Chic Game Day Tailgating

Local designers Jackie Armour and Felicia Ramirez create serious tailgate decor and dining inspiration to up your pregame party

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Casual but elegant seating for guests. Photography by Jerry Rabinowitz
Casual but elegant seating for guests. Photography by Jerry Rabinowitz

Sweet Sophistication

Jackie Armour, JMA Interior Design

Grab-and-go desserts made socializing a breeze. Photography by Jerry Rabinowitz
Grab-and-go desserts made socializing a breeze.

Jackie Armour stepped out of the box and threw a “not-so-typical” tailgate with chic—and sweet—vibes. “Who doesn’t want to indulge in desserts and drink Champagne while enjoying the ambience of the outdoors,” says Armour, who is based in Jupiter. Instead of a truck, she incorporated Angie Bentz’s Gypsea Blu Photo Booth Bus, a renovated 1970 VW Westfalia, to set the scene. “Not only does the baby blue bus complement and blend with the other colors, but it will also make heads turn and have people talking about more than just about the game,” says Armour.

Her tailgate featured grazable desserts ideal for enjoying at leisure. Doughnuts, a glazed lemon cake, and a coconut-encrusted iced cake sat on cake stands of differing heights for added visual impact. Convenient containers made munching on popcorn a breeze, and chocolate chip cookies with spiked rum in shot glasses proved ideal for grab-and-go treats. While food is a must at a tailgate, seating is also key. A few ottomans placed atop natural rugs helped create a casual and open space for all to enjoy at this sweet shindig.

Shot by Stuart Magazine on location at Riverbend Park

Boho design cues steal the scene for Felicia Ramirez’s tailgate.
Boho design cues steal the scene for Felicia Ramirez’s tailgate.

Retro Redux

Felicia Ramirez, The Magical Table

Florida pop-up picnic and tea party rental company The Magical Table by Felicia Ramirez put together a classic, vintage-inspired game-day gathering. “I chose a retro-classic vibe since it is a unique and relatively easy tailgate for others to duplicate,” she says. “It is also a  great topic of conversation for guests.” Ramirez started with classic checker-print linens in red and white to set the scene. Making use of her space in the trunk of her SUV, she added rattan accents like a utensil and napkin caddy for simple yet practical organization.

Ham and cheese and Nutella and strawberry finger sandwiches.
Ham and cheese and Nutella and strawberry finger sandwiches.

Finger sandwiches were set on a cake stand and a wooden serving tray, showcasing differentiating flavors of savory and sweet. Old-fashioned Coke bottles and fruit punch in a glass dispenser made for easy sips ideal for socializing. To tie the look together, Ramirez added a vintage speaker and a Polaroid camera, along with some greenery and florals, to “sweeten up” alfresco dining. She even included a sunset treat: Hot chocolate in thermoses to cap off a day of tailgating.

Shot by Stuart Magazine at Carlin Park

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