Hi there, cuties! September is well underway…which means that the harvest and holiday entertaining seasons are coming up quickly. I don’t want to be one of those people who skips right over Halloween and Thanksgiving and directly into the winter holidays, so, this week, I wanted to share some inspiration and helpful tips on how to throw an elegant and enchanted fall dinner party.
Whether you’re all in on spooky season and are planning an elevated Halloween gathering (artisan cocktails and elaborate seasonal deserts and are the adult versions of Halloween candy if you ask me, hehe) complete with #LuxeWitch and upscale apothecary vibes, or you’re looking ahead to Thanksgiving, let this be your guide to entertaining with equal parts seasonal flare and luxurious finery.
Styling by Hamptons Picnic Co.; photos by Marc Bernardes
Fall Dinner Party Idea: Spooky Season (But Make It Chic!)
The first myth I want to dispel about throwing a fall dinner party during the bewitching month of October (aka: Spooky Season) is that the only appropriate colors are variation on orange, black, and grey.
“Fall offers such a rich color palette and variety of natural inspirational elements beyond just pumpkins.”
The Halloween-esque tabletop shown here below certainly doesn’t shy away from having a little bit of seasonal pumpkin fun, but notice that there’s also an overall color palette that leans more into witchy jewel tones like maroon, amethyst, aubergine, olive, and emerald, along with upscale metallic accents like gold and pewter.
Finally, I love the idea of mixing textures and creating a really intriguing sense of contrast that way—think of it as a bit of a trick-or-treat for the eyes. Create layers of visual interest by mixing and matching different styles and textures with your dishware, glassware, flatware, and centerpiece.
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Fall Dinner Party Idea: Woodland Wonders (With a Side of Rustic Lodge)
If the idea of a darkly glamorous dinner party at an enchanted woodland cabin or mystical highland castle appeals to you, this next tabletop design motif is for you! Complete with more moody seasonal jewel tones and sumptuous florals, this fall dinner party look swaps gourds for antlers and an overall vibe that’s equally perfect for a super-chic Thanksgiving as it would be for any festive fete between now and Christmas.
“In general, I love the idea of using statement-making napkin rings as a way to immediately set the aesthetic tone for a distinctive tabletop design.”
These stag’s head napkin rings by Blue Pheasant are so unique and are clearly the standout design element in this fall dinner party setting. I love that they speak to a rustically enchanted autumnal aesthetic as well as a stately English manor one—in other words, they work just as well for a Hogwarts vibe as for a Downton Abbey one!
And finally, the subtle silver candle holders topped with bright blue tapers add the perfect finishing flourish—the silver echoes the napkin rings, while the candles provide an unexpected pop of color.
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