Celebrating the Autumnal Equinox Al Fresco

It’s easy to let time slip away, but even a long-overdue gathering—such as the belated birthday celebration that Dallas designer Jean Liu co-hosted with her friend, Heather Wiese-Alexander—can be special.

“Heather and I discussed how her birthday had come and gone because we were so busy,” Liu says. “We decided to not get hung up on the date and make time to throw a fall equinox party to usher in the new season and see friends whom we hadn’t seen forever.”

Under a canopy of mature trees and white string lights, Liu and Wiese-Alexander host an elegant but laid-back birthday celebration. “It feels good to make the time to create an experience,” Liu says. “Everyone is so busy that getting together won’t happen unless it’s made a priority.”

For a fall-themed dinner party with friends, the lush green lawn of Liu’s Dallas home radiates with dancing white lights, see-through chairs, and a royal blue tablecloth. Haile Wossen of Anthos, a Dallas florist, infused autumn color into arrangements.

That theme carried into wooden crate-style boxes filled with colorful flowers, including roses, orchids, and carnations in hues hinting at the fall shades that would soon emerge on the trees. In addition, single orange roses were cut short enough to fit entirely into clear cylinder vessels. Simple white votive candles illuminated the table, while strings of white lights provided a warm glow from above.

True to the saying “everything’s bigger in Texas,” the four-course menu featured fall delectables such as fried oyster hors d’oeuvres, butternut squash soup, a two-part entrée of lamb and stuffed quail, and pear bread pudding topped with bourbon sauce. Jean Liu chose Chef Jermaine Brown from the Plano, Texas, restaurant Julia Pearl Southern Cuisine to cater a long-overdue birthday bash. The menu is hearty and filling and includes both roasted quail and roasted lamb loin for double-down main courses.

This story originally appeared in the September 2016 issue of Traditional Home, written by Krissa Rossbund. You see see the evening’s menu with full preparation and recipes here!