It’s the perfect time for a backyard bash, where you can have fun with family or friends. Cold drinks, something tasty to eat, maybe even some music. Sounds like the right thing to do this weekend?
Planning a party involves a little effort, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun at the same time. Check these ten tips and tricks that can help you organize the perfect outdoor party without headaches.
1. Inform All Your Guests
When you make the invitation to your backyard party, make sure you inform your guests about your plans. If dinner starts at 7 PM, you can’t keep the grill on for hours just because some of your friends arrive late.
Let your guests know about your program and how you’re going to organize things. This way, they’ll know when to arrive and what to expect if they’re late.
2. Plan a Fresh Menu
With or without the grill, you need to add some freshness and summer flavor to your dinner. Luckily, a garden party opens up a vast series of possibilities, most of them easy to cook.
Here are some original menu ideas for your outdoor party:
- Starters: melon and prosciutto, a fresh salad, baked zucchini with cheese, grilled asparagus on toast, goat cheese on puff pastry bites, mini pizzas with mozzarella and pizza sauce.
- Mains: gazpacho, Thai chicken wonton cups, mushroom tart, potato salad, pasta with zucchini and olives, grilled veggies with olive oil and seasonings.
- Desserts: lemon tart, ice cream, sponge cake, mini doughnuts, fruit salad.
3. Prepare the Drinks
It’s summer, it’s hot, and everyone is expecting to have something fresh to drink at an outdoor party.
Besides plenty of water and beer, you should include in your menu something special for the night. On the internet, you can find plenty of DIY cocktails to make your party special.
From Bing Cherry Mojito and Gin Tonic to Rosé Spritzer and Strawberry Lemonade, or watermelon-based non-alcoholic cocktails, any of these drinks can add up freshness and flavor to your party.
4. Let It Be Light
If you plan to keep the party going after the sunset, make sure you don’t hold your guests in the dark. You can solve this issues with some strings of light hanged on the deck or the fence – or on tree branches.
Add some lanterns and tea lights to create atmosphere, and it’s all set for the big evening.
5. Create a Mosquito-Free Area
Mosquitos can ruin the evening, mainly because they’re most active right before the sunset. Keep them away with fans — these bugs are weak flyers, they won’t resist to a consistent airflow.
Another easy solution is to provide your guests with bug wipes. This way, they stay protected against mosquitos even if they step away from the dinner area.
Last, but not least, you should make sure there’s no standing water close to your backyard. The pool, pots with rainwater, flowerpots, all these attract mosquitos, so make sure you make them mosquito-free a few days before the party.
6. Ice, Ice, Baby
Make sure you have a dependable supply of ice to cool the atmosphere. Place a garden pot full of ice somewhere in the backyard, close to the dining area.
This way, your guests have easy access to more ice if they want their drinks colder. Refill the pot a couple of times during the evening.
7. Get Enough Chairs
Make a list of all your guests and organize the furniture to have enough places for everyone to sit. This way, you avoid the embarrassing situation of having too many people at the dinner table and not enough chairs.
Whether you decide to rent some chairs for the occasion or to craft some backyard furniture yourself, make sure you have everything ready a few days before the party. Otherwise, you’ll have too much on your plate on the last day.
8. Prepare a Corner for the Kids
If some of your guests have kids, putting together a special corner for them can help you organize a pleasant evening for both children and adults.
Kids like toys and games, a place where they can run freely and organize their play without being interrupted by grown-ups. Depending on their age, you can even arrange a small dining table for them with a kids’ menu and specialty drinks.
You can customize the kids’ corner with decorations, colored glasses, and plastic cutlery. From dinosaurs to more affordable party supplies, any small detail can make the little ones feel in your backyard just like home.
9. Music Is The Heart of the Party
Classics can help you keep the party going. Choose songs that people recognize and sing, like the greatest hits from Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, or even the Beatles.
Add some new songs here and there to keep up the proper atmosphere, and you have a fresh playlist to keep your people happy and dancing. Put together a 4-hour playlist or more, depending on how long you think the evening will be.
10. Have a Plan B
Don’t let the rain ruin your perfectly planned evening. If you don’t own a covered deck, move everyone inside for a game or movie night with, after dinner. Just make sure you have enough room in your living for all your guests.
Plan everything the weekend before the party. This approach will give you plenty of time to prepare everything without putting too much pressure on your shoulders. After all, you’re organizing an outdoor party to have fun!