Mark the summer solstice with natural tones, materials
Celebrate the start of the season with lots of light, grilled foods and mead
For centuries people have celebrated the summer solstice, and those traditions carry on today, with some of the best-known observations occurring in f ar northern countries where the sun barely sets that day.
To create your own summer solstice gathering, party planners say to think about themes that celebrate nature and light, whether it’s a dinner party or a casual get-together.
Elegance in white
Svitlana Flom, editor-in-chief of lifestyle and entertaining website Art de Fête, said she takes inspiration for a solstice party from St. Petersburg, Russia, and the city’s White Nights festival.
Her idea is to create an elegant allwhite theme dinner party with decorations to reflect the longest day of the year.
“Why not create an outdoor party under the skies? Make it sophisticated and beautiful,” Flom said, and bring in natural elements.
For a dinner party, place a white tablecloth with a lace runner on top, tied into knots at both ends and cascading to the ground. Or, to give the table an earthy feel, use a burlap tablecloth with white napkins, she said.
Fill white porcelain vases of various heights with summer flowers like hydrangea, peonies or daisies. Scatter silver-mercury votive candle holders along the table and perhaps add a pair of crystal or silver five-light column candelabra.
“When lit in the evening, (it) will create an ethereal, magical ambience, especially if you are hosting the party under the stars,” Flom said. “Lighting is so important to create an intimate ambience for a party that lasts into the night. Make sure to provide plenty of lighting with various tea lights in terracotta pots, oversized lanterns, citronella candles or pretty outdoor party lights along the fence or tent.”
For a place card, use a single sparkler for each guest, and tie a round white name tag with kitchen twine as ribbon, with the sparkler to be lighted when night f alls. Alternatively, place large green leaves on white plates and write guests’ names on the leaves with a silver marker.
For appetizers, Flom said sushi, such as California rolls, and cheese plates lend themselves to a white, elegant theme.
Fish and chicken are also go-to choices for the entrée, Flom said. Sides can be as simple as white cannellini bean purée for swordfish kebabs, or serve Israeli couscous or quinoa with sautéed vegetables as a side dish for roasted chicken breast.
Flom’s personal favourite dessert is Pavlova, served with freshly whipped cream and grapefruit segments. Another idea is melon-pearbasil ice pops.
“Place ice pops upside down in a white glass, and pour Prosecco over, served immediately,” she says.
Bonfires traditionally end a solstice celebration. To re-create that at home, light a fire pit and make s’mores, Flom said.
Casual with colour
Ann Saavedra, owner of Dreamcatcher Events in Walnut Creek, Calif., suggested a casual and fun festival big on colour and lights.
“You want to have a wow element. The wow element can be lots of outdoor lights, lots of colour. The colours that come to mind to me would be bright pinks, yellows and golds — really bright colours,” Saavedra said.
For her party, she suggested activities that let people use natural materials to get in touch with their creative side. For a lighthearted theme, people can decorate summer hats and then wear them at the party. To celebrate nature, she suggested placing leafy greens cut small and flowers on a table to make wreathes held together by wire, or to decorate wicker spheres.
“People love to do things with their hands. They like to get creative. You give them something like that, and you can’t go wrong,” she said.
To pick up colour, she suggested using coloured linens or at least coloured napkins to be served with hors d’oeuvre, which are inexpensive ways to brighten up the party. Plates in shapes like shells or other natural items accent the earthy theme, Saavedra added.
To celebrate solstice’s ancient origins, she suggested having a toast with mead, the honey-based liquor, as the sun goes down.
As the day ends, that’s when hosts can amp up the lights. This is a good time to light votive candles and use mirrors to reflect the light. Tiki torches and fire pits are good choices, but so are lighted ice cubes in drinks, lighted sticks to put in flower arrangements and string lights in trees.
“You definitely want to create energy that goes way into the night,” she said.
You definitely want to create energy that goes way into the night. ANN SAAVEDRA DREAMCATCHER EVENTS