Backyard Bridal Shower Brunch

Last summer I hosted a bridal shower in my backyard for my best friend and it’s still one of my most viewed posts. I am kicking off my four-part Bridal Shower series today with a killer tablescape that anyone can throw together! You girls know I love entertaining, so today I wanted to share an updated spread (I created for my friends birthday last weekend) that’s honestly perfect for any kind of brunch style celebration you have this Spring/Summer. Whether it’s a birthday, Mother’s Day, bridal shower, Easter or baby sprinkle… this effortless but elevated backyard tablescape is sure to impress! 

Like any party you throw, there are a ton of small details involved but I promise this shower is not the complicated kind. I’m going to break it out into manageable details that will make the shower extra fun and memorable.

Tablescape

Florals obviously are a must and are usually the first thing you notice on a table.  If you have a beautifully styled table, you don’t have to go all out on other decorations. By now you girls know I’m all about a thoughtful presentation and in this case, it starts with the table. It’s the focal point and where you will be spending most of your time. I started with 5  floral arrangements, 2 larger ones and 3 smaller ones. I only chose 2 types of flowers, roses and ranunculus, but mixed in a lot of different greenery. Sticking with 2 types of flowers keeps the price down since generally, greenery is less expensive than actual flowers. For the vases, I chose different sizes with various textures but all made of the same material. This keeps it interesting and not too matchy matchy but not so colorful and crazy that the vases compete with the flowers. (lots of questions about them from the Instagram sneak peek I did last week so I’ll link for you girls below.) 

Next, I mixed in glass taper candlesticks.  Taper candles are so elegant looking to me and they always elevate a table setting.  I chose shades of pink for the candles (dripless is key for these types of candles) to complement the pink flowers and napkins. I also thought since the actual candlesticks were glass that with white candlesticks the entire thing would get lost on the table. I loved how the glass added another interesting element to the table and gave it a fresh and current vibe.

For the place settings, I kept it fairly simple. I went with large white plates with a smaller pink plate on top, kicked things up with some rose gold flatware and added a knotted napkin for an effortless feel.  For favors, I wanted something guests would actually want to take home. I figure everyone loves a little personalization (especially on a bubbly glass!) so I  added each girl’s name to these glasses. So fun right?!

As an extra little favor, I filled small plastic boxes with 6 colorful macaroons and tied each box with a silk ribbon with a bundle of dried flowers tucked in the bow. It looks so pretty and was SO easy to put it together. 

Lastly, I added an unexpected touch with some lemons and cut grapefruit.  I feel like it really brought the table together and definitely set the tone for Spring and Summer! 

Food/Drinks

I wanted to keep the food simple and light but of course for it to look pretty! I’m all about little bites and several options. A yogurt bar is always an easy (and fairly inexpensive) option that everyone seems to love.  I set out a big bowl of vanilla flavored Greek yogurt and various toppings: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, granola, sliced almonds, honey and coconut shreds (the more the better!).  If you want to kick it up a notch 😉 you can see about edible flowers from a local florist. I ordered some and they turned out soooo good! The toppers were the edible flowers that make the parfaits an Instagram must! I also love a stacked variety of muffins and croissants (like I shared on my Galentine’s Brunch post a few months back) and a pretty little donut tower too (also on my Galentine’s Brunch post). I’m all about anything you can kind of whip up in a hurry. 

Ok, I know it’s going to be a HUGE shocker but for drinks, I set up a bar cart with rosé on ice! I seriously have got my money’s worth out of this bar cart (as you girls know I’m ALL for a little bar cart moment!)They are so fun to decorate and easy to transform into whatever the occasion calls for. I made the ice extra special by freezing the cubes with flower petals (will share a mini video for you girls soon!)

and that’s how I threw together an elevated but approachable backyard brunch perfect for whatever you’re celebrating this Spring/Summer!