Interior designer and author Kathryn Greeley is a hostess extraordinaire, as well as a longtime friend of Southern Lady and our sister magazine Victoria. With Mother’s Day on the horizon, Kathyrn shares her expert tips for planning a sophisticated fête for the occasion’s guest of honor.
1. Decide on the location.
“May is a delightful time of year for a lovely backyard luncheon,” says Kathryn. If the day is gray, “bring spring indoors with fresh-cut flowers and brightly colored table settings.” A well-appointed porch or sunroom can provide idyllic surrounds with an outdoor view.
2. Set the tone with bespoke touches.
Beautiful custom stationery and personalized tabletop accents instantly elevate the occasion. Whether printed or handwritten, a gracefully designed menu card makes for another lovely detail.
3. Let your mother’s most beloved hues be your muse.
“My mom’s favorite color was pink,” Kathryn says. “So I chose a pink-and-white checkered tablecloth. It blended well with my spring garden’s sweet smell and breathtaking blooms of ‘New Dawn’ English roses, cosmos, sweet William, tulips, and peonies that I used [in] the centerpiece, arranged in a silver English trophy bowl.”
4. Incorporate family heirlooms and photos into the tablescape.
Kathyrn encourages layering in your mom’s wedding china, silverware, and crystal collection. Mix and match dishes from your own repertoire or search local antiques stores for timeless pieces that complement your scheme. Scatter small framed photos of mothers and grandmothers around the setting for “a great conversation starter as you walk down memory lane,” Kathryn says.
5. Plan a meaningful menu.
Consider some of your family matriarch’s signature dishes and the foods she enjoys most. “Everyone loved my mom’s Hot Chicken Salad. It was her go-to casserole for all events,” says Kathryn, who includes the recipe in her book The Collected Cottage.
6. Bid guests farewell with thoughtful gifts.
Kathyrn suggests presenting tokens such as small silver picture frames or monogrammed napkins to remind all those gathered of this heartfelt Mother’s Day spent in dearest company. “It’s always enjoyable to reminisce with stories about our mothers,” she says. “Telling them keeps the memories alive.”
Filled with year-round entertaining and gardening ideas, inspirational photography, and delicious recipes, Kathyrn Greeley’s The Collected Cottage book makes a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. Purchase the book from the Southern Lady online shop or wherever books are sold.
How will you celebrate Mother’s Day this year? Share your ideas and photos with us by tagging @SouthernLadyMag on Instagram or Facebook.
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