As the summer starts to roll in, temperatures begin to rise, days become longer, and, overall, everyone seems to be in a more celebratory mood. When the kids are out of school and everyone has some extra time on their hands, it’s a perfect time to host a garden party.
At the ultimate garden party, the food is piping hot, the conversations (and drinks) are flowing, and the kids are having fun playing in the backyard. However, orchestrating this kind of event takes much planning than you would think.
In order for your party to go off without a hitch, you’ll need to spend some time planning and prepping. If you’re not sure where to start, congratulations, you have come to the right place. In this blog, we will go over the eight steps you need to consider when hosting the ultimate garden party.
Pick Your Guests Carefully
The invitation list is arguably the most important factor of any party. You want to create an ambiance, which involves bringing people who will truly get on together. You can extend an invitation to a group of friends you know mesh well or choose to invite friends who have never met before.
Set up a Kids Area
When the kids are away, the parents can play. You want your guests to feel relaxed and at ease, so creating a designated children’s area will make all the difference. Rather than sitting everyone together, you can create a kiddies table for them to enjoy their own garden party. Make sure to bring out all the toys and have plenty of activities ready so they can keep themselves entertained.
Make Your Own Decor
Just because you’re going to throw an extravagant party, doesn’t mean you have to spend an extravagant amount of money. Get those creative juices flowing and make your own table decor with elements found in your garden. Create beautiful table settings using natural elements and flowers from your backyard. If you have edible flowers, you can even add these to your meals.
Curate a Playlist
The music you play will help set the tone for the party. However, you don’t want to spend minutes on end searching for the perfect song. Instead, we recommend that you take your time to curate a playlist full of crowd-pleasing tunes. If you want to get your friends involved, ask each guest to submit a few songs to a collaborative playlist.
Protect Guests from Pests
Imagine everything is going as planned and your party is near perfection, but there’s just one pesky element that won’t give up – mosquitoes. No matter how much fun you are having, these pests can truly be a buzzkill. That’s why we suggest you hire someone to carry out mosquito fogging around the property a day or two before your event.
Keep an Ice Bucket Close
If everyone is going to be outside and you don’t have the luxury of an outdoor fridge, the second-best option is having a few ice buckets nearby. This way, your guests will have easy access to a cold drink, and you won’t have as many people going in and out of your home. Just make sure to purchase plenty of ice before the big day.
Create a Signature Cocktail
Having a signature cocktail or two at your party will seriously elevate the event. Plus, you don’t have to hire a world-class barman, you can simply make them yourself. Prepare big batches of a pre-made cocktail and add the alcohol separately. For example, you can make an elderflower margarita concoction or classic mojito mix. Print out a small label for each jug to add an extra touch.
Think About Evening Lighting
When a party gets good, it often runs into the evening, which means you need to think about some other logistics. We recommend you place some fairy lights around the garden or perhaps light some candles. If it gets cold, don’t hesitate to bring out the blankets and light an outdoor fire.
We guarantee that if you follow these steps, all your invitees will be asking when your next garden party is. However, to truly ensure your friends and family have the best time ever, it’s important to keep in mind who you invite. Make sure to bring positive people into your home that will contribute something greater to the party. Hopefully, this guide has given you plenty of inspiration for your next event and that it goes down a treat!
