Southern born and raised, entertaining is one thing we are very familiar with in Charleston, whether its a wedding, engagement party, holiday celebration or another weekend with the sun shining and sea breeze there is always an occasion to celebrate. Coastal Living recently took an inside look at southern entertaining expert, Tara Guerard, who offered her best advice for hosting outdoors.
Challenged with the task of turning a beachside dock into a charming baby shower, Tara took advantage of furniture from inside the house. She used simple sectionals, side tables, and a chandelier to decorate the natural, rustic dock. Pillows and linens in bright hues brought life and a pop of color to the natural venue.
The menu, a common demur when planning a party was simple. She kept all items clean, fresh, and green with a chilled cucumber salad, tres leches mini cakes, and crab cakes with aioli. The key is, “You want something that can be picked up with one hand…We kept everything bite-sized, but served enough to keep people full.”
Tara’s Top Tips for Outdoor Entertaining..
- Use sand to anchor jars and vases containing tea candles.
- Forgo expensive flowers for centerpieces made of natural sea grasses and ferns.
- Jazz up a basic wood serving table with pretty fabric draped and stapled (or taped) to your patio or deck so it doesn’t blow away.
- Swap out wineglasses for short-stemmed glasses, which are more stable in beachy breezes.
- Prepare a set of chilled and scented washcloths to pass around in case guests get warm in the sun.
- Serve chilled foods— salads, cold soups, watermelon, ice cream— to keep guests refreshed during the party.
Read the full story about Tara Guerard’s entertaining advice at Coastal Living.
