How to Create a Cottagecore-Themed Celebration
Happy first day of spring! Though I am a fall girl at heart, spring comes in at a very, very close second for my favourite season. I love watching the earth come back to life after a long and cold winter, the sun peaking out from the clouds more, waking up to the sounds of the birds chirping outside the window, and of course, the return of gardening season. What’s not to love?!
Though I don’t have a large outdoor space of my own to work with, I can often be found day-dreaming about throwing a cottagecore-themed dinner, or celebration just because, why not? If you’re in the midst of coming up with a spring celebration of sorts, whether be a baby shower, a dinner, birthday party, bridal shower or just because – here’s some elements I would use to make the perfect cottagecore-themed party come together!
Creating the Feeling
Much like any party, get-together or celebration, creating a welcoming and on-theme feeling is what makes everything truly come together! From the decor, to the music; creating an environment that fits the theme is (to me) the most important part. Decorate with household cottage & garden items you have around your home such as your wellies (or rubber boots as we say in North America!), watering cans, gardening tools and potted plants. Use natural materials like jute, wood and terracotta in the space, and of course, I love gingham, so throwing a beautiful gingham tablecloth on is a must for me!
I’m also no stranger to embracing the ambience of a selection of lit candles – to keep safe, I like to generally use candles that are battery-operated. I personally love a combination of pillar candles and candlesticks in the space. If you’re looking for other items to spruce up your decor, I highly recommend checking out your local thrift store!
For music, there’s tons of options including pre-made playlists on Spotify and other streaming platforms. I’m also a huge fan of Ophelia Wilde, and if you have a TV going in the space, you can find curated playlists from her that include the most beautiful artwork to show on the TV while the music plays. I often will throw these videos on while I’m working, especially if I need to be writing!
The Perfect Bouquets of Florals
In my humble opinion, flowers are what truly make a space come together. Whether we’re talking about just decorating a room in your home, or putting the final touches on a celebration space, flowers are what make the space feel alive and welcoming! Personally, I’d just throw together some simple and colourful bouquets of whatever is currently in season and growing in my garden. In the spring, I’d create my bouquets with stock, ranunculus, anemones, tulips, daffodils and lilacs (since lilacs are technically a bush, do not take any cuttings until the day of as they don’t have a long vase life!). If you’re throwing your celebration in the summer, consider zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, sweet peas, daisies, statice and yarrow.
Additionally, I’ve recently come across people using carrots (with the stems) in vases filled with water as centrepieces, which I think is adorable, especially for an Easter-time celebration. To avoid food waste, I’d consider using food-safe jars such as mason or Weck jars versus just throwing them in any vase. You can also trim the stems, and put your jarred carrots into the fridge after you’re done using them as centrepieces. Keeping your carrots in water helps them to last longer in your fridge!
Delicious Food & Drinks
Immaculate food and drinks is the cherry on top of the perfect garden party experience if you ask me! If you’re not having a sit-down meal of any type, consider a wide selection of garden or cottage-inspired snacks and appetizers such as a crudité platter with various dips, a cheese or charcuterie board, freshly-baked muffins or cupcakes, or even a selection of sweet and savoury scones with butter, jam, and clotted cream. One of my personal favourites includes a burrata ball with garden-fresh basil, tomatoes and cucumbers with warm, sliced baguette bread!
For drinks, having a selection of offerings such as water, seltzers, a mimosa bar, spritzes, or even a crisp glass of rosé or other wines is always welcome! Don’t forget to include an ice bucket with a scoop to keep your drinks cool. Spruce up your presentation of the drinks by adding fresh herbs such as mint and rosemary, or edible flowers like pansies and nasturtiums to really bring everything together!
I hope this blog brought you some inspiration for any of your springtime celebrations. I certainly am feeling inspired just from writing this, I may just have to do something like this for myself… just because! Why not, right? What are some of your favourite ways to bring the cottagecore feeling to your parties? Let me know in the comments below!
