I have a new rule: No editing Erin’s sweet table posts before lunch. Doesn’t this look so amazingly delicious? As summer is winding down, berries are the perfect inspiration for a dessert table.  The combo of cakes, cookies, and Italian sodas makes for a very fun bridal shower or small reception idea (and her use of a red clover plant keeps the decorations simple, but interesting).  But I do warn you, unless you want to have a giant scone for lunch, read this after you have had a sandwich. Seriously.

Dessert tables capture all the most delicious parts of a party—pretty treats, flowers, decor, and skipping straight to dessert.  That’s why they are perfect for a bridal shower. Everything can be set up in advance, keeping hosts out of the kitchen and having fun once the party kicks off.

For today’s inspiration table I paired French-inspired striped fabrics with burlap for a romantic shabby chic look. The muted colors are a given some pop with lots of strawberries. Fruit tarts, cakes, and the addition of fresh fruit and strawberry slices throughout liven things up. The flower arrangement features red clover, which I chose because of its berry-like appearance. 

When it comes to serving up your sweets on a dessert table, think outside the box. Yes, you’ll want to pull out the cake stand, but what do you or your friends have around the house that you can repurpose? Here, a vintage wine rack serves up cookies and colorful Italian sodas. Rather than one centerpiece cake, I moved a matching plant stand indoors and stacked it with three smaller desserts. Other unconventional serving pieces can include lazy susans, gardening pots, spice racks, organizational cubbies, kitschy cookie jars, and slate tiles or glass cubes from the hardware store. Do a walk-through of your home and try to see things from a new perspective. You’d be amazed at how a coat of paint can transform almost anything!

Erin from Host-It Notes hosts the ultimate party blog, full of ideas, inspiration and DIY tutorials for just about every kind of party. So, you can imagine we’re totally over the moon with this sweet table inspiration shoot she’s put together exclusively for Delightfully Engaged!