I would serve from the buffet, not the table. If your girlfriends are anything like mine, they will not find fetching food a big interruption- it actually helps people mingle. The table will look much prettier with just the centerpieces running down. I'm sorry for being kinda shallow- but I love a pretty table and emptying platters of food are not a great look to me.

By shooter style appetizers you mean appetizers served in little glasses eaten with a spoon? I love those. I will be back with menu ideas. I love party planning!

This is a refreshing summer bite. Cantaloupe and cucumber in a yoghurt dressing with chopped mint. The yoghurt is seasoned with salt and pepper and sugar to taste. The mint is incorporated into the yoghurt as well as used as a garnish.

This one is sautéed zucchini with salt and pepper in olive oil- the zucchini is to be cut into thin rounds- then chop fresh mint and mix the mint into the zucchini- the middle layer is goat whipped up with a little water- and the third layer is chopped radishes mixes with salt. The recipe is for only two cups, so they say two teashops of water to 100g of goat cheese. I have never made two of anything. If I am going to bother being in the kitchen it is not for two of these little cups!

Anyway, I've made both of these this past summer and they were great.

These are the two things that came to mind since I just made them recently.

ETA These are not my pictures! They are from the website I got the recipes from, Odelices.

Your party sounds wonderful.

It reminds me of an issue I usually have at these types of get togethers...trying to get to talk with everyone. I hope there'll be enough mingle time before/after dinner. We have a monthly luncheon with about 16 people and we find if we sit at one long table, unless you're in the middle of the long sides, you only get to talk to the people next to or across from you. If you split into 2 round tables, more people get to interact at each table, but then there's no interaction between the tables. I wish there were a polite way to, halfway through, get half of the group to swap positions so everyone gets a chance to talk with everyone else.

I like the pictures of the glasses layered with food but when I look at them I can't help but think of Pinterest fails. I feel the same way about trifles in glass bowls. After a few servings or bites most of them look like a big mess. I know if I put them together they would probably look uneven, smeared and unappetizing.

I like the family style serving, something about it makes it more intimate, I don't like standing in a long line waiting for the person ahead of me to "move on". People can pass dishes and serve themselves, especially if you have multiples of the same dishes on the table every six people or so like you suggest. As the dishes become empty, just remove them. It's cozier, friendlier.

ETA: Love the idea of the lights in the pergola too. I have a long privet hedge "arch" and have always dreamed of placing lights down through the top and setting up a long table for a meal with friends - a midnight supper! I suppose we'd be eating a lot of bugs too tho. lol anyway, good luck with your garden party hope we get some pics.

We have and attend a lot of outdoor parties. What Pinterest doesn't show is how flies just love buffets. We invested in a bunch of covers and Amazon sells a "food tent" but somehow those never make it in the pics.

Your menu sounds great. Think about how to serve at your house without unexpected hosts.

Those appetizers are called "verrines" in French. They are at least 10 years old- way pre Pinterest days. I've never made them for a large crowd. They are very easy to prepare- that is part of there appeal. The lines need not be level on the stripped ones, just straight-ish. These plastic cups might make assembly easier since they are V shaped.

ETA The only reason I followed up on making these appetizers is that I find that the hardest part of my menu and if I can make these anyone can. I am not patient in the kitchen. Here is a video on how to make them. It's in French, but pretty easy to follow along https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb4tg-0uM9k

We had a creperie for our wedding (20-30 guests). It worked fine. We also had other food too. The creperie brought a waitress. People would order their crepe and then when it was made, the waitress would bring it to the person. It has been 5 years and people still talk about the crepes. They had a choice of 3 savory and 3 sweet and people could get as many as they wanted and they just kept track and billed us at the end.

Oh I don't think I'd like the progressive dinner idea. With just 16 people, I thought it was just going to be a friendly sit down meal with an uncomplicated menu.

I knew I would get some great insight here!

Rita, those shooters with mint strike me as so light and summery! And would be so simple. I'm thinking about 4 different kinds. I will take dgw's "pinterest fail" comment seriously and do a little practicing this weekend. Where did you get your glasses?

crudites-with-roasted-red-pepper-buttermilk-dip

Schoolhouse, do you think my menu is too uncomplicated? Charcuterie, peach salad, maybe cauliflower ravioli with spinach pesto. I also thought about making individual baskets ahead of time but that seems a little lunch-y, and I'd have to scramble to find the baskets.

ETA Here's the ravioli recipe. Parmesan-Cauliflower-Ravioli-Recipe

Beagles, your wedding sounds like it was fun! I will remember that for a larger gathering.

1929 THANK YOU! Just ordered some domes to cover the food!

Annie and jmc, it sounds like you are both on the same page. I rented chairs instead of benches to make it easier to get up and move around. I'll have to give this a little more thought...

No, no, I expressed that wrong, what I thought was complicated in the progressive dinner was the changing of seats per course. The menu in the photos above is delightful!

And actually for the past several days I've been making a peach and crumbled blue cheese salad, mix greens, red onion, I added cherry tomatoes and walnuts. Dressing is an Italian Balsamic. It was a recipe I cut out of the paper but ended up just winging it with my own ingredients. It's sooo good.

school, That sounds good! Do you have a recipe for the dressing?

Here is a link to the plastic cups from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LX3ACCA?psc=1. They come in a few different sizes and shapes. Your menu sounds lovely. Your girlfriends are in for such a lovely treat!

garden, the dressing is just a Wishbone variety from the local grocery. lol I don't think I've ever made my own salad dressing. I bet it tastes so much better.

Do check with your guests about food preferences, allergies, sensitivities etc. before finalizing your menu. Probably some will be vegetarians, others gluten or lactose intolerant.