A summer soiree is the perfect occasion to celebrate with friends and family. Whether you’re hosting a milestone event or a casual get-together, creative ideas can make your party truly memorable.
Memorable Summer Soiree
Summer presents a fantastic opportunity for fun and memorable events, whether it’s a milestone birthday, a wedding, a homecoming, or a “just because” celebration. Set a festive mood with tropical table decor, including flamingos and pineapple bowls.
Creative Serving Ideas: Pineapple Salad Bowls
For my summer soiree, I opted to use pineapple shells as salad bowls. Since I was serving a salad with pineapple vinaigrette dressing, this choice was perfect. If you don’t have matching salad plates or bowls, pineapple shells are a fun and creative alternative!
How to Prepare Pineapple Shells
- Rinse off the pineapple and cut it lengthwise into two pieces. Warning: Cutting through the stalk can be tough, so use caution with your knife.
- Follow the pineapple’s outline to cut around the inside of each half.
- Make three long cuts from top to bottom, then cut across the rows in a grid pattern.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the chunks from both halves of the pineapple.
- Remember to save the edible part underneath the core once it’s removed.
- Scrape the inside of the shell to create “crushed” pineapple for dishes like pineapple salsa.
- Drain any juice and keep it for your pineapple salad dressing.
- Place the prepared shell on a salad or dinner plate and load it with salad greens and toppings like pineapple chunks and macadamia nuts.
Floral Touches and Decor for Summer Soiree
This summer soiree party was the perfect setting for some vibrant flamingo decor. Though I hadn’t planned to use them on the dining table, they added a fun element to the photos, and eventually stood on the drinks table.
Unique Serving Ideas for Summer Soiree
Serving fruit, mousse, or other chilled desserts in champagne goblets can make a sit-down meal feel extra special. Don’t be afraid to get creative with what you have on hand, improvising if you’re short on serving dishes.
Use neutral dinner plates in white or clear so they don’t compete with the table decor. I used pink-banded, white salad plates to hold the pineapple bowls, and clear stemless glassware.
Table Decorations for Summer Soiree
- I used pink and coral carnations and arranged them in small glass cups down the center of the table.
- I cut and washed greenery from the garden and mixed it in with the flowers.
- A long faux vine featuring pink flowers served as a centerpiece filler, with the cups of carnations placed around it.
- I placed three clear glass candle holders with coral-colored candles in the center for added ambiance.
DIY Napkins for a Special Touch
I used a flamingo-patterned fabric by Kari Smith Designs on Spoonflower.com to create napkins. Coordinated napkins can elevate the elegance of a special occasion.
Napkin Steps:
- Cut the fabric to the desired size; I usually cut the fabric 17 inches square to get four napkins from a yard of fabric, larger if you have extra fabric.
- Turn a 1/4-inch hem around the edges and press with an iron.
- Repeat the hemming process another 1/4 inch to hide the raw edges, and then fabric glue or sew it to secure it.
Conclusion
I hope your summer soiree turns out beautifully. Sometimes, it only takes serving salads in pineapple shells to make the event memorable. And sometimes, it’s simply an occasion for pink flamingos! Enjoy your celebration!
Pineapple Recipes
Click on any of the links below to go to these pineapple recipes.
- Pineapple Salsa
- Pineapple Salad Dressing
- Pineapple Ice Cream
- Maple Sriracha Pineapple Bacon Bites
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Shrimp Po’Boys with Pineapple Slaw
- Pineapple Mango Madness Smoothie
- Cherry Pineapple Shake
- Pineapple Casserole