A Magical Dinner on the Beach

One of the most important things about planning a party is finding the right location. Ever since we bought the beach house in Ventura I have wanted to host a dinner on the beach. As in a “toes in the sand, practically in the water” dinner on the beach. This past weekend my dream came true and it was truly magical.

I am not suggesting you all have to host a dinner on the beach. Rather, if you find a unique location, you can create an amazing dinner party experience.  

I have hosted lots of dinner parties in many different places in our backyard. We have entertained on our back patio, by the pool, in the middle of our yard, and under the covered patio. It’s all about thinking outside of the box.

Our home in Ventura is on a beach that isn’t crowded. In the summer evenings, there is rarely one person on the beach.

So I had the idea, why not set a table and have a dinner party in the sand?

I have to say that this was the most incredible location for a party. We had warm weather, no wind, and a gorgeous sunset.

How I Created a Dinner on the Beach

Creating an Outdoor Dining Room

My first task was to create what I call an outdoor dining room. All I really needed was a way to hang some sort of lighting.

I had some amazing solar lights in ball jars and needed to create a way to hang the solar lights. I bought some poles at the hardware store and pounded them into the ground. Then we used stakes and supports to keep the poles taught and strung wire diagonally across the top of the poles.

A very inexpensive way to have your own solar lights is to fill a ball jar with battery operated fairy lights. Then attach some wire for hanging and they will provide all the light that you need.

I put my sea glass (that I have collected on the beach in front of our home) in the Sonnenglas jars and then hung them from the wire.

Next, I bought some hydrangeas at the grocery store and put them in some vintage ball jars. My “flower arranging” took less than twenty minutes.

We already owned the linens and plates so the total decor cost for the party was about $50.00.

Here are some of the items I used to create this party.

What’s the Best Food to Serve at a Dinner Party?

I probably could have served fast food and my family wouldn’t have cared. I have learned that the better the setting, the less you have to worry about the food.

The setting and the view were that good! 

Actually I cooked tri-tip and a fabulous meal with two salads and baked potatoes. It wasn’t fancy at all. 

The location was absolutely perfect for dinner on the beach. I guess the saying “location, location, location” also applies to entertaining.