Summer Kick Off
I don't know why, but this year I had trouble wrapping up the school year and getting in summer mode. May was exceptionally busy and I needed some action to make it a full stop to move onto Summer. What better way to kick off the season than with an al fresco dinner on my porch.
Outfit by STAUD. Linked here.
I knew immediately that I wanted to have Cate Nitz to cater. Cate hasn't done an event for me since she did the JP 15th Anniversary celebration last year. Cate is such an incredible chef and she makes entertaining feel authentic and natural (not like you have a stuffy, formal catering team). She makes it feel like you could have done it yourself.
We started with brainstorming the vibe of the party and decided to do a seafood and veggie heavy menu. Think caviar on homemade chips, oysters with Cate's signature mignionette, scallops, etc.
We found a cute, fun invite that set the tone. We also used this color scheme as inspiration to send Lily at Flowershop for the flowers. Per usual she hit it out of the park with these blooms. They were to die for and I have been enjoying them ever sense.
I love espresso martinis but cannot sleep after I drink them as a dessert, so we decided to flip the switch and offer them upon arrival. They were served in tiny little martini glasses, that made them the perfect sized pick me up to get the party started.
A few months ago, I went to Graft wine bar and they had the coolest Jazz band playing. The trio played on the adjacent porch (due to a rain scare on the day of the party), and were the perfect addition to the event.
I also filled a bowl with questions for each of the guests to answer. I love this game and have done it at parties before. No political or controversial questions, but ones that allow the guests to answer as in depth or as superficially as they wish. You can really learn something about people when you do this.
As a send off treat, I got each of the guests a jar of honey from Dr Liptak's supply.
xx Jane
Photo Credits: Eliza Mullins