How to Host an Outdoor Fall Dinner Party for 16

Some gatherings just feel like they were meant to happen. This was one of them. I invited a group we’ve all grown fond of, a crew of friends that grew out of our youngest daughter’s college years, for an outdoor fall party in our yard. Sixteen of us in all, counting the littlest guest at the table.

A few of our guests had never been to our house before, so I wanted everything to feel special from the moment they walked into the yard. The whole night was about setting the stage for fall, from the table right to the greenhouse door.

And of course, it rained. It rained the day before, it rained right before our guest arrived, and it rained again the next day. But as if orchestrated just for the event when everyone was here, it was beautiful. And thankfully, we own a tent, which was up and covered us while we ate even if there were a few raindrops.

This post is sponsored in part by Cotton Print Club, who gifted me the two tablecloths you’ll see in this post. All opinions are my own, and you know I only share things I love. This post may also contain affiliate links. You can find my full Disclosure Policy HERE

I’m sharing all of it: the table, the place settings, the greenhouse bar, the little Parmesan graters I’ve been waiting several years to use, and our easy Italian menu. I even made a free printable kit with name tags, a menu card, and a dinner party timeline so you can host your own. Share your email address with me, and you will have access to this and all the other printables in my resource library.

If you saw our outdoor living room in my recent fall home tour, this will show you how we use that space when we entertain and how we carry that same feel out into the yard.

How This Group of Friends Came Together

Every family has its people. Ours grew out of our youngest daughter’s college years. The friends became roommates, the moms became friends, and somewhere along the way the whole crew became a group we truly wanted to get together in one space and celebrate. This summer several of them all shuffled apartments around Chicago like a game of musical chairs, so a fall dinner to celebrate everyone landing somewhere new felt just right.

Setting Up One Long Table for 16

Under the tent we set two tables end to end to make one long table for all sixteen of us. Long tables are my favorite way to seat a crowd. Everyone can see each other, conversation flows up and down the table, and it just looks like a party. We set up the yard in the same configuration for Annie and Tommy’s backyard wedding.

Handy’s Lightweight Folding Table Tops

Here’s a little secret: there are plain folding tables under those pretty table cloths. Handy made table tops that fit over our 6-foot folding tables, using 1-inch rigid foam insulation with a frame of 2×2s underneath to fit right around the tables.

Our folding tables are 6 feet by 30 inches. Handy’s tops are 7 feet by 36 inches, so each one adds a foot of length and 6 inches of width. This measurement is a perfect fit for the 60″ x 108″ ruffled Apatite Blue Cotton Print Club tablecloths that I chose. It gives me a 12″ drop around all four sides.

The extra room that the tabletoppers give a standard folding table makes a real difference when every place setting includes a charger, properly placed silverware, and stemware. It also gives enough room for adding florals to the table.

I’ve seen lots of people make these out of plywood, and that works too, but plywood is heavy. These work just as well, and they’re so lightweight I can carry them and set them up all by myself.

The bonus I didn’t expect: because the top is foam, you can push cut flat heart-shaped thumbtacks right through the tablecloths to hold them in place. No more tablecloths flapping off the table in the wind.

One Tablecloth, Every Season

When I picked out tablecloths from Cotton Print Club, I chose two matching tablecloths, one for each table, that I knew I would use all year long. (We all know I’m a blue-and-white gal.)

The one on our tables is several shades of blue and white block print on white, finished with a blue and white striped ruffle around the edges. I loved that this ruffle gives a little touch of whimsy to the setting. A block print on white is one of those patterns that works for so many occasions. It lets the napkins, flowers, and little extras do the seasonal talking.

Here’s how I’d change the same tablecloths throughout the year:

• Fall: orange napkins, jute chargers, sunflowers, and pumpkins down the middle (you’re looking at it).
• Winter: cranberry napkins, fresh greenery, cranberry roses, and silver candleabras.
• Spring: soft yellow or pink napkins and a low bowl of tulips.
• Summer: crisp white napkins, garden hydrangeas, and a bowl of lemons.

You can find these tablecloths at Cotton Print Club. Before being approached by them to sponsor a post about their product, I already owned several of their tablecloths, and I just love them, so a “yes” was easy for me to say to this collaboration.

How I Layered Each Place Setting

I started with round woven jute braided chargers. They added so much texture and gave the whole table a fall feel without a single leaf in sight. On top went a white dinner plate, then a mismatched group of white and blue salad plates.

The orange gauze napkins did the heavy lifting. We tied each one in a loose knot and laid it across the plates. Swapping the napkins is the easiest, least expensive way to take a year-round tablecloth into fall.

I finished each place with mismatched vintage silver and blue stemmed wine glasses. And at the side of each plate was a mini wood charcuterie board with a wedge of Parmesan cheese and a mini cheese grater.

Garden Flowers and Pumpkins Down the Table

Each table had its own arrangement of flowers that included hydrangeas, sunflowers, and orange roses. Most of the flowers came from my garden, but we did add in some orange roses that we bought from my favorite flower provider, Trader Joe’s. Then we placed some mini pumpkins down the center of the table to tie it all together.

