Garden Party Ideas: A Complete Guide to Outdoor Entertainment
As the lighter nights draw nearer and the sun stays out for longer, you’ll find yourself daydreaming about those unforgettable garden parties you’ve been to in the past. You know the kind: family and friends laughing on the patio; cornflower blue skies and sun-drenched lawns; the sound and smell of barbecued food and fire-kissed pizzas. There’s no reason why these things can’t be relived – or topped, for that matter! Regardless of the size of your outdoor space – whether you have a small patio out the front, or a large lawn out the back – there are so many ways to throw an unforgettable garden party that your friends and family will be talking about for many summers to come.
What makes an amazing garden party?
Great food
There are a few key things you’ll want to bear in mind when it comes tooutdoor entertainmentand throwing a great garden party. Let’s start with the food. If you get it right, your guests will be talking about it for days and week; get it wrong, however, and your party might be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons… But there’s no need to panic – as long as there’s something suitable for everyone and you’ve got the kit to cook it all to perfection, you’re onto a winner.
The right music
You’ll also want some suitably upbeat music to keep the summer vibes rolling throughout the day and into the evening. But choosing the music is a lot like choosing the food: make sure there’s something for everyone. Remember, you want to make it a pleasant experience for all your guests, so don’t get too protective over the playlist.
Thoughtful decoration
And when it comes to decoration, it’s all about the little details – festoon lights for when the sun goes down; floor cushions to help make everyone comfy; an ice bucket to keep the drinks cool. You don’t need to go overboard with crazy displays and extravagant entertainment; you just need to be a little creative with the things that matter – your guests will be sure to notice and appreciate it.
Choose a theme for your party
Having a theme can save you time, money and a whole lot of fretting over what kind of food you should cook; or what decorations you should put up; or which napkins you should buy! Throwing a party can be a stressful ordeal if you haven’t got a clear theme or focus, so anything to keep the decision making to a minimum should be welcomed with open arms. And again, you don’t want to go for anything too whacky or extreme when choosing your theme; just something to set the mood and help make it an extra-special occasion for everyone.
3 garden party themes for some summer inspiration
Floral– It’s summer after all! Flowers should be in full-bloom everywhere you look, so it’s only natural to want to base your garden party around their beauty. There are plenty of ways you can inject a generous dose of flower-power into your garden party, like colourful hanging baskets, beautiful vase arrangements, and even flower-themed tableware. Containing everything from virtually unbreakable melamine picnicware to gorgeous kitchen textiles, ourHazy Daysrange is sure to help you serve up the most summery, sunshine – and stress-free – alfresco feasts ever. Or, if you’re planning more of an outdoor afternoon tea, ourPressed Flowers Melamine Tablewarerange is equally unbreakable – and equally pretty. And best of all, both these gorgeous floral ranges have been exclusively designed by our talented in-house design team, so you won’t find them anywhere else.
Rustic– Wooden. Rural. Homely. There’s something so cosy and laid-back about rustic decor that makes people feel more relaxed – the perfect theme for a chilled-out garden party. How about somefestoon lightsto offer a sparkle when the sun starts to retreat? Or maybe a bigglobe fireplaceto give your garden a golden glow and keep your guests toasty after the temperature drops? And if you’re serving rustic Italian pizzas, why not serve them on abamboo pizza serving boardorceramic serving plate, etched or printed with a Napoli pizza design for extra authenticity? Don’t forget, it’s the little details that make all the difference.
Traditional British street party– There are so many ways to throw a traditional and truly unforgettable British-themed street party. Frompatriotic paper platesandwhite paper doiliestoUnion Jack cupcake casesandBritish biscuit cutters, street parties deserve the full treatment – they’re a Great British tradition, after all.
Should your party be for adults only?
Now, this all depends on the kind of garden party you want to throw. Perhaps you want a lively afternoon, where everyone can attend and no one has to find a babysitter – in which case, there’s absolutely no reason why it would have to be an adult-only affair – children don’t often fail to put a smile on our faces and it would be a shame to leave them out. Just remember the golden rule: make sure there’s something for everyone – that includes the kids too!
On the other hand, if you’ve got a slightly more sophisticated outdoor party in mind – one you’re hoping will spill into the late evening – you might want to consider asking your guests to try and find a babysitter for the night. While it would be a shame to have to make the children miss out on a good party, some parties simply aren’t suitable. For example, there might be hot ovens and barbecues out on display, which isn’t ideal if you’ve got children running around. Then there’s the alcohol to think about – if your idea of a good party is one with plenty of booze, it’s probably not suitable for the children. And if you’re after a nice quiet, relaxing afternoon… well, you get the idea.
