Please join me for a garden party, instructions for laying the table, and rules for correct behavior at dinner parties.

This article describing ideas for a garden or lawn party for summertime was printed in the June 1904 issue of "The Designer" magazine, and would make a lovely entertainment even today, with adjustments made to coincide with today's modern life. It includes tips on correct behavior and etiquette.

At this time o'year everyone who is fortunate enough to possess a lawn will naturally desire to give a garden party. If the grounds are large and one's social circle extensive, formal invitations should be issued on note paper, or large square cards worded as follows:

Mrs. Henry Huntingdon
requests the pleasure of
_______________________
Company on Wednesday afternoon
June the Fourth,
From four till six o'clock,
Buncey Hall,
Beverly


Or

Mrs. Henry Huntington
At Home
Wednesday afternoon, June 4th,
From Four to six o'clock,
Buncey Hall,
Garden Party..........Beverly

As you will have observed, the invitations are issued in the lady's name only, and in the first form space is left to insert the guest's name in hand-writing, that being the most fashionable custom. When sending to friends in nearby cities, either have two lines added in the left-hand corner of the invitation stating the time a train leaves that will conveniently convey the guest to your place, and one or two trains returning between five and six, or write for her this information on a separate card.

The recipients of this invitation must at once reply as follows:

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Dayton
Accept with pleasure
Mrs. Huntington's kind invitation
for June 4th,
Sound Villa,
May 28th


Or

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Dayton regret that a previous engagement will prevent their acceptance of Mrs. Huntingdon's kind invitation for June 4th,
Sound Villa
May 28th


If guests are expected by train, carriages must meet them. The grounds should be specially prepared, the lawn cut about two days before the event, and if the weather has been very dry, lawn and shrubs should be thoroughly watered every evening for some days before, to insure their looking fresh and green. A band composed of stringed instruments is usually concealed in a shrubbery, or some upper room, where the music can float softly out and add to the charm and enjoyment of the scene.

Refreshments are all of the buffet order, with flower decorations; fruits in profusion, sandwiches of various kinds, salads, ice cream, fruit punch, claret punch, lemonade, tea, etc., etc. Sometimes all refreshments are arranged on tables under large awnings; at others the punch and lemonade are assigned to separate little houses in different parts of the grounds where guests can help themselves; a maid or man servant should be detailed to remove used glasses, replacing same with fresh ones. The main refreshment tent must also have one or two servants in attendance to provide anything desired and keep up a plentiful supply of clean china, silver and glass.

A room on the groundfloor should be arranged for ladies to remove extra wraps, etc. and another for gentlemen. A man servant opens carriage doors, assists guests to alight and instructs coachmen where to wait. A garden party is conducted much on the lines of a reception. Guests may remain half an hour, or the entire afternoon. Usually people stay much longer at al fresco entertainments than at all other functions, because the fresh air is much more inspiring and enjoyable than at the best-ventilated interior.

Gentlemen escorting ladies must not loiter to chat with acquaintances they may meet in the dressing-room, but should hasten into the hall and await the appearance of the ladies in their care as they come from the cloak-room; then, together, they should go to the lawn and pay their respects to the hostess who stations herself there to receive.

If you are followed by others bent on the same errand as yourself, greet your hostess without haste, but avoid any delay. If, on the contrary, no other guests are approaching, loiter a few minutes after the usual compliments and prevent the hostess from standing alone. Popularity constantly results from the judgement exercised in thoughtful little kindnesses of this sort. There is no position so embarassing to a hostess--especially if she be a young woman or a comparative stranger in the neighborhood--as the pauses which sometimes occur during the first half-hour of receiving; they are liable to beget a scare of failure which sympathetic guests can entirely prevent. An experienced hostess knows so well how much depends on this first half-hour that she usually requests some of her intimate circle of friends, whose tact she can rely on, to arrive early.

To see the next page in the "Etiquette" department, which features an article explaining the correct way to set a table, and another about dinner party etiquette, click the "Next" button below.

All graphics on this page and website are copyrighted by Tracy L. Yoos, 2000-2001.

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