Index
In summer, at the end of a day divided between air conditioning and muggy weather, there is nothing more relaxing and fun than an dinner outdoors with family or friends. Dining under the stars, lulled by the light breeze of summer evenings, is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of your carefully landscaped garden or amaze everyone with your fully equipped terrace. If you want to organize a summer dinner with style but don't know where to start, don't worry: you're in the right place! Follow the 10 tips we at Casavo have put together for you and get ready to experience an unforgettable evening.
1. Themed Garden Dinner
Do you want your guests to remember your dinner as one of the most original they've ever attended? Fantastic! The first thing to do is choose a theme for the evening.
Caribbean, Cuban, or Sex & The City: the choice is yours! Keep in mind that the chosen theme will also be the guiding thread around which to build the setting, menu, and decorations. Your ideas for setting the table outdoors will all start from the theme. Choose the one that best represents you and the one your friends might like. Another idea is to give your guests advance notice of your chosen theme, perhaps with a personalized invitation that gives them a preview of what to expect.
2. Summer dinner: menu suggestions
From rich salads to meat or fish barbecues: when it comes to food, there's no shortage of ideas for a summer dinner featuring good food.
You also need to think about appetizers: tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots are the ideal base for a pinzimonio accompanied by sauces and savory snacks to nibble on. If you prefer a first course, opt for the timeless cold pasta, which you can season as you like based on the time you have available for preparation. Perhaps you could offer a great classic, quick and tasty: tuna, basil, and cherry tomatoes. In any case, choose your menu also based on the space you have available: if you have a lot of guests and you plan on an evening spent mostly standing, a pasta dish may be inconvenient.
Do you want to cook what you will serve on the spot? In this case, the barbecue is the best solution. You could also consider gelato or semifreddo for dessert. My belly, make a hut!
3. Ideas for setting the table outdoors
If dining outdoors also means recreating that holiday atmosphere that we miss at home, put aside the ceramic plates: they take away a bit of freshness and are rather heavy to transport from inside to outside the house. There are many ideas for setting a summer table in the garden that combine style and practicality.
Then distinguish between routine dinners, for which no particular care is required in the set-up, from those with guests, where the mise en place is more important.
In the first case, feel free to use compostable plates, cutlery and glasses – Take a cue from the most eco-friendly homes in the world and remember that disposable plastic tableware pollutes! – and paper napkins, perhaps collected in napkin rings to prevent them from flying away at the first gust of wind.
When it comes to surprising your guests, however, you can indulge in plates and glasses designed specifically for gardens and terraces, made of colored melamine. Again, choose them in a style that goes well with the theme!
4. The setting: ideas for a summer dinner in the garden
Summer is synonymous with bright colors. White and bright hues—lemon yellow and turquoise, for example—inject vitality into the setting, in Positano or Santorini style. You can match the choice of colors in the table setting, but also in the decorations of the rest of the terrace.
Alternatively, you can also opt for the shabby chic style: tables and chairs in worn wood, tableware in pastel colors, cotton tablecloths, and accessories in natural materials such as straw, wicker, and glass. Ideal for a welcoming environment in which to relax and enjoy a beautiful evening. Whatever your style, there's no shortage of ideas for a summer dinner in the garden!
Still haven't found the perfect furniture for your outdoor space? Here are 10 tips on how to furnish a veranda ready for you.
5. Standing or sitting?
Choosing whether to have a standing or seated dinner involves assigning seats to your guests, on the one hand, and facilitating conversation among them, on the other. It all depends on the number of people you've decided to invite and the space you have available.
If the dining table is large enough for everyone, then the advice we've given you about the set-up applies. On the other hand, if there are a lot of you, opt for a standing dinner, with a table on which to place the food and some chairs scattered around. Don't forget our advice about the menu: if the dinner is standing, it's better to offer appetizers and other things that can be eaten with your hands.
Armchairs, poufs, large cushions, or soft rugs will warm the room, making it comfortable and stylish.
6. Create the right atmosphere
Creating the right atmosphere when eating outdoors is essential to escape from the routine and travel with your mind to distant and relaxing places. A little... of background music and soft lighting to be catapulted elsewhere and immediately feel on vacation.
You can choose the evening's playlist on YouTube or streaming services like Spotify: there are compilations for all tastes, from soft rock to lounge music, all the way to Latin American rhythms that could trigger an unexpected group dance at the end of the dinner.
As for lighting, don't turn on bulbs that are too bright: choose soft lights and candles. If you place them inside small lanterns, they will embellish the table with the right amount of romance.
7. Place cards and centerpieces
Place cards and centerpieces deserve a dedicated paragraph in our list. Even though they have two different functions, they must follow a single style.
A vase of flowers or some plants is enough to create a green centerpiece perfect for an informal dinner in the garden, combined with scented place cards made from cardboard, wildflowers and handwritten names.
Alternatively, use a large lantern surrounded by sunflowers or ivy wreaths. You will make a great impression even for more refined outdoor dinners.
8. Mosquitoes, goodbye!
The number one enemy of your summer dinners are mosquitoes, and insects in general. To eradicate them, use classic citronella candles placed in the most disparate corners of the terrace or garden, making sure they are well away from the area intended for food.
If gardening is your passion, consider starting to grow aromatic plants such as basil and lavender: in addition to scenting the environment and being beautiful to look at, these plants naturally keep insects away.
A thoughtful idea is to buy several bottles of repellent, perhaps based on natural essential oils, to give to your guests: they will be grateful and you will make a good impression.
9. Before dinner, the aperitif
Welcome your guests with a welcome aperitif. Whether it's a glass of prosecco or a glass of sangria, it doesn't matter: it will help break the ice, especially if there are people among your guests who don't know each other. And then, what would a dinner be without a toast and an initial appetizer?
If you have enough space, you can also organize a small buffet. Depending on the environment in which you will hold your party – and chairs available — remember to offer drinks and appetizers that can be consumed comfortably while standing, or create comfortable seating for all your guests.
10. Protect yourself from prying eyes
If you don't have a private garden but your house has a terrace large enough to host an outdoor dinner, protect yourself from the prying eyes of your neighbors. Simply equip yourself with a small awning or umbrella to create a more private space. The umbrella itself can be decorated with LED lights, which don't heat up and make the atmosphere more romantic. This way, you can protect your privacy and create an important furnishing element at the same time: give it a try!
Did you find our tips on how to organize an outdoor dinner interesting but don't yet have a house with a garden or terrace that can host one? Check out the properties for sale on our website: your new home is just what you're looking for.