Easy Summer Tablescapes: Styling Tips for Your Next Party!

Summer means outdoor celebrations! The sunny weather and vibrant colors everywhere set the perfect mood for everything from garden parties, to beach picnics, to tropical luaus. But if your time, space, and budget only allow for something less elaborate, no worries! You can still bring that summer vibe to even the simplest gathering with a creatively planned table setting.

We present three fun and easy approaches to creating a summer tablescape, focusing on just four key components. These are: your color palette, table centerpiece, place setting elements, and decorative party favors. Take some tips from here—then your summer party should be good to go!

A Chic Organic Tablescape

This table setting brings the “organic look” up a notch or two with a fresh color combo and nature-inspired elements presented in a chic way. It would work great for a casual get-together held out on a porch or open air deck. To help you recreate this setting, note these four key decorative areas.

Chic green and blue organic tablescape // Easy styling tips for summer tablescapes

Component #1 – Color palette: Set a warm earthy look with the greens and browns of nature, set off against unexpected aqua and brightened by a splash of orange.

Component #2 – Centerpiece: Pluck a bunch of fresh leaves from your garden and place it in any low vase or bowl you may have available. Add a few brilliant orange blooms, like the bird of paradise ones shown here—or other summer-blooming varieties like orange daylilies, marigolds, pansies, or gerbera daisies.

Component #3 – Place settings: Take a no-fuss approach with just the basics of pure white plates, stemmed water goblets, and your “for company” flatware. Then, for that organic feel, team up brown fabric napkins and placemats woven from rattan.

Hint: The round shape and aqua bead edging of our placemats add that little extra something, but you may use any woven ones you have and simply add a touch of color.

Component #4 – Favors as decorations: Plan your guest favors to also double as pretty table accents. Give woven heart-shaped boxes filled with sweet treats, and bundle these up in olive-colored organza wraps. Perfectly in keeping with the overall table decor!

A Bright and Cheerful Summer Tablescape

This table variation says summer with a big smile! Its burst of bright colors really captures attention—while the table elements are kept fairly simple and straightforward. A great setting for an intimate at-home garden party with a subtle nautical flair, lit up by summer sunshine!

Fuchsia and yellow tablescape // Easy styling tips for summer tablescapes

Component #1 – Color palette: While citrus hues like yellow, orange, and lime green tend to be associated with summer, make a surprise statement with a pairing of hot pink and sunny yellow. How can a party not be cheery at a table like this?

Component #2 – Centerpiece: Take a green glass pitcher, cylindrical vase, or even a large ceramic teapot, and fill it with a carefree bunch of fresh garden blooms. Preferably choose fuchsia ones like these warm-weather bougainvilleas, or other bright pink choices that bloom in summer like impatiens, dianthus, and of course fuchsia flowers themselves!

Component #3 – Place settings: Again, set out the basic place setting elements with no need for frills. At most, give the yellow fabric napkins a bit of a fancy fold and hold them in place with charming seashell place card holders.

Component #4 – Favors as decorations: Here’s where you can go double-duty again with the guest favors. Actually, triple duty—as the shell card holders guide guests to their seats, pretty up the place settings, then go home with the guests as party giveaways!

Hint: If you’ll be hosting a party for just four, you won’t really need place cards. Instead, you could tuck fun summer sayings into the shell holders and get the party conversations going.

A Stylish Beach Party Tablescape

This party table brings in a cool beach theme, with a sophisticated style. The place settings have a modern edge to them, while the color motif, decorative accents, and party favors exude understated elegance. A wonderful way of experiencing a bit of that seaside ambiance, even if you’re miles from any ocean!

Lilac and blue beach tablescape // Easy styling tips for summer tablescapes

Component #1 – Color palette: Use a refreshing shade of sky blue as the base for a mix of neutral tones borrowed from the beach—sand, ivory, beige, brown, and rust. Then, add a lovely unexpected touch with a hint of lilac.

Component #2 – Centerpiece: Gather nature’s own decorative pieces—seashells of different shapes, sizes, and colors; starfish; beach sand and pebbles—and assemble them into a fascinating mid-table arrangement.

Hint: You may allow these to stand alone, or add a clear glass vase or two of flowers in tones of lilac or pink.

Component #3 – Place settings: Signal that this is not your usual beach party with white dinner plates in a sleek square shape, slender wine glasses, and glowing white pillar candles at each place setting. The overall look is clean and crisp, yet definitely inviting.

Component #4 – Favors as decorations: Prepare favors that carry on the party’s beach theme, and serve as fab table accents, too. In our example, seashell trays hold tempting shell-shaped chocolates for guests to enjoy. While their decorative organza wraps add that pretty shade of lilac to the party palette!

Featured Tablescape for More Inspiration!

Easy styling tips for summer tablescapes curated by Bellenza.

1 – Why do we overlook blue for a summer party? See how absolutely charming it can be in this table inspiration we love from Tory Burch!

2 – Classic Americana in such snappy (and simple!) red, white and blue touches, courtesy of Country Living. Great summer look even beyond July 4th!

3 – Let the sunshine in! Deck your party table, like this one via Country Living, with the cheery yellows of sunflowers, bandana napkins and lemon “place cards.”

4 – Bring a beach vibe to your summer soiree with natural materials, textures and colors, as in this tablescape from Uncommon Designs. Then add a pop of color, like these teal wooden candlesticks!

5 – There’s just such a relaxed appeal to this table setting from Fearless Charm! Love the inviting yellow and gray palette applied through striped runners, leafy centerpieces, a vase of bright blooms, and piles of fresh lemons.

Follow our Tablescape Board!

4 Comments

  1. Great way to decorate a table!!

    Thanks for linking up with Welcome Home Wednesdays! Live every Wednesday at 7AM CT.

    liz @ j for joiner

    • So nice of you to stop by, Liz Jo! And glad you like our table styling ideas. Thanks!

  2. These are really beautiful ideas! Thanks so much for sharing with us this week for Maker’s Mix Up!

    • Hi Jessica! We’ll surely be linking up at Maker’s Mix Up again. Thanks for stopping by!

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