Outdoor Butter Summer Soirée

Lois Wilson
Jun 18
3 min read

Updated: Jul 26

The girlies feet hurt, we have swapped heels for silk slippers and crowded city rooftops for the comforts of the home that we pay for. But that doesn’t mean opulence is dead. Oh quite the contrary. The girls are in their Martha era- planning extravagant parties for their closest friends and we are here for it. This year, it’s less about bottomless brunches in the city and more about the art of elegantly hosting a moment to remember at home. Here is how

Pick a colour, any colour really but we have gone for yellow- specifically butter yellow. There’s something about butter yellow — that soft, sunlit in-between — that evokes nostalgia, elegance and ease all at once. This season, we’re leaning into it fully, setting our tables in stripes, trimming parasols in fringe, and pouring prosecco under lemon-laden trellises. Whether LA beachside or poolside, English countryside or French courtyard, here’s how to host a summer celebration where the mood is golden and the light lingers just a little longer.

Our starting point: the scene-stealing Edmund Citrus Octagonal Parasol (£785). With its bold chevron pattern and sun-drenched palette, it sets the tone for a tablescape that’s both playful and perfectly put-together. Pair with slender taper candles, stacked citrus bowls, and a generous scattering of Mrs Alice’s Yellow Glass Tea Light Holders (£36 for the pair) for a table that glows from late afternoon into aperitivo hour.

The details matter. From Summerill & Bishop’s painterly napkins (Notting Hill, £24) to the hand-finished pasta bowls (£38), these pieces feel collected rather than curated. Think hand-picked flowers in vintage cut glass and generous swathes of linen catching the breeze — the joy is in the movement as much as the placement. For softness and structure, look no further than the scallop-edged place mats from Rose & Grey (set of 6, £55), which add a delicate contrast to clean stripes. This is all about balance: weightless fabric against structured chairs, rustic wood against crystal glassware, warm citrus against cool white.

And speaking of structure — nothing elevates a setting like good seating. We love the tactile romance of Anthropologie’s Rattan Bar Stools (£398) and the coastal charm of the French Rattan Chair from Where Saints Go (£169). They’re the kind of pieces that work just as well around a garden table as they do indoors beside a marble-topped island.

For seaside tables or dune-framed dining, nothing beats a stripe. A fully dressed table, surrounded by deckchairs and shaded by striped umbrellas, is the grown-up equivalent of a childhood beach picnic — but elevated. Keep the flowers wild and free (think dill, cosmos, yellow stocks), and the place settings unfussy but layered.

And finally, the pièce de résistance: a canopy of yellow and white swaying in the breeze, casting soft shadows across a citrus-stacked centrepiece. This final image is pure drama — an ode to lemon groves and Italian summers, to joy in abundance and the art of gathering beautifully. Whether you’re hosting six or sixteen, the rule is simple: let the light in, and dress the table like it’s the main character.

SHOP THE LOOK

☀️ Tablecloths, napkins & crockery — Summerill & Bishop

☀️ Tea light holders — Mrs Alice

☀️ Parasol & rattan seating — Anthropologie, Where Saints Go

☀️ Placemats — Rose & Grey

☀️ Decorative bowl — Lara, Anthropologie (£38)

Moodboard Tip: Save this entire look for your next garden soirée, birthday brunch or peach-toned bridal shower. Because summer won’t last forever — but the photos, and the feeling, will.