A summer getaway to Europe may or may not be in the books for everyone, but event planner Lauren Beth Landry proved “La Dolce Vita” can be a backyard celebration with this 40th birthday bash.

When it came time to plan her friend Kallie Culotta Svendson’s birthday celebration, Landry landed on an Italian summer theme. Svendson was raised in a large Italian family and has always been drawn to the food and culture of Italy. Landry knew she wanted the evening to capture the essence of the European country with a dinner party hosted in Svendson’s backyard. She opted for seating everyone at one long table to create the feel of a family dinner.

“Kallie and Robert moved into a beautiful new home with a stunning backyard,” says Landry. “As soon as we saw the space, we knew it would be perfect for a table of that size. The weather that day and evening could not have been more perfect. We also lucked out with a pink full moon.”

For décor, Landry chose a color palette informed by Italy’s classic colors, as well as the vibrancy of summer. “I love the traditional red, green and white Italian colors, so we implemented those into the fun teals and pinks to join Kallie’s personality with the Italian tradition,” she says.

An abundance of taper candles and string lights created a cozy, intimate environment. The curated tablescape was brought to life with the help of vendors, including Truly Haute, which provided the colored candles, and Cypress Tents & Events, from which the linens, bistro lights and antique willow chairs were sourced.

“When I saw the teal stripe linens at Cypress, I knew that was the one! It was a 52-person seated dinner, so we opted for a disposable paper placemat in all different color varieties to make the table even more fun,” says Landry. Greenery, lemons and tomatoes adorned the table as final touches.

For party favors, Landry personally potted basil plants in terracotta pots for everyone to take home. With help from Paper N’ Things, Landry tied everything together with custom menus and place cards.

Scroll below to see more pictures from the Dolce Vita dinner party. 

Vendors:

Rentals – Cypress Tents & Events

Paper products – Paper ‘N Things

Candles – Truly Haute

Plates/glassware/servers – B&B

Chef – Maurizio Moretti

Trio Band – Paulo

Balloons – Animated Art Balloon

Bartender – Clint Stockwell

Hats – Creative Promotional Products