Hosting an Outdoor Party at Your Home
Can you feel the warm air coming? It’s time to start thinking about your outdoor living entertainment! While entertaining can be challenging, it is indeed possible to host and actually have fun at the same time. Whether its just a few of your family and friends, or many, planning ahead (and not just your food) will spare you of stress and add more fun. To ensure a seamless event, after confirming your guest list and you food, consider these tips.
Timing
This will mostly depend on the variety of sliders, toppings, and sides you will be serving. If you’re only serving sliders and some drinks, it would be best if you held the party in mid-afternoon timeframe (e.g. start time of somewhere around 2 or 3pm) so that people arrive with only a slight appetite. However, if your menu consists of fancy toppings, salads, and fries of foods such as salads or French fries, then lunch or dinnertime is perfect. The more food and variety you’re serving, the bigger the appetite you want your guests to have!
Furniture
You don’t need to have an exact number of seats as the number of guests. Many will prefer to stand and mingle – especially children. Contrary to popular belief, large sitting areas (for over 8 people) usually discourage memorable, comfortable conversations and instead promote clique groups that leave newbies unintentionally out. Imagine trying to join a current conversation with 10 people! – that’s intimating! It’s much easier to introduce yourself to a group of three or four people. So go ahead and set up small cozy areas, some can be with a formal dining set, others using existing build in seating (add cushions for attention to the space!), consider even a picnic blanket. Variety is good!
Decorations
To set the mood right for your party, throw in some decorations that will lighten up the place. Keep in mind that those cozy areas are part of the décor so go wild with table centerpieces. If you are planning to host a party outside with a few or even many kids, simply add balloons (tie them tight), colorful ribbons and even a pinata (which aren’t limited to birthdays! A little ambient lighting can also help to create a warm atmosphere especially if the party will go on until it is dark. Use candles or take advantage of any outdoor lighting in your spaces.
Music
You can have a party without music, it’s simply not an option! If it’s a special event, go ahead and reserve an acoustic guitarist. Music from a playlist with either built in or wireless speakers will do just great for pretty much any occasion! Keep in mind that if you don’t suspect dancing – you still might want to mix in a few “dance, happy” songs to boost everyone’s mood (especially after the first big serving of food!).