a bloom-filled housewarming party

I recently moved into a gorgeous loft space (more on that later) and decided it was the perfect time to throw a housewarming party for some of my closest friends. Spring is practically bursting at the seams here in Seattle, so I knew exactly what to do: set the table with gorgeous, fresh blooms. The market is overflowing with options and I felt a bit overwhelmed, so I decided to take a cue from a dinner party essential: wine. Italian purveyor Ecco Domani sent over their 3 favorites to help me out: a Pinot Grigio, a Merlot, and, their newest addition, a Prosecco.

In the spirit of spring, I felt like the Pinot Grigio was the perfect inspiration for my florals. The notes of the wine are incredibly crisp and refreshing with hints of light citrus and delicate florals. While at the flower market, I shopped for ranunculus, quince branches, and white chrysanthemums. Always a fan of strange plants, I picked up a few opium poppies. See those weird green pod things? That’s them. I also sprinkled in some other things I had around the house, like air plants in glass terrariums. I always love when flowers feel like they are overflowing, so I arranged mine in a grouping of thrifted vases.

I also knew that I wanted the vibe of my housewarming party to be casual, but still a bit elegant. I kept things fresh and simple by ordering food from a local restaurant. Because I didn’t prepare the food myself, I still felt like being a bit fancy, so I asked my good friend Colore‘ to hand-letter menus and place cards just to give the table that special little wink. I also gave each guest a miniature air plant as a keepsake of the dinner.

We started with a gorgeous cheese and meat board spread, aka the perfect little bites to share as you wait for guests to arrive… and to share stories of my recent road trip up the coast.

The Pinot Grigio  pairs perfectly with both pasta and fish, so I served up spaghetti tossed with clams (and a bit of bacon!) to keep things light and yummy. I also kept Merlot on hand to offer guests — you know there’s always a guest who prefers red wine! The Merlot was a great choice because it also pairs really well with pasta. The Ecco Domani Merlot was especially delicious because it’s so well-balanced. I was pleasantly surprised by how soft and smooth it tastes.

Lastly, for dessert, I served up something sweet and cute: mini cannoli! I offered my guests glasses of Ecco Prosecco for this portion of the housewarming party, which was the perfect light and flirty way to end the meal. Every meal needs a bit of fizz, don’t you think?

My housewarming party was such a success (and so easy to pull off), I envision many, many more to come.

photography by Melissa O’Hearn.
menus and placecards by Colore’ Lincoln.
food from Radici, flowers from London Plane, dress by Ulla Johnson.

This post is a partnership with Ecco Domani. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.

Leave a comment and let us know what you think of this Bloom-Filled Party tutorial! And if you create one similar, be sure to post a photo and tag @jojotastic on Instagram so we can see.