Behind the Design | Seaside Inspired Dinner Party

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In our Behind the Design series, we take you behind some of our favorite event designs. We will talk about all the elements we consider when pulling together a design and give you tips and tricks on how to get the look yourself. With a little guidance, there is no reason you're next event can’t be as beautiful and elegant as your Pinterest board. This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we may get something in return at no cost to you. It is one small way we keep this blog going. Thanks.

There is just something about the ocean. The sounds, the smell, the breeze - it creates a sense of calm and relaxation you can’t find elsewhere. When you are by the water, time seems to slow down just a little. People put down their phones and take in the beauty. It is the perfect place to get away.

Unfortunately, a seaside getaway isn’t always an option. But when you can’t get to the ocean, a great design can bring the ocean to you. That is what we set out to do when we created this seaside inspired tablescape. This look would be perfect for a Sunday brunch with friends, a bridal shower, or your next committee meeting. With this design, we wanted to portray summer coastal dining al fresco style. To do this, we incorporated soft, natural textures, hand tied napkins, woven chargers, and a beautiful curated collection of glasses. Our color palette included soft yellows, with dusty blue and green, wicker tan, and of course, ocean blue.

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Our theme was very much coastal, so we included elements that are reminiscent of the sea without being too literal (there was no sand anywhere on our table). When you are playing with event themes in general, remember that you are creating an experience for your guest. Design is very much emotional, it is something you feel. By playing with colors, textures, and even scents you can transport people to a different place. To do this well, look for inspiration outside of decor pictures. For example, one of our inspiration pictures for this design was simply an old seaside dock. From that picture we were able to pull colors and textures that we incorporated into our design. Always aim to recreate a feeling, not just a look!

We layered 2 natural toned linen runners ton top of each other. The top one was kept loose to give the table some movement. Jessie from Sherwood Florist used small little shells to add air plants and clusters of loose blooms. To bring in a little color, I used mix and match glasses with a clear wine glass and vintage blue water glass for dinner. Simple hammered silverware accompanied a woven charger and blue dinner and salad plates to bring in the ocean blue color. I love using colors so to top it off we did an end tie on the green napkins to keep it organic…would you join us for dinner ?

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We played around with a few different napkin and plate combinations until we settled on one. I love the plates on the right, they give so much texture and fun to the place setting with the pom pom napkin on top. The pattern reminds me of shells that grow on rocks around harbors. I ended up going with the layered blue look on the left as I preferred how the green napkin balanced it all out with the knotted tie and the two tone plates. You can build this look yourself as well, I left a shopping list of my favorite plates, napkins and chargers at the end.

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What I love about this design is how accessible it is. Creating this look for your own party is a breeze. Below I left you with a few shopping lists with my favorite plates, chargers and napkins. If you have any questions or suggestions I’d love to hear them.