There’s a particular moment before guests arrive when everything suddenly seems unfinished. The table needs something. Dessert is still a question mark. And the serving spoon you were certain you owned has disappeared.
A little planning can spare you that last-hour scramble. For a fall dinner, Halloween gathering or the first of your holiday get-togethers, start with three things: a dessert you’ve already ordered, flowers that fit the table and the serving pieces you’ll actually need.
These Birmingham-area shops can help you take care of those details, leaving more time to enjoy having people over.
Order a Dessert You Can Serve Without Fuss
At Continental Bakery in English Village, the sweets menu includes a flourless Belgian chocolate torte, carrot cake and cheesecakes. A whole dessert gives the meal a clear finish and lets you handle that part of the evening before anyone arrives.
Choose with your dinner in mind. After a substantial meal, guests may appreciate smaller slices. If dessert and coffee are the main event, let the cake take up more of the table and the attention.
Plan ahead: Continental Bakery requests 48 hours’ notice for online orders. For a shorter turnaround, call 205-870-5584 to check availability. Pickup is at 1909 Cahaba Road.
Daughters Baking in Mountain Brook Village is another option for a cake-centered evening. The bakery is known for its “naked” cakes, which can serve as a focal point on a simple dessert table.
Its ordering site requires preorders at least two business days in advance. Walk-in purchases are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so reserve ahead if you have a particular size or flavor in mind. Ask about serving counts, storage and when to bring your cake out before serving.
For a Dessert Platter, Think in Smaller Pieces
If your gathering is more drinks-and-conversation than seated dinner, individual sweets may suit the evening better. Bandit Bakery downtown lists cookies, macarons, tarts and choux buns among its pastries, with selections subject to availability.
Pick a few types and arrange them on a platter you already own. Keeping similar items together makes it easy for guests to choose, and a smaller selection is easier to replenish as the evening goes on.
Watch the pickup time: Bandit’s posted hours end at 2 p.m. daily. Build the bakery stop into your morning, and ask how to store your selections until the party. Check ahead if you need a specific quantity.
Choose Flowers Around the Table
Wild Things in Homewood offers floral arrangements by color palette, including warm, earthy, muted and neutral options, along with designer’s choice.
Before ordering, think about where the flowers will go. A dining-table arrangement should leave room for plates and serving dishes and allow people to see one another. Something for an entry table can have a different shape and a little more height.
Tell the florist the table’s size, the occasion and the colors you’re already using. If you have a vessel you’d like to incorporate, ask whether that’s possible before bringing it in. Those details are more useful than simply requesting “fall flowers.”
Wild Things is at 2815B 18th Street South and lists shop hours Tuesday through Saturday. Coordinate pickup with your gathering, particularly if you’re hosting on Sunday.
Fill the Gaps in Your Serving Setup
Before buying anything for the table, set out what you own. Put a serving dish beside each menu item, count glasses and check that you have utensils for serving dessert. This is when you’ll discover whether you need a platter or just need to look in another cabinet.
Table Matters, at 2402 Montevallo Road in Mountain Brook Village, offers table linens, glassware, serving pieces and other dining essentials. Go with a specific gap to fill: a cake server, a bowl for salad or napkins that work with your everyday plates.
Choose something you can use again at Thanksgiving, a birthday dinner or a casual Sunday lunch. One useful purchase can make several gatherings easier.
Finish Before the Doorbell Rings
Put dessert plates and forks out early, fill the water pitcher and give the flowers their place. Then leave yourself a few minutes to get ready.
The table can be simple. What makes the evening work is having enough of the preparation handled that you can sit down, listen and enjoy the people you invited.
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