Lighting for an Evening Dinner Party

Since this was an evening dinner party, lighting was a must. Typically I’ve used string lights above the tables, but I wanted something a little more intimate for this event. I chose to place four little gold rechargeable lamps down the tables to give it the soft, warm glow that I wanted once the sun went down. No cords to trip over and nothing to plug in under the tent.

Setting the Scene: Fall in the Whole Yard

I didn’t want the table to feel like it landed in the yard all by itself. So I carried fall through the whole space, making the blue and white tablecloths look right at home and perfect with the theme of the party.

A Cornucopia on the Appetizer Table

On the appetizer table sat a very large cornucopia that I recently bought while on my girls’ trip to Michigan. This was something that Michele found at a thrift shop, and while she wanted it, she knew she couldn’t get it home on a plane; consequently, it became mine. Emma filled it with a bounty of both produce and flowers from my gardens.

We have permanent string lights above the outdoor picnic table, which added more glow to the backyard.

A Hay Bale Vignette by the Greenhouse

Next to the greenhouse, I set a bale of hay with pumpkins, a basket of flowers, and a large ornamental kale that I had planted in a ceramic pot. It was the “welcome in” that we had at the entrance of the greenhouse, which served as our bar.

A Foraged Branch Arch Over the Greenhouse Door

This was such a fun project. Over the greenhouse door, I made a tree draping that climbs on one side and across the top. I used dead branches, twigs, and sticks to make my form, and then I started adding vines, leaved branches, berry branches, some grasses, and dried hydrangeas. I’m sure the neighbors wondered what I was up to when I would leave on the golf cart (several times) and return with the back bed filled with foliage. This project cost me nothing but a little time, a pair of clippers, and gardening gloves. It made the greenhouse look like something out of a storybook. I plan to leave the frame of this up for Christmas and add greens and twinkly lights.

In the end, it all tied together. My love for blue and white carried from inside our home, through our outdoor living room, and right into the yard.

A Parmesan Grater at Every Place Setting

I bought some little cheese graters at Nell Hill’s (one of my favorite stores in Kansas City) several years ago. The moment I saw them, I pictured a small board at every place with its own grater and a wedge of parmesan. Then, like so many of my good ideas, they got tucked away and forgotten.

When I turned my hall linen closet into a hosting closet, I found them hiding in the bottom of the built-in corner cabinet in our dining room. It felt like finding a present I’d wrapped for myself years ago.

So in between every place, each couple shared a small wood board with their own little grater and wedge of parmesan. Everyone grated as much as they wanted over some or all of the courses. It was such a fun, personal detail, and I finally got to use them.

You’ll find name tags sized to tie right onto a grate in the free printable kit. No tiny graters? A small wedge of parmesan with a little cheese knife gives the same feeling.

The Greenhouse Bar and Our Aperol Spritz Sangria

Our greenhouse became the bar for the night, as it often does during a party. We rolled in the bar cart that usually lives in our outdoor living room and filled an extra-large metal ice bucket with ice to keep the wine bottles cold. Corn stalks stood in the corner with dried hydrangeas, and faux pumpkins were scattered about. For this occasion we turned on the crystal chandelier to light up the space for the evening. Check out our old greenhouse decorated for for another fall dinner party.

My son-in-law was our bartender for the night. He mixed our signature cocktail. Aperol Spritz Sangria, in a glass pitcher (another introduction of orange into the party). He made one and then another and then another. It was a hit! After that lots of wine was poured.

In hindsight, I should have pulled out the large glass drink dispenser I have stored in our boathouse attic. It would have been pretty on the bar cart and a lot less work for Tommy. Too late now, but lesson learned for me. I’m going to get it down and store it in my hosting closet so it’s at my fingertips for the next event.

Our Easy Italian Fall Dinner Party Menu

I kept the menu simple on purpose, but it all was formulated around those cheese graters :). Most of it could be prepped ahead, which meant more time at the table and less time in the kitchen. And when the plan needed to change halfway through the night, it could.

Seasonal Appetizers

The appetizers were set out on the picnic table with the big cornucopia so guests could graze while the sangria was flowing.

• Bruschetta made with tomatoes from my garden.
• Homemade ricotta drizzled with honey and topped with chopped pistachios.
• Prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, the easiest appetizer there is.

A Simple Italian Salad

The salad was simple and fresh: leaf lettuce and Bibb lettuce with pickled red onions, thinly sliced radishes, and mini cucumbers. Emma made a simple dressing ahead of time of olive oil, red wine vinegar, a little Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. That’s it.

Cheese Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage

Next came the ravioli, served on its own on a plain white salad plate after the salad. The raviolis were store-bought, but I made the brown butter sage sauce ahead of time and just heated it up before serving. This course was amazingly good. It was definitely my favorite.

Brown butter sage sauce is easier than it sounds: it is just salted butter and fresh sage leaves from my garden. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. If the it’s a light colored sauce pan, all the better as you can better see when the butter turns brown.

