6 Things You Need for the Perfect Garden Party

It’s beginning to feel like summer at last, and the warmer, lighter nights turn our thoughts to outdoor entertaining.  With a little planning it is easy to make your garden party perfect, so here we bring you a few tips for a memorable garden gathering.

Seating

You will want, first of all, to make your guests as comfortable as possible and the way to do this is to have a few different forms of seating to suit guests who may be of differing ages and maybe differing levels of mobility.  The younger ones may be happy on cushions or beanbags whilst older guests will prefer more formal chairs.  Utilise all your garden furniture and fetch chairs from the kitchen if needed.

Food and drink

Cold beers and chilled wine always go down well on warm summer days with hot drinks coming in handy when the party stretches into the evening.  For guests who prefer non-alcoholic drinks a selection of fruit-based cocktails are a delicious alternative.  And of course, have plenty of soft drinks ready for little ones.  Whether you are serving hot barbequed food, cold dishes or snacks, serving it on attractive crockery and pretty table linen will make it look extra special.  To keep your drinks cool and to save you running in and out to the fridge, try keeping them in a handy cool box.

Garden lighting

Make the most of your garden in the evening with the addition of subtle outdoor lighting.  Illuminate the path to your door with post or bollard lights.  Accentuate statement planting with ground level spotlighting or solar spikes among the flowers.  Garlands of coloured twinkly lights festooned around a doorway or garden building adds a certain fairy-tale magic to the proceedings.  Hanging lanterns can be positioned around the garden to give just enough light to create a gentle ambience.

Music and entertainment

This can sometimes be a point of contention if you’re in close proximity to your neighbours but music doesn’t have to be loud.  Soft background tunes are often enough to break the ice and provide relaxation while the grown-ups can talk among themselves.  Of course, if the situation allows you could always push the boat out and hire a DJ or a band!  Children can sometimes get a little bored so make sure there’s plenty for them to do.  A sandpit or bouncy castle goes down well with smaller children, whilst older ones are happy if they have their electronic games or tablets with them.  Ideally the little ones’ play area should be far enough away from where the grown-ups are but still within sight and reach.

Warmth

Our summer evenings have a habit of turning cool once the sun goes down so a firepit is a welcome, cosy addition for guests to gather round.  Soft, warm blankets to throw around the shoulders are a nice touch too. You should also be prepared for the weather turning inclement by erecting a gazebo – just in case!