New England Summer Soirée

summer whites boston outdoor party scalloped dress

I hope you guys had an amazing weekend! Ours was an eventful one filled with family and friends, and we got lucky with beautiful weather. Nick and I hosted a small summer gathering on our roof deck to send off one of our closest friends, Carolyn, who is leaving Boston. I’m going to miss her dearly, but good thing she’s not going too far!

new england seafood party oysters lobster rolls stella artois

We wanted to throw a classy party in honor of a classy lady, so it was perfect we were able to partner with Stella Artois to host this get-together. Alongside their beverages, we wanted to incorporate some signature elements of New England summers like plentiful hydrangeas and, of course, fresh seafood! Friends also wore their summer whites as an ode to the last few weeks of summer. Side tip: keep a Tide pen handy for guests if you’re hosting a whites party : )

new england seafood party food_crab shrimp rolls lukes lobster

For food we went the classic New England route, with a trio of lobster, crab, shrimp rolls (and grilled cheese for vegetarian friends) alongside oysters served on ice. We had all the sandwiches catered by Luke’s Lobster, who for bigger orders actually butter and assemble them on-site so they don’t get soggy. I ordered a few extra to be safe and there was not a single leftover morsel to be found. If you ask Nick, there might be nothing better than a fresh buttery lobster roll and a cold beer on a hot day! As for the oysters, it was a no-brainer to order from Island Creek after touring their farm earlier this month.

charcuterie meat cheese table party station

Yummy charcuterie station set up by our friend Liz – I forgot to take a photo ’til after it was half devoured!

summer white party DIY flower arrangements hydrangeas roses

If you’re doing your own flowers for a DIY event, definitely check your local grocery stores and chat with the floral department managers. I usually try my luck last-minute at Trader Joe’s – my local store unloads daily shipments at night, so I’ve had good luck popping in right before they close and asking to peek inside the new boxes! If you plan ahead, many grocery stores (like Stop & Shop around here) will let you order exactly what you want, in bulk and in advance for a future date.

summer roof deck white party bar cart

Threshold bar cart (older version)

As Snapchat followers may know, my youngest brother Schuyler has been driving my parents nuts so they shipped him off to Nick and I for “camp.” I’ve been MIA from the blog this week to spend time with him – he’s certainly giving us a small taste of parenthood to an energetic and extremely curious / nosy pre-teen! Although he sure tests my patience, I appreciate these days with him like none other. I also have to admit he’s been a good little helper! He even snapped these photos as we were setting up before guests arrived, but not without voicing lots of unsolicited feedback about our awkward poses…

summer garden party infused water bar cart

boston summer white party_jean nick

To cover up some unsightly chimneys on our roof, we used jumbo DIY paper flowers borrowed from my friend Khatu’s baby shower. These were a labor of love but are always a hit with guests! Here’s a YouTube tutorial, in case any of you want to try your hand at them for an event.

DIY large paper flowers party decor

Despite some threats of thunderstorms (would’ve been quite the interesting event in all our whites!), we lucked out with a gorgeous fiery sunset over the city, making it one to remember. Thank you to all of our wonderful friends for helping set up and make this shindig come together!

boston skyline summer rooftop party decor

Thank you to Stella Artois for partnering on this post!

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20 Comments

  1. Leslie wrote:

    Everything looks delightful and I'm with Nick – lobster rolls and beer, sounds like the perfect meal ANY day!

    xoxo,
    The Hautemommie // http://www.thehautemommie.com

    Posted 9.8.16 Reply
  2. Jean wrote:

    Hi Emily – I'm not gonna lie, they take a while to get the hang of and then a while to craft. My friend did most of them over a couple of weeks in her spare time, while watching tv, etc. The supplies were from Michael's – we found some stiffer paper there in large rolls wide enough for these flowers.

    Posted 8.30.16 Reply
  3. Jean wrote:

    Hi Annette – this is in the South End. Good luck in your search and welcome to Boston!

    Posted 8.30.16 Reply
  4. A Golden Tulip wrote:

    Love this, and you have an amazing outdoor patio. Wish ours was this big!. love the scallop trim in the dress, so pretty!

    Hems

    Posted 8.30.16 Reply
  5. Joiaching wrote:

    Omg the seafood look so yummmm! And partnering with Stella Artois?! The best party ever!

    xo Margaret
    http://www.maleemaleehong.com | http://www.facebook.com/maleemaleehong

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  6. Julia Mazzucato wrote:

    I love this dress! You look so pretty, and I loved all the party snaps. The flower decor is gorgeous!
    Julia // Little Miss Haute Couture

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  7. Neelam Jayna wrote:

    WOW, this looks beautiful!! So magical :') I love the paper flowers and all the fairy lights!

    Neelam | http://www.neelamjayna.blogspot.co.uk x

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  8. Malu Swartjes wrote:

    You look absolutely fabulous, love it! <3 :)
    xx Malu

    MaluSwartjes.com | Fashion, Beauty, DIY & More.

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  9. Tess Felber_Sequins are the New Black wrote:

    Beautiful event!
    xx Tess | Sequins are the New Black

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  10. Julie Hiller wrote:

    This party spread looks amazing! A white party is a great idea to send off a friend. Lovely photos!

    Lifestyle by Joules

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  11. Starr Chen wrote:

    This looks like an AMAZING rooftop shindig! Everything looks gorgeous and delicious. Glad Schuyler could have some fun, too!

    http://sipofstarrshine.com

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  12. Emily Amy wrote:

    What a stunning event. By far though, the most stunning thing was the paper flowers. I watched the video, can you go into more details? How long did it take, where did you get the supplies, paper, etc? I'd like to know how many hours, people it took? It looks stunning with the lights hitting the white paper. I'm just trying to decide if it's worth the effort! Beautiful party! Such a lucky friend.

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  13. Ev wrote:

    Nice 🙂

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  14. Neeltje | Thoughts in Style wrote:

    You look stunning! X
    http://www.thoughtsinstyle.com/

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  15. Dressed With Soul wrote:

    Oh, it was indeed a wonderful event for your friend! And you looked really perfect again <3
    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
    http://www.dressedwithsoul.com

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  16. Annette wrote:

    I love your rooftop party set up! The setting is beautiful! I am wondering what neighborhood this is? I am moving to Boston for grad school and have been looking for a neighborhood with a great rooftop with amazing views like yours. I love gardening and hosting outdoor parties especially during the spring/summer. Thanks so much!

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  17. Cynthia Nguyen wrote:

    Looks like such a cute evening. In love with the all white set up and with your white and transparent heels!

    Cynthia
    http://www.pinchofchic.com

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  18. Jessica | Style Prescription for Busy Petite Professionals wrote:

    Hi Jean! What a cute scallop white dress! So petite-friendly! And I love how you used the bar cart for a serving area with beautiful flower arrangements!

    Jessica | http://www.petitestylescript.com/

    Posted 8.29.16 Reply
  19. Christina wrote:

    Beautiful-and kind.

    Posted 8.28.16 Reply
  20. affecionada wrote:

    What a beautiful event for your friend! Love the theme and decor, and that dress, too! The weather here was gorgeous this weekend. x

    Jen | affecionada

    Posted 8.28.16 Reply

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