This post is sponsored by Harry & David Gourmet, thanks for keeping The College Housewife afloat!
There has been a running joke at my house of ‘who will rent out my backyard next’. The last few months we have had one friend or another plan their Birthday party in my backyard. Honestly, I love it. I live for a good party.
This birthday party was thrown for my assistant Abbie’s, good friend Lauren. The first time I met Lauren was actually at her wedding! I helped Abbie photograph their Downtown Los Angeles affair and ever since then she has been a new pal. When she asked to throw her thirtieth birthday in the backyard I couldn’t say no! We were brainstorming different ideas and figured a ‘moody’ theme fit the bill.
While I’ll be turning 26 next month, I’m sure turning 30 is sort of a weird milestone. I know I’ll be a little moody to enter my thirties but, we also wanted to make sure the whole dinner party was elegant and graceful.
We decked the backyard out with our signature long table (thanks again Dad!) and a small buffet area to display the wine and naked cakes. One thing that we carried through out the whole party was a darker, moody color palette. The table was draped in Magic Linen’s grey blue tablecloths and each matte black plate was topped with a simple tied charcoal napkin. You can catch all of the shopping details and sources at the end of the post!
It’s no secret that this month was BUSY. I was a little concerned about having enough time to think of great appetizer ideas and wine selections for everyone. Lauren was nice enough to bring a selection of pasta for the dinner. I needed to dream up some ‘cocktail hour’ sips and bites to bring the evening all together. Because I spent hardly any time at home in September I ordered a great selection of wine and all of my charcuterie ingredients from Harry and David. Nothing makes a dinner party look moodier than with endless red wine flowing! Harry & David has launched a new collection of distinctive gourmet fare, created for everyday entertaining with elegance and ease – Harry & David Gourmet.
Harry and David is basically like insta cart or amazon prime for dinner parties! I love heading to their website for premium pantry staples for any gathering. I try and squeeze in as many parties as I can at home and I love that I can have incredible cheese and wine delivered right to my door. Whether it’s a savory side dish, dessert or an entire decadent spread, Harry & David Gourmet has everything for entertaining with elegance and ease, and currently includes more than 200 premium products to serve, share and savor. Customers can design an occasion tailored to their budget, as product offerings range from $10 to $400.
After a quick cocktail party everyone sat down for a pasta dinner family style. Lauren brought in delicious brown butter sage bow tie pasta, a hearty kale salad and roasted butternut squash. If you’re looking for a great fall dinner give these menu ideas a go! Afterwards we drank more wine and took lots of silly photos in the photo booth area. We finished everything off by lighting up Lauren’s trio of naked cakes and singing her happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Lauren! Thank you for bringing your party into our home, you can come back any time!
Other fun Tablescapes and Gatherings you’ll love:
- Cozy Friendsgiving Tablescape
- How to throw a Wine Tasting Party!
- A Modern Vintage Thanksgiving Tablescape
Very beautiful! Where did you get the tablecloths and dinner plates?
This is gorgeous!!! Such a beautiful tablescape – I love the colors and mood so much!
Thank you so much, Laura! So happy it is up your alley! 🙂