A Dinner al Fresco in Jackson, Wyoming
This party designer throws an annual dinner with her friends in Jackson, Wyoming. This year, they upped the ante on the design details
My husband is always saying, “Katie, we are living the dream,” and by that he means being able to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world: Jackson, Wyoming.
Visitors come from all over to experience the natural beauty of Jackson, from the Snake River to the Teton Mountains to all the amazing wildlife. For some it’s a trip of a lifetime, while for others, like us, it’s our everyday.
My husband, kids, and I have lived here for seven year. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to attend a going-away dinner for a few friends on the Snake River. It was such a memorable experience that I wanted to host a similar party, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone.
It wasn’t hard for me to convince my husband, Matt Confer, and our long-time good friends, Hunter and Molly Frobouck, owners of E’leaven Food Co., to collaborate and host a similar dinner experience. Matt, Hunter, and I all attended college together at Ohio Wesleyan University while Molly and I grew up going to the same all-girls camp, Camp Mont Shenandoah. It’s just a small world coincidence because I didn’t introduce Hunter and Molly to one another. With an ideal couple team in place, our annual end-of-the-summer dinner party, Dinner al Fresco, was born four years ago.
Dividing the duties was easy. Matt and Hunter take care of the dinner menu, while I come up with the overall design details and Molly makes sure it all comes together. It’s not uncommon to hear Molly remind us, “We will make it happen."
Originally, the evening was BYOC, Bring Your Own Chair, but this year I wanted to up the ante on the overall design, from décor details to expanding our invite list to those we don’t see on a regular basis. For me, living in a small town means having a big community, and we wanted to celebrate life in Jackson with as many as possible.
The evening always flies by with a lot of laughter, making it an evening we always look forward to celebrating the following season. Take a look:
VENDOR LIST
Party Designer: ThatGirlKatie
Catering: E’leaven Food Co.
Photography: Heather Erson Photography
Napkins: Stitch Upholstery
Party Accessories: Paper and Grace; Belle Cose
More photos in the slideshow below!
With the recent loss of her sister to cancer, celebrating life is Katie Confer’s new mantra as well as the focus behind her website, ThatGirlKatie.com. Hosting and designing parties + interior spaces is one way she is doing just that, when she isn’t busy with her two kids soaking up the mountain lifestyle of Jackson, Wyoming.
