At the end of last year, I set a goal to host a dinner party monthly in 2025. I stuck to that goal successfully in January, February, and March. I missed April, though I’m giving myself a pass since I did host 45 people at the river house for an afternoon into evening party which, technically, did include dinner. And, now that I’m thinking about it, I also hosted a casual dinner party the evening before my birthday. Maybe we’ll give April a double check rather than a barely-passing grade.
May is still outstanding, though I have two weeks to make it happen. I may not have set plans yet, but I’m confident I can pull something off.
But, all that aside, one of my favorite parts about the process of hosting dinner parties is setting the table. Of course, I like coming up with the guest list, deciding on a loose theme, and scouring my cookbooks for the perfect menu, but I absolutely love the art that is choosing just the right napkins, dishware, and candles.
For this March dinner party, I wanted a spring tablescape that felt fresh without being too bright. I wanted it to feel both whimsical and slightly formal, and I wanted to set a clear delineation between spring and Easter-inspired spring. This was designed to evoke a more crisp, greenery look than flowers and pastels.
The basis for the tablescape was a set of placemats and napkins from All Cotton and Linen, which I’ve since found out is a resource so many of y’all already knew about (they were kind enough to send these for me to try out!).
Easy Spring Tablescape in Green and White
These darling scalloped placemats from All Cotton and Linen set the stage in the prettiest dark green, which could transition from winter into spring into summer into fall, all depending on the other items you use with them. Classic blue willow dishware provided a fresh contrast, and the white napkins with embroidered green dots tied the two together.
I went with my standard crystal and silver to dress up the table, added pretty blue candles, then used a cabbageware soup tureen not as a functional serving piece, but as the centerpiece. It feels springy and weighty enough to hold down the center of the table. If I was one for fresh flowers (apologies, one of my hot takes is that I don’t like flowers in my house), perhaps I’d put a few sticking it out of the place where the spoon should go. But, I’m not, so I used it as is.
This tablescape took 15 minutes to pull together, used all items I already had around the house, and was perfect for a low key dinner party where I wanted to host friends for a sit down dinner in the dining room, but didn’t want it to have a terribly formal air. Springy, fresh, and perfect for a menu of cozy early spring dishes.
Placemats / Napkins / Vintage Brass Candle Holders / Blue Candles / Blue Willow Dishware / Chantilly Silver / Marble Napkin Rings / Cabbage Tureen
