Mother’s Day Ideas: 10 Ways to Brighten Your Mother’s Day Celebration
In this post: Looking for ways to upgrade your Mother’s Day celebration? These Mother’s Day ideas will brighten your day and add pleasure to your gathering.⇒
Is it just me or does Mother’s Day signal brunch for everyone?
For someone who loves going out to dinner, it’s a curious thing that on Mother’s Day, I much prefer celebrating over a daytime meal. There’s just something about a genteel brunch, with its delicate clinks of china plates and silver, along with the din of warm but tranquil conversation that fulfills my dream of what Mother’s Day should be.
The air of femininity is part of the appeal which is why I typically pick a restaurant that’s a bit more high-brow than my usual preference for trendy eateries.
But bringing the celebration home is even more on point, as it affords the opportunity to relax and draw out the meal without worry that they’ll be hurrying to clear the table for the next group of revelers.
Yet a celebration at home does not mean you need to forego the elegance.
Quite the contrary. This is the perfect opportunity to ramp up the ritz, and today I’ll be sharing my favorite ways to upgrade your brunch at home.
I’m joining with a talented group of bloggers to bring you our best tips and inspiration for spring celebrations at home. Be sure to visit all of the other posts linked at the bottom of this one.
Mothers Day Celebration
The number one advantage to celebrating an occasion at home is the opportunity to spread out to more than one room or space. In our home the patio is right off the breakfast room and moving between the two adds to the enjoyment of our events.
With that in mind, here are 10 ways to brighten your Mother’s Day (or other spring) celebration!
Start with drinks outside
Because we chose to decorate our small patio for lounging instead of for dining, and because it’s so close to our table indoors, we typically eat our meals at the dining table inside, even when grilling. However, that does not preclude having drinks and hors d’oeuvres al fresco and in fact, it’s one of my favorite things to do.
I enjoy the relaxed feel of conversation on the sofa, so even when eating at a dining table outdoors, I still love to have a pre-meal drink in a lounge type setting.
Use plush pillows and throws to add cheer to your space and a pretty tray or two can help with your serving needs.
Coordinate your palette between the spaces
To keep your entertaining spaces visually seamless, use a color palette that’s common to all. You can use the same flowers or coordinating tones, but use color to act as the glue that unites them together.
It’s nice to do the same in the closest bathroom, as well, using candles or florals in a similar way.
Even if your rooms are not based in whites or neutrals, find an accent color that works throughout as a unifying feature.
Pull out the fine china
There are so many types of tableware that I can easily fall in love with, including casual stoneware or even melamine outdoor plates, but for a polished and refined brunch go for the fine china. This is what is what born for.
To keep my tables from looking too stuffy, I tend to mix similar china patterns together. I think it adds interest while maintaining a level of sophistication and makes setting the table more fun.
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Don’t forget the gilding
For an elegant brunch I love gilt edged plates and I particularly love using gilded glass chargers. They provide the perfect foundation for the tasteful porcelain, adding a note of regal drama.
Don’t hold back on the flowers
If ever there was an occasion to use an abundance of flowers, a Mother’s Day brunch is it. Both the time of year and the event itself lend themselves wholly to floral overload. Whether you mix your flowers in one arrangement or spread them out along the table, as I’ve done here, your blooms can be the star of the show.
I like to pick favorite varieties and showcase them individually for emphasis, taking care to assort the colors in a pleasing and cohesive display. These charming little bouquets can be offered to the moms at the table when the celebration concludes.
Use collected vessels for your florals
In keeping with the vintage tone of the table decor, I use a collection of related vessels for my blossoms. In this case I opted for white ironstone pitchers and gravy boats, as well as cream colored enamel coffee pots. They are reminiscent of an afternoon spent antiquing and contribute to the feminine charm of the tableau.
