Thanks to lovely photography by Maria Grace Photography, "Let The Games Begin" Date Night is all about celebration of Brazilian-inspired cuisine, friendly competition, and the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. As athletes from all over the world test their endurance and represent their proud nations, you two lovebirds will be rooting your favorite team in tropical chic dinner style!
THE LOOK
From tropical fruits to wooden tableware, there are so many ways you can set the table for the perfect Brazilian-inspired date night-in. Consider mixing metallics (like gold, bronze, and silver flatware) and sticking with a consistent texture (like wood). You can unite these mixed colors and details by sticking with a light-colored neutral tablecloth. A white linen is a great modern neutral color to help your table for two not look busy or cluttered!
Both Alison of Montero's Restaurant and Chelsea of Tidewater and Tulle were inspired by things that were readily accessible through their personal collections and local craft stores. So look around your home to see what you already have before getting new stuff!
WHAT'S ON THE TABLE
• Small wooden plates
• Silver forks, gold knives, and copper spoons
• Beige napkins
• Clear tall glassware
• Wooden bead charger
• Plantain fruit
• Cut mango fruit
• Whole mango fruit
• Cut papaya fruit
• Short white floating candles
• Palm leaves
• Wooden fruit platter slab
All of the fruit are easily found in your grocery stores, and the palm leaves can be found at your local florist (with advance notice) or you can find the fake ones we used at Hobby Lobby. Want to create a circle menu like we did? Chelsea used her Cricut Explore Air for the letter writing, gold foil ring, and the circle card. Super easy and possibilities are endless!
The wooden tableware and mixed metallic flatware came from Target (all collected over the years). Whether you have an established collection of table styling details, want to go on a special mission to find them for this dinner party, or just want the quick and easy way (such as renting everything from a local rentals company like those found in our Vendor Guide if you're in southeastern Virginia!), there are several avenues you could go to get the perfect Olympics Date Night look for your tabletop.
THE MENU
From savory beef kabobs to sweet plantain bites, this internationally-inspired menu is sure to win first place in the theme and tastebud categories. Created by chef Andy Montero and his crew at Montero's Restaurant, this collection of spicy and flavorful tropical eats showcase the true global spirit of one of our planet's biggest community events. The best part? The crew at Montero's is helping you with the DIY romance and has provided the Let The Games Begin Date Night recipes for you!
• Greek Olives •
• The Olympic Torch Signature Cocktail •
• Brazilian Kabobs •
• Mahi Mahi with Black Bean, Mango, and Pineapple Salsa •
• Fried Plantain "Rings" A La Mode •
-- GET THE RECIPES ON MONTERO'S RESTAURANT'S BLOG --
THE ENTERTAINMENT
From cornhole to ring toss to water sports, there are a slew of outdoor games inspired by the Olympics that you can find on the internet, but what about if you don't have a yard or want to stay inside during this summer heat? We've got some indoor entertainment ideas for you to try out!
CUP STACKING COMPETITION
Purchase a few packs of disposable plastic cups. Each person gets 16 cups and are tasked with building a pyramid and breaking it back down. Rules: As quick as you can without knocking your cups down, each of you needs to create one 10-cup pyramid and two 3 cup pyramids... then dissemble your pyramids and get all your cups in one stack! Whoever can do this the quickest and first wins the gold!
OLYMPIC BEER/SODA PONG
Grab your favorite craft beer or favorite carbonated beverage and reuse those plastic cups from the Cup Stacking Competition game! You'll want to transform your longest table into a little ping-pong game space (bonus if you actually have a ping-pong table!) and pin this super helpful beer pong infographic on Pinterest for the visual on how to set everything up and play the game!
RETRO SPORTS VIDEO GAMES
Break out that old Sega and new Wii gaming system and have your own digital Olympics right in your living room! From hilariously old school Izzy's Quest for Olympic Rings (Sega, 1996) to perfectly in theme Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympics (Wii U, 2016), you've got your games covered when there's a break in the real-life ones.
OLYMPIC RING SHOTS
For couples who love to play a good drinking game together, bring out your favorite shot glasses and get some Blue Curacao (blue ring), Creme de Banane (yellow ring), coffee (black ring), Midori (green ring), and Aftershock cinnamon liqueur (red ring). Make a list of your favorite Olympic phrases or words and every time you hear it, take a drink! Consider these: new world record, just a kid from..., Michael Phelps, and so forth. If you want to get super fancy, add in Goldschlager every time your favorite team/athlete wins the gold!
So let the games begin! We hope that you find some friendly competition and yummy eats with your sweetie during these Summer Olympics! And if you put your date night together, share your own date night photos on Instagram using #TidewaterDateNight for a chance to get featured in a future roundup!
VENDOR CREDITS
Photography: Maria Grace Photography | Venue and Catering: Montero's Restaurant | Styling and Party Guide: Tidewater and Tulle | Menu Cards: Tidewater and Tulle Using Cricut | Toucan Icon: Freepik from Flatiron