Once the butter was melted, I added 6 large sage leaves. You must not only be patient when making browned butter, as it can turn from browned to burned very quickly. Letting the butter softly boil over medium heat and stirring pretty often is the key. First the white foam (milk solids) will rise to the top. Then you’ll have to patiently wait for it to turn a light caramel-golden brown. It will also have a nutty smell. Take it off the heat and remove the sage to a paper-toweled plate.

Add the ravioli to salted-boiled water and cook according to package directions. Once drained, place 3-4 ravioli on each plate and spoon warmed brown butter over them. You can add a fresh sage leaf to the top or the crumbled cooked leaves. Finish with a little freshly grated Parmesan from your grater.

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

For the main course, I cross-hatched cut chicken breasts, rubbed them with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and let them marinate in olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic for 1 hour.

My plan was to pan-fry them and make a sauce on the stove. But I was having such a good time that we decided to put them on the grill instead, so I didn’t have to spend the evening in the kitchen. Handy grilled everything on our outdoor kitchen grills.

The vegetables (asparagus, sliced red pepper, slices of yellow squash, mushrooms, and onions) were marinated too, in olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Handy grilled them in a grill basket right alongside the chicken. It was quicker, easier, and just as good.

To finish, I threw together a creamy sauce to spoon over the chicken: butter, olive oil, garlic, chicken broth, fresh thyme, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese.

Here’s my favorite hosting lesson from the night: give yourself permission to change the plan. Your guests came to see you, not to watch you stand at the stove.

The Carrot Cake We Forgot to Serve

After dinner, we all moved to the outdoor living room and settled in around a roaring fire, pouring more wine for dessert.

And the carrot cake I had for two recent birthdays in the crowd? Want to know how everyone liked it? I have no idea. We were all having so much fun by the fire it never made it out of the refrigerator. I’m calling that the sign of a very good party.

My Outdoor Fall Dinner Party Timeline

A dinner for sixteen feels big, but broken into small steps, it’s very doable. Here’s the short version. The full printable checklist is in the free kit.

• One month out:
  • Invite guests
  • Plan the menu
• Two weeks out:
  • Print out the recipes
  • Create a grocery list
  • Plan the table setting
  • Plan a party playlist (one for cocktails and one for dinner)
  • Make sure the tablecloths are cleaned and pressed
  • Wash all tableware, stemware, and serving pieces
• One week out:
  • Print the name tags
  • Menu cards
  • Charge the lamps
  • Shop for pantry items and ingredients for things that can be made one week out.
    • Prepare pickled red onions
• Three days before:
  • Clean up greenhouse
  • Clean up the outdoor living room
  • Last-minute weeding of gardens
  • Forage branches and make greenhouse branch frame.
• Two days before:
  • Shop for fresh ingredients
  • Make the ricotta
  • Make the marinade for the vegetables
  • Mix the chicken rub spices together.
• The day before:
  • Mow the grass
  • Put up the tent,
  • Set up the tables and chairs
  • Pick up cake
  • Slice fruit and vegetables
  • Clean the house.
• The morning of:
  • Shop for flowers
  • Cut flowers from the garden and make flower arrangements
  • Put the tablecloths on the table and put out place settings
  • Make the bruschetta
  • Put the ricotta dip together
  • Toast the crostinis
• Two hours before:
  • Get yourself dressed and ready
• One hour before
  • Mix the sangria
  • Put wine on ice
  • Turn on the lamps, string lights, and light candles
  • Put out the appetizers
  • Turn on playlist

For a longer holiday version, see my Thanksgiving prep timeline post.

Tips for Hosting an Outdoor Fall Dinner Party

After this night, here’s what I’d tell anyone planning an outdoor fall dinner party.

• Have a rain plan. It rained right before our guests arrived. The tent saved the already set table from ruin and would have served us well if it had continued to rain.
• Let the grill help. Moving the main course outside kept me at the party instead of in the kitchen.
• Making table toppers for the folding tables. Leave it to Handy to take my suggestion and improve on it.
• Tack it down. A breeze and a tablecloth are not friends. Cute thumbtacks I had on hand fixed that. Another Handy suggestion.
• Let it shine. Cordless lamps turned the table into an intimate outdoor dining room once the sun went down.
• Batch the signature drink. Use a big drink dispenser instead of a pitcher, so your bartender gets to enjoy the party too.
• Set out appetizers early. Guests can graze while you finish up, and nobody arrives hungry and waiting.
• Keep throws nearby. Fall evenings get chilly fast. We had a basket full of throws in the outdoor living room.

Get the Free Fall Dinner Party Printable Kit

Want to host your own? I put together a free printable kit with everything you need:

• Name Place Cards and Tags
• A menu card
• A printable outdoor dinner party timeline
• A bar sign for your drink station
• An Aperol Spritz Sangria recipe card

All of the printables in this kit are editable with a free version of Canva.

Final Thoughts

What I’ll remember most about this night isn’t the table or the menu. It’s all of us gathered together and conversation flowing as freely as the wine. I can’t wait to have this group back together again soon.

Peace and Love,