A Simple + Indulgent Girls Night Snack Bar | Entertaining
I know what you're probably thinking, the thought even crossed my mind as I was looking through these images... How is this considered simple? Well friends, I'm going to share all of my secrets for pulling together a sweet and salty snack table in under an hour, the prefect trick to have up your sleeve for entertaining.
One of my favorite get togethers to host is a girls night in. The ladies appreciate and love the little details and I can go nuts with the candles and flowers (what my husband likes to call a fire hazard... whatever). With the Oscars just around the corner, I partnered with Toffifay to create an indulgent evening to pair with their sweets, the perfect excuse for a girls night if you ask me!
When I think of indulgence, all of my favorite things come to mind... chocolate, cheese, wine and flowers. Things that are reserved for special moments, things that make you happy 100% of the time, no matter what the occasion. So, here's how I created this sweet and salty snack bar with all of my favorite indulgent treats.
My go-to method of styling is usually that 'messy, but not too messy, but everything is actually strategically placed'... method. For me that just comes easier than trying to create straight lines and symmetry. But, with all of these wonderful bites, I knew I wanted to try something a little different. I love the idea of dishing things up in individual servings for guests that are ready to grab and go. Less standing around the snack table and more mingling. As the theme of the table was indulgence, we started with the obvious, SWEETS. I used mini bowls for a few pieces of Toffifay, chewy caramel + crunchy hazelnut + chocolate filling in a single bite, in one line, and also chopped them up to top small bowls of greek yogurt. Next I added the salty; cheese towers with a few different flavors and marcona almonds. Fruit plates were garnished with a touch of herbs for color, and finally, several glasses of champagne, rosé and sparkling water were set in their very own lines, ready for the taking.
Mmm... above, chopped Toffifay topped greek yogurt.
A simple backdrop was created with some plants pulled into the room from throughout the house. It added the perfect contrast to the white table and candles.
At the very back edge of the table I created a small "runner" with candle clusters. In between the candles I tucked in fresh spray roses, a few tulips and some filler. If you do this as your last task when prepping the table, the flowers will last all night without water. I love this idea because you need zero experience in arranging flowers, just trim, tuck in between the candles to hold them in place and you're done! I also trimmed a few of the roses that were more open and placed around the dishes for some color. Rose petals make a great drink garnish as well! Especially if you are using simple glassware, add some petals to take your wine or bubbly up a notch. (just remember to use petals sans pesticides! pull from your garden or find organic flowers meant for food + drink at a grocery store).
So, how did this all happen in under an hour? Here are a few tips to make your prep and set up easier.
- Seems obvious, but it is my number one tip for anyone, buy pre-chopped, pre-portioned, etc. when you can. Toffifay fell into this category being the perfect sweet treat that I could pop into a bowl, add garnish and be done. This also applies to fruit... whenever I want to add fruit to a snack spread, I almost always buy berries since they require no prep.
- Have a color palette in mind and pull/place all of your glassware or plates and bowls out the night before. This way you aren't worrying about placement and styling right before you are hosting. Make sure you know what is going in each glass or serving dish to make your set up even easier.
- Pull from your house! I pull plants, candles, pillows and styling items from the house into one room to complete the look i'm going for. You know it all ties together already since it's your own decor.
- Keep it simple. I used to make complicated cocktails all the time (totally fun, still do it sometimes) BUT, people really like wine, prosecco and sparkling water with a little citrus. Buy a few bottles to have on hand and you won't be stressing with a shaker in your hand all night.
- You need less than you think. I always used to buy a ton of new styling pieces, trays, cakestands, etc. But when you let what you're serving shine (especially if you can just add a little herb or floral garnish to do so), everything else will start to look cluttered. Focus on one element, like I did here with the candle/floral runner, and save yourself the time.
I hope this inspires you for any upcoming gatherings, or even gives you some last minute tips for an Oscar party!
Post in partnership with Toffifay