Take time to polish the silver
For a discriminating brunch I enjoy using silver flatware and choose from the various sets passed down in our family. Like the other items on the table I aim for the most gracious selection and take time to polish the pieces. This is not the place to go for sleek and minimalist, if your goal is a cultivated repast. For my Mother’s Day celebration, the more refined and urbane the better.
Add glimmer with cut crystal
When setting my table I considered gilt rimmed goblets or silver stemmed ones, since both metals are represented in my setting. But ultimately I selected a simple cut crystal for the reflective glimmer it offers. I was going for casual elegance rather than over the top formal and that seemed like the best alternative for my mood.
Serve in a space with the right lighting
For an afternoon brunch you have the benefit of daylight and the more of it the better. What better way to highlight the crystal, china and silver than by blanketing them in sunlight.
But in addition to the light coming in through the windows, it’s nice to have a chandelier option. If it’s not that sunny out you can add light to the scene, or simply enjoy the flicker of the gorgeous crystal drops.
Add a sense of pedigree with pure white linen
Perhaps the most quiet of the decorative pieces, but no less gracious and discerning, is an underpinning of lovely white linen. Both tablecloth and napkins look stunning dressed in the simple beauty of this pure and classic fabric, delivering the very picture of understated elegance.
When brunching at home, there are many ways to approach your celebration, but if you’re looking to honor a mother’s love, doesn’t it warrant the finest pieces in your collection?
You can mix them creatively for an unexpected presentation, but no doubt they’ll retain their dignified and stylish essence. After all, isn’t that what Mother’s Day deserves?
More Celebration Posts
- Mothers Day Ideas: Celebrating at Home and Hints for Gifts
- Mother’s Day Ideas: 10 Ways to Brighten Your Mother’s Day Celebration
- Mother’s Day Decor Ideas: Mixing Vintage China Patterns
- Little Luxuries: Easy Ways to Add Small Pleasures to Your Daily Life
- 10 Ways to Use Home Fragrance to Add Luxury to Your Day
Resource Guide
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Lory, Thank You for all the Beautiful Mothers Day Ideas.
Happy Mothers Day!
Aww thanks so much! Right back to you!!
Such an elegant and relaxing table. Beautiful!
Thank you so very much!
Thanks Cecelia!!
Hi Lori –
I love the bright colors you added to your patio this year. Would you share where you found the seahorse (lime green)?
Thank you!! They’re linked in the patio post, but will link here too… 🙂 Here you go: https://rstyle.me/+TC4Ht-HUF1dQUHPMLnHrag
Your tablescape is so pretty. I love the Arte Italica chargers, they are stunning.
So glad you liked them!! I’ve been wanting those for so long. Finally saved up and splurged… 😉
Lori, I always enjoy reading your posts and seeing your beautiful tablescapes. The charger plates on this particular tablescape is just lovely and a favorite. Thank you for sharing. Happy Mother’s Day to you. Jean
Thank you so much!! Glad it resonated with you… 🙂
I love the charger plates but at $200 each I can’t afford that. It would be nice to
have plates in a range of $20-$50. Thanks for allowing me to tell you my
concerns.
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
I hear you and I understand. I offer a broad range of ideas and price points on the blog. While I aim to inspire, some things are meant to be aspirational and others are more literal. But please also realize, for every person who wants popular priced items and designer looks for less, there are those who ask for the exact item I used no matter the cost. So I try to offer a little bit for everyone.
My own personal method of decorating is to mix in more affordable pieces with one or two exceptional things that I don’t mind saving up for.
So in the case of the gold rimmed chargers, they truly are special pieces and I’ve not seen anything with that look for $20 or even $50. However, here are a few gold trimmed chargers that are in you price range, if designed a bit simpler. (They are offered in sets, keeping the price lower.):
https://rstyle.me/+IiNc65aN7v0EVJlCI-SRhA
https://rstyle.me/+EuDJ1bleIc-0yetWF2wSZg
https://rstyle.me/+z-i2m9nialJcl3nj8jNW7A
Hope that helps… 🙂
Best,
Lory