An Evening in the Garden – a Summer Wine & Cheese Party

Today we’re celebrating the season with one of our favorite ways of entertaining, a summer wine and cheese party! In this post we’ll show you how to create an easy but elegant evening for friends.

Summer entertaining. Two of my favorite words – and they’re especially good when strung together, don’t you think?!

There’s something so special about summer. Picnics. Beach days. Squeaky screen doors. Sandy feet. And for me? Another one of the best parts of summer is spending an evening eating outdoors with good friends. And today, in honor of that summer ritual, I’m sharing a romantic evening in the garden. A summer wine and cheese party. Which for me, is probably the single best party there is!

I often say that a cheese or charcuterie board is my favorite dinner, and that’s actually true! Give me some delicious cheese, good bread, and some wine, and I’m happy! And the best part? A wine and cheese party is one of the easiest and most elegant parties to throw together! 

I set up the table on the grass in the yard which set the tone for the whole tablescape. Eating out under the sky feels different – and so special!

I wanted to create a “dinner in the garden” feel for this wine and cheese party, and as soon as I saw this adorable floral runner from Bed, Bath and Beyond, I knew it would set the tone for the whole table! Their Bee & Willow Home line is so charming! Lots of pretty florals, linens, and stripes. Plus, everything from lamps to home decor to furniture, all with a farmhouse feel. Right up my alley! 😉

These mint green salad plates work well with the soft colors in the runner. I layered them on top of white dinner plates, and then over the seagrass chargers. I love that the chargers feel natural and add some great texture to the table.

Different choices of wines – from rosé, to white, to red, allow guests to choose what they like. And maybe try something new, too!

For the cheese board, I usually use my giant wood cutting board. It’s quite large and can hold a lot of all the different elements. I like to offer at least three cheese selections. Here I chose one blue, one goat, and one cow’s milk cheese. 

Add some nuts, grapes, olives, or other fruits or savory items to round out the board. And I always add a couple of different crackers, along with some sliced baguette.

And these glasses are acrylic! I know this sounds odd, but I’ve never had plastic glasses before. And it seems every time we sit outside we’re either breaking a wine glass, or worrying about doing so! But now, I found these truly beautiful acrylic glasses that look as pretty on the table as their glass counterparts!

The flowers have a relaxed, unstructured feel to go with the casualness of the evening. White hydrangeas mixed with white chamomile, along with a pop of light and dark pinks and some eucalyptus all plopped into a vintage bucket create a French farmhouse vibe. But really, any simple flowers would work. You could even simply cut some from the garden! It’s all about the good conversation, and delicious wines and cheeses!

I wanted lots of candlelight, but I didn’t want to block the view or the conversations. These glass votive candles are perfect and exactly what I wanted. Layer lots of them to bring some magic to the table!

As the sun sets, the mood lightens, and everyone relaxes even further. 

And then, when we’re done eating, we love to move over to the fire pit and continue the evening.

I was so thrilled to find these Adirondack chairs, also from Bed, Bath and Beyond! They have so many more items than just bath towels and kitchen appliances! From seasonal products to entertaining essentials, they literally have anything and everything you need for summer.

I love that they’re such a classic style and the right height for the fire pit. Previously we were using our lounge chairs which were a little too tall. And we only had two! Now we have four comfortable chairs perfect for eating s’mores (or drinking wine!) around the fire! 

It doesn’t get much better than spending time with friends under the stars!

If you’re looking for more summer entertaining ideas, head to this post for Six Casual Chic Entertaining Ideas. Or, to see all my summer tables, click on the Summer Tablescapes tab.

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*please note some affiliate links have been used for your convenience*

Sheila
xo

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out some of my other summer entertaining ideas below!

Charming & Cheerful Summer Table Setting

How to Host a Summer Wine & Cheese Party

Romantic Summer Table Setting with Pink Peonies