A Quaint Charcuterie Beach Gathering
My daughter is not one for being the center of attention in sizeable crowds of people, so it was no surprise when she opted for a small beach gathering for her sweet sixteen celebration. We live on the Emerald Coast with the beach nearby, one of her favorite places to be.
Preparation
My husband made a 6'x2' table top using pine plywood with pine edging. I bought two baskets from Tuesday Morning to act as the legs. They had metal handles which were pushed into the sand for added stability. Next, I purchased two blanket throws, pillows and a table runner, also from Tuesday Morning.
Since the table was only 2' wide, I had to make the best use of the limited space. My daughter asked for a charcuterie set up. I had to think of how to fit the food on the table while allowing room for some decorations, place settings, and drinks. The only way to go was up. I used a cake stand and a decorative, elevated cutting board to expand the space.
Decorative items
No affiliated links
-Two Cream blanket throws, one for each side of the table - Tuesday Morning
- Six large Bohemian style/color throw pillows, one for each guest - Tuesday Morning and Walmart
-One wood and glass lantern with real candle (could opt for a battery operated one) - Tuesday morning
-White Ceramic Cake stand for giant cookie - Tuesday Morning
-Decorative, elevated cutting board - Tuesday Morning
-2 -1 Liter (34 oz) Clear Giara Glass Bottle with Swing Top - Publix but you can also find them a the link below
-Cream table runner - Tuesday Morning
-Clear plastic scalloped edge plates, dessert size
-Fancy Crystal Clear plastic cups - Publix
-Mustard color cloth napkins - Tuesday Morning
-2 Short Glass votives and candles- Michael's Craft and Floral Warehouse.
-4 Hydrangeas in a clear thin vase. - Publix
I also used glass bowls I already had on hand for food.
Food
-Chocolate-covered raisins
-Chocolate covered almonds
-Chocolate covered bananas
-Planters Deluxe mixed nuts
-Genoa Salami
-Snyder's large hard pretzels
-Brie baked in oven safe pottery (I topped it with blackberry jam once we got to the beach)
-Herbed Goat cheese
-Cheddar cheese block ( I usually like to use Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese but my daughter requested regular cheddar)
-Various crackers
-Cucumbers
-Chocolate covered strawberries
-Grapes
-Cheese crisps
-large cookie in place of a cake. Recipe below.
https://www.wilton.com/giant-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/WLRECIP-65.html?utm_campaign=190920%7CHY%3AWI%7CGEN-Engage_Project-Trend_GiantChocolateChipCookieRecipe&utm_medium=SOCIAL&utm_source=PINTEREST
For drinks I filled the water bottles with cold water and refilled them as needed.
Asthetics
When I throw parties, large or small, presentation is everything. I had the help of two wonderful friends this day. We set up our own chairs about 50 feet away from the girls,where we had dinner and some girl talk. I kept the cooler of ice and bottled water and all other supplies with us so as not to disrupt the setting of the party. Photographing memories is very important to my daughter. I did not want her photos of the setting to be cluttered with bags, clunky coolers, and beach chairs. I could fill the water bottles at the table as needed since the adults were not too far away with the supplies.
The best decoration was the palette of color, compliments of the sunset.
Hosting a party at the beach takes a bit more planning. You must make a list of every supply you may need and bring it all with you, but it was worth it. Our daughter will have Sweet 16 memories to last a lifetime.
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