The kids may be back in school, but the summer isn’t over. In many parts of the U.S., garden parties run well into early October. You still have time to throw the most awesome outdoor event of the year.
For starters, you must choose between elegantly posh, blow out casual, or somewhere in between. But here are some tips to help you throw an awesome party.
8 hot tips for summer garden party fun:
1. Location
It’s not enough to say “garden.” In many places with extended summers, you don’t want guests, food, and drinks sitting in the sun. You might limit the guest list and menu to something you can handle under a tent or on a porch.
2. Put a lid on it!
Either serve the food at once or cover dishes to keep the flies away. You might consider fumigating the yard earlier in the day and light torches to prevent mosquitoes from taking over.
3. Do something different!
You can host a perfectly fancy meal like a picnic with guests relaxing on cushions scattered across throw rugs. You can go rustic with picnic tables and butcher paper. Or, you can create a carnival or beach theme.
4. Entertain the crowd!
With affordable Bluetooth speakers scattered around the party site, you can program a playlist to keep everyone happy. You can base the party on a classic movie or entertain the children with some recent film projected on an inflatable movie screen, lightweight, air-inflated, and measuring up to 20-feet diagonally.
5. Pick the right flowers!
You can select flowers to match or complement your dishware or linens. But you might turn that around and pick the flowers abundant in the season, ideally ones from your own garden. Martha Stewart suggests, “Mix shapes and textures and add color with edible flowers and herb blossoms.”
6. Eat well!
There are more options than a barbecue. With beer and too many cooks, a barbecue never seems to come together at the same time as the kitchen plans. You can opt for a menu of finger foods, stove-grilled skewers, charcuterie, or pre-prepared sandwiches.
7. Drink well, too!
You can throw a selection of beers and soft drinks in a cooler. Or, you might set out pitchers of unique summer cooler cocktails. The Food Network’s Ina Garten recommends, “Create a self-serve cocktail bar for guests, featuring one bowl each of strawberries, raspberries and sugar cubes. Make sure the table is fully stocked with fruit juices and a large ice bucket with a few bottles of champagne.”
8. Keep it small!
You don’t want to invite more than you can handle — and still enjoy yourself. It’s not an awesome party if you are stuck in the kitchen all day or sweating near the barbecue. It’s not your party if you can’t hold a conversation or dance to a tune.
One final tip!
Whatever the reason you are partying this summer season, you can throw a party everyone remembers. Set the party where there’s some breeze, someplace your guests haven’t been before, under some shade and scattered lighting.
Krishan Jangir