We put together a garden party guide to help you soak up every bit of summer spending time outdoors with family and friends (when possible). The food is casual and the table is filled with produce, fresh flowers… and wine of course! With a printable grocery list, wine-paired menu, and hostess schedule, you’re one BIG step closer to hosting your own epic garden party!
Al fresco (outdoor) dining is where it’s at. Living in Canada, of course we only have a snippet of the year where we can pull this off! Long Okanagan summer nights have been calling me lately and take me right back to my childhood. Despite the fact that we can’t get together with our friends and family the same way right now, little garden parties are such a great way to embrace all that summer has to offer as I soak up every single bit of this sunshine.
How to Host a Garden Party
Garden Party Flowers
We got our flowers from our friends at Byland’s in West Kelowna (go talk with Carolyn… or any of those sweet gals they are amazing!). I did a tutorial after our Valentine’s Fraiche Table on how I create low floral arrangements (that you can see your guests over!) with a little hack. Click here for the post. I think it all turned out SO PRETTY. We chose a mix of pinks, whites, blues, and soft purple to achieve our look. Our full list of flowers is as follows:
- Garden roses in Romantic antique, Sabrina, and Myra pink
- Soft blue delphinium
- Pink snap dragons
- Tweedia
- Soft pink and peach spray roses
- Lush ivy
- Baby’s breath
- Dusty rose hydrangeas
The Table
Our table was built by my talented friend Tifni who owns a company called Refined Furniture Rentals. She rents the tables and benches out for any occasion, anytime of year and even has darker natural wood ones if you’re on the hunt!
We set the table with linen placemats (Homesense find ages ago), soft pink bisque plates, elegant gold cutlery, and wine glasses from The Cross. In setting your table I would recommend mixing soft pastels and light colours that coordinate with your flowers. In a little bit more detail we had:
- linen placemats
- pink dinner and salad plates
- white fringe napkins
- gold cutlery
- wine glasses
- champagne glasses
- small white candles
- tall white candles
- peaches (leaves on if possible!)
- one large floral centerpiece
- two small floral centrepieces
The Menu
This Menu leverages plenty of fresh local fruits and vegetables with light summery flavours. We used our barbecue to cook the main (your choice: Grilled Portobello Mushrooms or Flank Steak with Feta Salsa) and Grilled Vegetable Skewers and only turned the oven on for the Coconut Cookies in the ice cream sandwiches (which you can do in the evening or ahead on a cooler day and freeze for the day of). Each menu item was paired by a sommelier with a BC wine thanks to the BC Wine Institute!
[pdf-embedder url=”https://fraicheliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Fraîche-Garden-Party.pdf” title=”Fraîche Garden Party”]
Alternatively, click here for the menu with the flank steak option!
Appetizer: Blackberry Crostini
Wine Pairing: Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards ‘The Mischief’ Pinot Blanc 2016
Salad: Summer Squash Pasta Salad
Wine Pairing: Monte Creek Ranch Winery Chardonnay 2016
Main Course: Grilled Portobello Mushrooms or Flank Steak with Feta Salsa & Grilled Vegetable Skewers
Wine Pairing: Meyer Family Vineyards McLean Creek Road Pinot Noir 2016
Dessert: Ice Cream Sandwiches using my Old Fashioned Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
Wine Pairing: Gray Monk Estate Winery Odyssey Brut Rose 2016
The Hostess Schedule
Two Days Before
- buy flowers
- purchase wine
- grocery shopping (download list here)
- iron linens
- pick outfit!
Day Before
- bake cookies and assemble ice cream sandwiches – wrap in parchment and freeze
- place white and rosé wines in the fridge
- assemble flower arrangement
Day Of
- Morning:
- marinate steak, if using (can be done the night before too)
- make Feta Salsa
- make the Summer Squash Pasta Salad – refrigerate
- set table
- 30 Minutes Before Guests Arrive:
- toast baguette and assemble crostini
- place flowers on table
- Guests Arrive:
- heat BBQ
- serve crostini and wine
- put flank steak and/or mushrooms and grilled vegetable skewers on the barbecue
Tag us if you try this months garden party Fraîche Table!
This is the dreamiest flower garden! ☺️❤️ Wow!!!!