VintageGriffin.com

All week long I will be involved with preparations for a vintage croquet party we're having on Sunday. Why croquet? Well, other than the fact that this was a classic pastime of many Victorians, Edwardians and folks through the '20s and '30s, croquet is a terrific party activity. You don't need a lot of physical strength or skill to enjoy it ('tho competitive croquet is more demanding). You also can eat and drink and mingle while you play, and that's perfect for a party. (If you don't already have a croquet set sitting on a corner of your porch, you can pick an inexpensive one up for between $40 and $80 a local sporting goods store, or online shops (www.croquet.com.)

Our vintage croquet party will aim to infuse the spirit of vintage fun into our time togther, and make sure all the guests are comfortable regardless of how much they know of croquet, Victorian manners or Edwardian fashions.


All week long I will be involved with preparations for a vintage croquet party we're having on Sunday. Why croquet? Well, other than the fact that this was a classic pastime of many Victorians, Edwardians and folks through the '20s and '30s, croquet is a terrific party activity. You don't need a lot of physical strength or skill to enjoy it ('tho competitive croquet is more demanding). You also can eat and drink and mingle while you play, and that's perfect for a party. (If you don't already have a croquet set sitting on a corner of your porch, you can pick an inexpensive one up for between $40 and $80 a local sporting goods store, or online shops (www.croquet.com.)

Our vintage croquet party will aim to infuse the spirit of vintage fun into our time togther, and make sure all the guests are comfortable regardless of how much they know of croquet, Victorian manners or Edwardian fashions. We'll plan our invitations, menu, look up some different ways to play croquet (there are different rules for different game variants), plan the seating and set up, shop, cook and decorate.

1) Know Your Guests
I'm sure we all can envision the dreamy sort of setting in which all of our guests are attired in dreamy Edwardian lawn dresses and natty linen caps. But, unless you're lucky enough to be blessed with a large group of friends who are as enthusiastic about vintage clothing (and dressing in it) as you are, you are going to have to make some compromises. I'd love for all my guests to arrive in gowns and eggshell-white suits, with parasols and ties, but that's not going to happen with my guest list.

I am blessed with a few guests that will be happy to dress vintage, so to make it easy on everyone, I'm going to relate to them (both verbally and in the invitation) to come in vintage. If you are planning a dress code or "dress suggestions," it's very important to communicate this to your guests. Verbally telling them is not enough (many will forget or misunderstand). Assuming they know is not recommended. My dress recommendation to my guests will be "vintage whites" (especially Victorian, Edwardian and '20s), and will be encouraged, but not required. If you don't have any vintage, or don't feel like dressing in vintage, dressing in white is a great choice for summer outings.


2) What We Want to Do
Outdoor event. Food and drink for 8-12 guests. Sweets and savories (perhaps one or two with a vintage theme and or presentation, like a special cake). Pimms cups. Votive candles. A banquet table. Linens. A color theme (we're doing green and white for a fresh, summer garden feeling). Perhaps a tent in case of inclement weather.

3) What to Do When Guests Ask What They can Bring/How They can Help
My guests tend to be very thoughtful. They ask what they can make. What they can bring. How they can help. It will help you (and make them feel better) if you have an answer to this question other than "I don't know." For the vintage croquet party, I'm telling my guests to bring either a sweet or a savory, or both, if they're feeling particularly adventurous (some of my guests love to cook). No foods are off limits, but I am recommending the foods be "hot weather" foods. Foods that won't mind as much being in a bit of heat, sitting on a table outdoors.

4) Don't Be Afraid to Borrow
For our croquet party, my friends were already offering help, so I availed myself of it. One of my guests had this fantastic, collapsing pavillion tent. They got it at costco, but you can get them a variety of places. What's great about them is that they set up and pull down in three to five minutes. Really. And they're light and very portable. Lastly, there's no center pole, so you can go crazy with the decor. Hanging lanterns, even a chandellier. The maximum height for the model we had was 11 feet, which was more than enough.

I also borrowed some folding tables, then threw some of my old vintage linen tablecloths over them.

5) Last-minute inspirations
Two flats of white begonias from a garden center, a faux-mossed stone urn planter ($20 on clearance, also from the garden center) for a wine cooler, and a tiered server from a local gift shop that will be used over and over (and it's collapsable so it can be stored in a box).

It was a great late afternoon and evening event. We played a couple rounds of croquet, shared Pimm's cups, sweets and savories. In our summer whites, we looked so fresh. Then night decended and the party took a different tone. We pushed a boom box up against a screen window and played music like the soundtrack from The cotton club. Someone had a great brainstorm and set the votive candles alongside the wickets, and we played croquet well into the night. You know it's a great party when no one wants to leave. : )


Where can I find this?

http://www.croquet.com