No party is complete without great food
Regardless of how much effort you put into your theme and decoration, if the food is a let-down, the whole party is likely to be a let-down. On the other hand, if you don’t feel you’ve nailed the decoration and things aren’t quite going to plan, then serving great food can make all the difference. So, what kind of food should you serve?
How about a pizza party?
Home-made pizzas are an extremely popular choice for outdoor entertaining, and once you’ve seen whatOoni pizza ovensare capable of, you’ll understand why. Flame-cooked pizzas in as little as 60 seconds – what’s not to love? The question is, which Ooni oven is right for your garden party? Luckily, we’ve got a separate blog to answer that very question:Wood-fired vs gas: The best outdoor pizza oven for you. Whichever pizza oven you choose, you’re sure to be the host with the most delicious outdoor menu this summer.
And if you want to make your pizza party a little more creative, how about having a toppings menu? Your guests can choose their toppings on arrival and have their custom pizza brought to them on a plate – just like in a proper restaurant. Or you could let your guests get even more involved by setting up atopping stationand letting them craft their own pizzas, exactly how they like them. There are plenty ofOoni accessoriesto choose from on our website to help spark some extra pizza inspiration.
Bring on the barbecue
Perhaps pizzas aren’t quite right for your garden party – that’s fine. There are plenty of other options when it comes to cooking great food outdoors, like the good old-fashioned barbecue – although ‘old-fashioned’ isn’t a phrase we’d use to describe some of the barbecues on our website. Take theBioLite FirePit+, for example, which lets you control the flames from your phone. Then there’sCobb’s incredibly versatile range of portable cook anything, anywhere cooking systems – perfect for roasting, grilling, baking, barbecuing and frying wherever you decide to take the party.
Something sweet
Now, let’s talk lollies for a moment. Loved by children and adults alike, lollies and ice creams are a fantastic dessert option for a laid-back lawn party on a scorching summer’s day – and they’re even better when you’ve made them yourself. Lékué’sTropical Fruit Lolly MouldsandClassic Ice Cream Mouldsare just the thing for bringing the family together to enjoy ice-cool sweet treats in the garden.
5 essential garden party decorations to add to your shopping list
Festoon lights-简单，但迷人，当太阳决定休息一天时，彩灯是完美的情绪调节器。当自然光开始减弱，你的客人开始认为一切都结束了，这些灯泡提供一闪一闪的帮助平稳过渡到晚上。You could opt for somecluster lightsto act as a sophisticated centre piece, or maybe somesolar-powered string lightsto surround your seating area.
Melamine tableware避免为了聚会而打碎你最好的盘子——你会假装不在意，但事后你会后悔用了它们。另外，如果你的客人打碎了盘子，他们会感觉很糟糕，这是你试图保持心情愉快时最不希望发生的事情。Beautifully designed and far more sophisticated than paper and plastic plates and cups, ourHazy DaysandPressed Flowersmelamine tableware ranges could prove to be a life-saver – or a plate-saver at the very least…
Bunting-如果你想给你的花园派对增加一些节日气氛，彩旗是最好的选择。Simple, effective and easy to put up,rainbow fabric buntingsurrounding the place will help bring the carnival to your garden. And if you’re celebrating all things British, you could even opt for some traditionalUnion Jack Bunting.
Decorative rugs– A patterned rug in the centre of your seating area is a lovely touch to help make your outdoor setting as cosy as your living room. If you’re going for a lively, colourful theme, then it makes sense to choose a lively,colourful rug. Or, if you want to switch things up mid-way through the party, areversible rugessentially gives you two different styles in one.
Food covers– Okay, so not strictly a decoration, but the authentic African design on theseFabric Elasticated Food Coversis so beautiful and summery, we’re classing them as decorations, as well as handy food protectors. Breathable, eco-friendly and far less fiddly than cling film and foil, they’re perfect for covering your food bowls in between servings.
You’re all set!
Hopefully, you’ve been able to gather some fruitful outdoor party ideas. Things to remember include: choosing a theme – it will save you time and money; making sure there’s something for everyone – that goes for music, as well as food; taking care of the little details – they really do make all the difference; serving great food to make it a day to remember (for all the right reasons!).
If you need any further inspiration, ourwebsiteis packed with summer ranges to help you decorate your outdoor space and dine alfresco, but most of all, to help you to throw a garden party to remember. Here’s hoping the weather behaves…
Happy partying!