How to host the perfect summer garden party

Bring your outdoor space to life and go all out with a summer garden party. When hosting any kind of social event, there’s a fair amount of planning involved. For this reason, it’s worth giving yourself plenty of time to pull everything together. After all, you’ll need to consider everything from the decorations to the food. Not forgetting the all-important entertainment!

Decorations

First of all, you’ll need to make sure your garden is in a presentable state. Many gardeners take time to plan their summer gardens well in advance so they come into bloom at the right time. Bringing colour into your garden means you don’t have to rely too heavily on buying decorations for outdoor parties. Pre-party gardening tasks might includeremoving weeds and rearranging the outdoor space so it’s optimised for socialising.

Consider fairy lights and lanterns to keep it well-lit once the sun starts to set. Otherwise, bunting is a great way to add colour to the space. You could even have a go at making this yourself. 

Games

When planning the entertainment, think about your audience and their interests. You could pick sports games like rounders to get people up on their feet, as well as board games for those who want something more low-key.

Games such as charades are inclusive options that guests with varying interests can enjoy. If you have a large group, consider having everyone download a bingo app and play a few games on their phone. 

Food and drink

Ensure guests are well fed by preparing a delicious spread ofsummer party food. Depending on the number of people you’ve invited, you may want to host a sit-down meal or go for a buffet format where people can help themselves to as much or as little as they like. If you have a barbecue, this is the perfect excuse to put it to use. Make sure you have enough cutlery and plates for everyone. 

To make things easier, you could ask guests to bring one dish each, whether that’s a fresh salad, skewers or a dessert. Remember, you can always buy pre-made grazing snacks to make life easier for yourself.

Don’t forget to set up a soft drinks station so guests can stay hydrated. Why not experiment with a summer classic such as iced tea?

Seating

You’ll need to ensure there’s enough seating for your guests.Garden furniture is ideal, however you may want to lay out picnic rugs and bring some spare chairs outside. Fold-out deck chairs and sun loungers are ideal for this type of occasion.

Make sure you have some blankets ready for when the temperature drops later in the evening.