How to Throw the Best Summer Party
How to throw a summer party – the sun is shining so it must be party time! We’ve pooled our tablescaping and hosting expertise to bring you the best ideas for how to throw a summer party this year. Scroll for the best way to keep your drinks cool by making an ice bucket mould!
Impress your guests with an unforgettable gathering, whilst making the most of summer’s long evenings. We’ll show you how to create tables that wow and craft the perfect menu, all with effortless elegance and seasonal ambiance. Of course, with Emma’s best soiree serveware and glass suggestions too. Get ready for your best party yet!
Setting the Scene
Long tables are fit for feasting. Line up tabletops down the garden, then tuck under benches and chairs adorned with colourful cushions and throws. Our friends So Cosy are the best for beautifully crafted and designed textiles. A must-have for keeping the party going after the sun sets.
Decorate your table with natural foliage and blooms to create a summer scene. Ivy makes a fantastic fuss-free yet elegant runner, that you can weave in and out of dishes and serveware.
Alternatively, intermingle decorative bud vases and glasses of different heights filled with stems from the garden. Add solar powered fairy lights or LED candles to make the glassware glisten and add an ethereal feel to your midsummer tablescape.
Summer Party Drinks
Welcome cocktails anyone? Dip some of my floral glass tumblers in lemon juice and sugar to elevate a summer punch. Try this trick with salt too if you like a Margarita.
Fill carafes with different beverages so guests can easily help themselves, and scatter along the table. Ice cold rosé looks beautiful in Emma’s Silver Birch Carafe that serves as a decorative wine decanter that gives a real taste of the summer. Have a few few floral etched wine glasses on hand to serve and you’re good to go. Add herbs and slices of lemon to a chilled water carafe too to stay hydrated between drinks.
Don’t forget the fizz, in some floral champagne flutes of course! Use an ice bucket mould filled with edible flowers and berries for a unique way to keep the bubbles cool. Pop to your local wine shop for a sparkling suggestion fit for parties or try Emma’s favourite for summing sipping, Eins-Zwei-Zero Sparkling Reisling.
Emma’s tip for sparkling glassware: use steam from a jug of boiling water to polish your glassware. Hold a glass over until the steam condenses, then dry with a 100% cotton tea towel.
What to Serve
Antipasti and mezze style dishes are brilliant for summer gatherings. Minimal cooking equals more time to spend socialising! Prep ahead, and put everything out on colourful trays and platters so guests can help themselves. Emma’s hydrangea trays are food-safe too, and a generous size for serving. Check out non-slip cork trays for smaller gatherings.
For a more casual gathering, ask your guests to each bring a dish. You’ll get to try each other’s signature recipes, with no need to worry if there’s enough to go round.
Keep it simple with crowd-pleasing puddings to round off the night. Sorbet or strawberries and cream served in little bowls will certainly satisfy the sweet tooth. Use stackable bowls like Emma’s Silver Birch ones for easy serving and clearing.
Stock up on Glassware for your Summer Party
Pick up all your essential Emma Britton glassware by ordering online for quick and secure postage, or shop in person at one of our events.