Entertain | June 2014
Ready, Set, Match!
A lavish ladies luncheon inspired by the 1960s "preppy" tennis era
Photos by David Molnar
Tennis is the perfect excuse to get together for some friendly competition and work up an appetite. Get inspired to host your own "match" this summer with tips from expert party planners Michelle Hope and Jaime Newsom of Social Butterflies, LLC.
Setting the scene: Hope and Newsom teamed up with floral designer Tanarah Haney to create a show-stopping set. The team designed the look using tall, floral-like hedges that serve as anchors for connecting the vintage wooden rackets. For the table, the girls used an extra-wide surface to display an elaborate place setting consisting of tennis rackets, balls and a colorful place setting.
Inspired by the preppy 60s era, Hope and Newsom dressed the table in silk and plaid linen (custom made by Mosaic). The white table linen, piped in Kelly green and finished with box pleats, added an additional preppy touch. Glass coral chargers were used to give place settings a bold pop of color and tie in to the preppy plaid accents on cushions and linen napkins. Topping off the lavish table are a mixture of crystal and coral glassware, which give the table an additional vintage touch.
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Setting the table—For a colorful place setting, consider purchasing plastic chargers from any local store and spray painting them coral or Kelly green.
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Use what you have—To add width to your home table, the experts recommend adding a piece of plywood to the top of any 6’ or 8’ table surface. Chargers take up a lot of room on a table and adding a large floral design requires extra space.
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Attention to detail—Use tennis balls as place card holders by cutting slits into the top for a card. Consider shaving off a piece at the bottom to keep balls from rolling of the table.
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Decorative Accents— Vintage rackets were purchased from Ebay, but local thrift stores and garage sales are also great places to find tennis props. “Sweat bands are another fun accent that you can use as napkin rings,” adds Hope and Newsom.
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Setting—“Host the luncheon outside, or even courtside,” suggests Social Butterflies. “The green backdrop will add to the ambiance.”
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Create Ambience: Local hardware stores or garden centers have cost-effective plants you could use in creating a centerpiece. Add rackets or tennis balls to enhance them. If fresh flowers are not in the budget, the experts suggest using props as a centerpiece.
Tips on creating this look at home:
Sources:
Event Design
Social Butterflies, LLC
901.828.9321, sb-events.com
Photography
David Molnar
davidmolnar.com
Floral design
Tanarah Luxe Floral
501.372.1400, designsbytanarah.com
Rentals
Eventures
479.444.7526, eventurespartyrentals.com
Paper products
Mrs. Post
901.433.9013, mrspoststationery.com
The Menu:
Farmers Market Salad
Herb-Roasted Chicken
Lemon Squares
Spiked Lemonade
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