How To Host An Elevated Outdoor Party, According To An Expert

“A dinner party is a success when your guests have tasted new foods or drinks, seen a table that is refreshing, and learned something,” says Susan Gravely, the founder of Vietri. This approach to entertaining comes naturally to the host, who founded her tabletop line after such a dining experience in Positano, Italy, more than 40 years ago. “We stayed at Il San Pietro hotel and ate in a room that overlooked the Tyrrhenian Sea,” recalls Gravely of the trip she took with her mother and sister. They fell in love—with the smell of the pizza; the bougainvillea blooms overhead; and the brightly colored dinnerware, which was handmade by artisans in a nearby town. They brought several pieces home to North Carolina and launched what has since become Vietri, a popular collection of Italian-made tableware that’s designed to inspire special meals. “Dining represents a spirit of bringing people together—all ages, all types—and enjoying the environment,” she explains. “For me, the table is a metaphor for any time people gather. They’re talking and appreciating their surroundings, and they leave feeling better.”

How To Host An Elevated Alfresco Dinner Party

The lush greenery on Gravely’s upper veranda prompted this elevated gathering’s color palette. She anchored the setting in Matouk’s Schumacher Citrus Garden Tablecloth, a timeless pattern rendered in a host of zippy greens, then laid out plates from Vietri’s Lastra collection, so named for its defined lines that were inspired by the strap traditionally used to make Parmesan cheese. “It’s a little more contemporary,” she notes. “Paired with a classic tablecloth, these modern plates show the yin and yang of how you can set a table.” Gold-rimmed glassware, ceramic candlesticks, and golden flatware layer in easy elegance.

How To Host A Casual Patio Party

“We wanted our melamine to feel just like dinnerware,” says Gravely, who set the scene for a family-friendly pizza dinner with durable pieces from Vietri’s Melamine Campagna collection, which was designed to mimic the pottery she first fell for in Italy. A windowpane-check tablecloth and disposable napkins dial up the meal’s relaxed picnic effect, while flatware with pearlized handles and pretty glasses make it seem special and celebratory. “There is nothing to worry about when you have people over, strangers or friends,” she says. “Just bring out the things you love.”

Gravely's Tried-and-True Advice

Ready to host? Apply some of Gravely's tried-and-true techniques for pulling off a sucsessful soiree.

On Choosing the Menu

“The food is important only from a sensory and taste point of view. It can be extremely simple. In the summertime, you cannot beat a BLT sandwich. The tomatoes are in season, we love Duke’s Mayonnaise here in North Carolina, and you have the crispy bacon and the toasted fresh bread. I mean, what better lunch is there for a crowd?”

On Entertaining Outdoors

“It’s important to address the weather, especially in the South. Have some bug spray available before you ever go outside. If it’s really sunny, we’ll open an umbrella over the table and bring out an electric fan. And don’t be embarrassed if it’s an old umbrella or fan. So be it—who cares? It shows that it’s used, that it’s part of your home environment.”

On Putting Guests at Ease

“If we’re hosting more than six people, we’ll set up all the food in the center of our kitchen and serve it buffet style so everyone can choose what they want to eat and enjoy going back for seconds. I think those types of things make them feel more at home.”

Shop the Elevated Alfresco Dinner Party

Lastra Dinner Plate in White

This collection of dinnerware is inspired by the strap traditionally used to make Parmesan cheese.

Contessa Gold Stemless Wine Glass

Add a subtle shimmer to the table with these simple, pretty wine glasses.

Cotone Linens Napkins with Double Stitching in Ivory, Set of 4

Layer in an element of softness with these napkins, which come in three other colorways.

Lastra Pasta Bowl in White

This Italian stoneware bowl feels sophisticated but not fussy, plus it's dishwasher safe.

Martellato Flatware in Gold

Warm up the all-white serveware with these hammered metallic utensils.

Hibiscus Glass Clear Large Fluted Vase

Corral favorite summer blooms in this mouth-blown vessel.

Shop the Party on the Patio

Papersoft Napkins Capri Dinner Napkins in Yellow, Set of 20

Skip the extra laundry with napkins that look nice but can be tossed after the meal.

Aladdin Antique flatware in White

Acrylic pearlized handles make these stainless steel utensils just right for outdoor dining.

Puccinelli Water Glass

Made in Campania, Italy, these glasses lend pretty curves to the table.

Melamine Campagna Uccello Dinner Plate, Set of Four

Inspired by the dishes they first fell in love with, the melamine takes are especially family-friendly.

Melamine Campagna Pesce Salad Plate, Set of Four

These durable dishes bring worry-free color and style to place settings.

Melamine Campagna Gallina Large

Serve a crowd with ease thanks to this bowl that's perfect for summer salads.