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Hosting people in your home can be one of the most intimidating, but also one of the most rewarding, activities you can do as a newlywed. While you may be armed with serving trays and fine china (thanks to your carefully crafted registry and generous loved ones!), choosing details to include, figuring out how to make guests feel comfortable, and planning a menu is a whole different ball game. With Easter right around the corner, we asked one of our newest SW gals, Amber, to share a few of her favorite tips and tricks for hosting a sweet and celebratory brunch. The great thing about Easter is that it’s an undeniably festive holiday that doesn’t quite hold the pressure that Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner does, so if hosting is new for you and your beau, this may be the perfect first holiday to open your doors for!

Thanks so much to Amy Nicole Photography for capturing all of these delightful details!

Include a few themed details. For a fresh take on place cards, use a chalk paint marker to add the first name initials of guests to pastel colored eggs that perfectly match your decor. I used this wonderful color chart to dye the eggs to match the napkins and color scheme for our brunch.

Source beautiful, affordable fresh blooms from the grocery store. Choose large, fluffy blooms like hydrangea and bunches of alstromeria to display in multiple vessels down the center of your table. I love using drinking glasses or parfait glassware in lieu of traditional vases.

Prepare the florals the day before. Most fresh blooms prefer cooler temperatures, so store the finished arrangements in your garage or on a back porch, as long as it doesn’t get below 38 degrees.

Creatively display standard fixin’s and incorporate local sources. Pink striped baking cups were a fun way to display freshly baked biscuits on a serving tray, alongside sweet jam from my favorite local cafe that is just down the road from our home, The Nashville Jam Co.

Keep your menu simple and rely on done-for-you options from the grocery store. I like to spotlight one or two homemade items. In this case, it was a favorite glazed ham recipe from Southern Living.

Look for recipes that double as pretty accents on your buffet. Citrus salad had simple ingredients–sliced grapefruit and oranges with a sprinkling of chopped mint, lime zest, and a drizzle of honey–and is as pretty as it is delicious!

Elevate non-alcoholic drinks by the glass you serve them in. Fresh orange juice and pink lemonade paired with slices of fruit look fun and festive served in white wine glasses.

Everything is cuter in small sizes! Individual cups of yogurt fruit parfait are easy to create and serve to your guests.

Have some classic treats on hand for party favors. What is Easter without a chocolate foil-wrapped bunny? Display some bunnies and chocolate egg bites in mini straw baskets for kids and adults alike to enjoy.

Thanks so much for sharing, Amber! Friends, we’d love to know, what are your Easter plans and traditions?

lisa Written with love by Lisa
4 Comments
  1. avatar Samantha Hall reply

    Dear SW Gals.

    I very much like this post, and would love to see more like this on the site. I get married in two weeks and have been looking at the blog and the magazine since 2011! But getting married now, I have started to look for something different from the site, and this is close to some of the things I want.

    Thank You Kindly.
    Samantha

    • avatar Lisa reply

      Hi Samantha! So glad you like it! We share “Southern Newlywed” content every Friday that includes home tours, recipe rounds ups, date night ideas and more–you can see all the past posts here :) https://southernweddings.com /category/southern-newlywed-2/

  2. avatar Laura reply

    I loved this post and hope to see more like it in the future! One of my favorite Easter traditions is going to our church’s sunrise service. It’s the only time of year I actually look forward to getting up before the sun :)

  3. avatar Amy reply

    Thank you so much for sharing! Always a treat to work with you wonderful ladies!

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