There are plenty of reasons to throw a garden party. A birthday, an engagement, a farewell party or just any occasion. No matter what you have to celebrate, spring and summer is the perfect time to organise a garden party. Enjoy drinks and good food together during the long evenings. Who wouldn't want that? But how do you organize a garden party? What do you need and what should you not forget? Read the checklist for a fun and enjoyable garden party here.
✓ Compile the guest list
The starting point, of course, is the guest list. Who do you want to invite to your garden party? Make a guest list so you don't forget to invite anyone. Do keep your budget in mind here. The more guests, the more costs. By thinking carefully in advance about how much you want to spend, it is easier to stay within your budget.
✓ Choose a suitable day
The next step is to choose a suitable day for your garden party. Estimate when most of your guests can make it. Plan your party well in advance, that way your guests can take it into account in their planning. Make sure you schedule time for yourself to prepare and clean up afterwards. This will ensure that you can enjoy your party to the fullest.
✓ Provide a plan B in case of bad weather
As your garden party approaches, keep a close eye on the weather forecast. Are the weather forecasts good? Great! Nothing is better than nice weather during your garden party. Make sure you have a heater, fire pits or blankets, just to be on the safe side. Indeed, it can cool down considerably in the evening. This will ensure that you can party on into the wee hours of the morning.
Even when it rains, you can keep your garden party going. Make sure you can move the party inside by arranging a party tent, for example. Do you have a veranda? Then, of course, your party can continue on under the veranda. In case there are really storms coming, it might be better to move your garden party to another day. Inform your guests in good time and schedule a new date at short notice. That way, you can still have the party soon.
✓ Make use of atmospheric outdoor lighting
An atmospheric garden is one of the most important parts of a successful garden party. Adding atmosphere is easy by using atmospheric outdoor lighting. There are many types of lighting to choose from. Think lanterns, torches and light strings. Tip: also see if you have any lights lying around in the attic, such as Christmas lights. These can serve perfectly well as decorative lighting.
✓ Turn your garden party into a theme party
Besides mood lighting, you can also create atmosphere by adding a theme to your garden party. Then all you have to do is make sure your decorations match that theme. Think of decorations such as hanging flags and balloons. Festive tableware, tablecloths and glasses also provide the right decor.
✓ Catering
A garden party without good food and drinks? Unthinkable. Make sure you stock up on snacks and drinks. It is best to get more than you think you need, so there is sure to be enough for everyone. If you have leftovers, there's bound to be room for an extra, smaller party this summer. A great way to enjoy the whole summer. With a big party, it is nice to hire a catering company. That way, you will have more time to enjoy the party yourself.
✓ Party music
Party music is an important part of a good garden party. Estimate your guests’ preferred style of music and try to work with that. Want a dance party? Then make sure you have enough dancing songs in your playlist. You can often find fun summer and festive playlists on the internet, e.g. Spotify, that you can easily download. Fun guaranteed.
Do you have neighbours? Be a good neighbour and be mindful of the volume of your music. Let them know in advance that you are having a garden party, and they will probably not mind the music. Of course, you can also just invite them. The more, the merrier.
Need more inspiration? Check out our Pinterest board here.