, countryside or cityscape? A rooftop, a hedged back yard, a patio or even a field of wheat can make a refreshing backdrop, just so long as it’s private and pretty.
Here’s a smorgasbord of tips for setting your outdoor eating style, so grab your design plate and create your own fare.
- Old oil lamps
- Benches with cushions or pillows complimenting your table runner
- Lanterns hung in the trees or arbor
- In the absence of an arbor or tent, banners of fabric draped overhead
- Wildflowers in urns
- Metal wire between two trees on which to hang votives, lanterns or lightweight candelabra
- A basket or bowl centerpiece piled with fresh fruit
- Tiny topiary or potted plant place favors
- Eclectic mix of dishes
- Floating fresh flowers
- Paper lanterns
- Citronella or incense sticks to keep bugs at bay
- Battery-operated candles for no fuss
- Cloth napkins and wholesale tablecloths to avoid fly-away paper goods
- The path to your table or the backdrop illuminated by floating candles or large pillar candles in huge hurricanes
- Upturned metal colanders or wire mesh baskets covering gnat-tempting platters
- Simple, light fare – salads, grilled meats, and fun, fruity drinks
- Eiffel tower vases to showcase fresh flowers on the tables.