Make a Statement with your Summer Tablescape

EEK! I’m beyond thrilled to partner with MacKenzie-Childs, and I’ve been dying to throw our first party of the Summer so I could put this gorgeous serving ware to use and share my tablescape tips with you all!!

I’ve always stuck to plain white dishes for entertaining, but since I’ve been introduced to MacKenzie-Childs it would be an understatement to say that I’m obsessed. It takes entertaining and presentation to a whole new level!

{This post is sponsored by MacKenzie-Childs and contains affiliate links, but all opinions and statements are 100% my own.}

Make a Statement with your Summer Tablescape, MacKenzie-Childs

If you follow me on Instagram then you know I’m crushing pretty hard on dramatic contrast right now and I’ve been incorporating a lot of variations of black and white into my decor. Naturally, I was all heart eyes for the Courtly Check Collection which fits seamlessly into my home and is now my entertaining staple! All of their collections are so whimsical and charming, to be quite honest.

Don’t tell my guests, but I may have been looking forward to styling this tablescape more than throwing the party.

{wink, wink}

The Courtyard Outdoor Rug is typically kept on my back patio but I brought it in temporarily to pull this look together!

For this particular gathering I wanted to honor the whimsical, charming nature of this collection by filling each dish with sweet treats (read: mostly food that I typically don’t have in my house), so my two teen boys lit up with excitement when they feasted their eyes on this spread – “Is this for us, mom?!”

I wasn’t sure I’d get through the shoot without something going missing…

But, we made it through with everything in tact! I just couldn’t leave the room until I was 110% sure I was done with photos. Mom life!

Presentation is everything. After all, it makes the food taste better – am I right? The first thing you want to do is create various heights on a buffet-style tablescape. If you’re using a tablecloth you can do that by stacking books or using boxes at different heights under the cloth, but I opted to go sans tablecloth this time so this pedestal platter was perfect.

I also knew it needed a healthy stack of cinnamon buns on it, and I’m not ashamed to admit that it was even hard for me to resist diving into those too soon. The smell of the cream cheese frosting filled the air and everytime I caught a wiff I had to talk myself down.

The centerpiece is your focal point. I consider myself a girl who can follow guidelines pretty well, but I’ve never really been one to follow décor rules or use things for their intended purpose. I like to innovate and get creative so at the last minute I ended up using the large pitcher as a vase because I liked the height it created flanked by the wine coolers adorned with delicious wine and cute charms in this large party tray.

The tall centerpiece worked because this was a buffet style tablescape where guests dish and mingle. If it was a sit down gathering, I’d have kept my centerpiece shorter so it doesn’t hinder conversation. There’s nothing more annoying than trying to hear what someone is saying behind a huge centerpiece or having to lean around it because you can’t see that person across the table.

Since the pitcher was used as a vase, the vase was used as the serving spoon holder. Aaaaaand, the shin bone’s connected to the…

Ha! I’m just kidding, but sometimes I swear my life could be narrated by children’s songs. Are you with me??

Referring back to my notes above regarding centerpieces, I’ll use the shorter vase as my centerpiece the next time I host a sit down brunch with the girls so I can see everyone’s pretty face and enjoy catching up without throwing my back out.

Create vignettes. Vignettes serve no purpose other than being pretty and interesting, and who doesn’t love things that are pretty and interesting?

Oh, and luckily I had another pitcher and smaller tray on hand that served its intended purpose so all was still good in the world for those who prefer rules over guidelines. It’s all about balance, guys!

P.S. If you’re new here, you’ll learn quickly that I exaggerate and I enjoy sarcasm. It keeps people on their toes.

Incorporate something for everyone. Try to have a good mix of healthy and indulgent options. Some people want to go all out and some still want to watch their girlish figure so I made sure to incorporate fruit into my “sweet” spread. Typically I’d serve mixed fruit and berries but the yellow pineapple complemented the theme well and this serving bowl holds the perfect amount of fruit for your gatherings.

On that same note, if you know any of your guests have food allergies then they will feel extra special if you make sure they can indulge a little too by having something for them. You don’t have to go overboard in that regard and cater to every little food allergy, but if you know someone is highly allergic to something then it’s polite to take that into consideration. For instance, if a guest is allergic to nuts you may just want to avoid serving those altogether.

Vary your dish sizes. Just like varying your dish heights, it’s important to have them vary in size as well. It keeps the eye interested. Another fun, yet untintended, use was filling these pinch bowls with caramelcorn rather than dips.

Either caramelcorn isn’t a guest favorite, or they didn’t like my innovation because I was expecting to do a lot of refills and it didn’t happen once… hm…

Noted, guys! Noted.

Create balance. Place a mix of heights and sizes on one side of the table and complement it on the other side. It doesn’t have to be completely symmetrical, but should look like a close relative. This compote dish was the perfect size to hold a healthier version of popcorn and also added some height to the other end of my table opposite the cinnamon rolls. It’s a good day when Costco carries Skinny Pop because it’s always a hit at my gatherings, and it’s a win because there’s enough for guests and I get to have a little left over for snackin’ while I’m cleaning after the party.

Calorie concious or not - what would a party be without a platter of cookies? It’s a rare day that I have time to bake, so Costco or Panera usually rescue me when I’m in a pinch. This large platter is also the perfect size for a veggie tray, garnish for burgers or an awesome cheese and charcuterie spread.

Did that just make your mouth water a little, too?

Have plenty of napkins on hand. It drives me batty when I’m at a party and searching for napkins. Especially with finger foods, so make sure you keep a good supply out for your guests to grab.

Stock up on trays. There is no such thing as having too many trays. Whether you fill them with food or decorations, it adds that extra visual appeal to your tablescape and keeps everything contained. I used this round tray to hold wine glasses and sprinkled it with come confetti so the glasses didn’t look so lonely. Simple and pretty.

This tote and sun hat don’t really have anything to do with my tablescape but this was a pool party and these are a couple of my summer staples that are essential in our hot Summer weather. Our temps reach 100+ degrees in May and stay through September so our pool gear gets a lot of use.

The tote would make a great picnic or beach bag too! They also have a smaller size available you might use as a cute handbag or for trips to your local farmer’s market. If you like a little more color in your life, then check this one out!

The Courtly Check Collection is my personal favorite which you can click here to shop, but maybe you’ll like a different collection better so I highly recommend hopping over to their site to check them all out!