No summer would be complete without a garden party, so if you are considering holding on of your own this year, check out the tips below for everything from menu planning to decoration to make your garden stylish for an affordable price. Whether you are holing a laid-back affair or something more formal these tips will help you on your way to a great party!!
1. Shop ahead of time and don't Panic!
Around a week before your party, sit and work out how many guests you are expecting to arrive at your home, how many are kids, how many are adults and if there are any vegetarians. This way, you can create a menu to please everyone and not have so many leftovers. If you have a large guest list and will not be in a position to get all you need in one shop, shopping online is a great way to make sure you get all your ingredients delivered fresh and ready for you to prepare. If fridge space is a problem, why not ask close family or friends to bring along a pudding or some nibbles. Remember to add the extra essentials to your shopping list including cups, plates and serviettes.
2. Cheat your menu
If you want to keep the work down when you are preparing your menu, remember there are plenty of ready-made items that you can use for your food. Pate, crackers, dips and ready made sandwiches are just some of the items you may want to purchase so that you do not have to spend hours in the kitchen.
3. Get the drinks in
Make sure you have a good amount of beer, wine, pimms and soft drinks, as these are all staple drinks of any good garden party. Getting some unusual drinks that your guests may not have tried before will go down a storm and really get the party atmosphere going, cocktails are great for parties.
4. Is the garden party-ready?
It goes without saying that the garden will need to be an inviting place that your guests will enjoy spending time in. The first thing to do is to mow the lawn, maybe scatter a few pot plants around with colorful flowers blooming so that you get the garden looking its best. If you don't have any, a parasol or 2 will be a good idea so that your guests have a bit of shade out of the sunlight, or if you have a large garden a gazebo is also a great idea. Ensure that you have enough tables and chairs for everyone and if you are tight on budget you could ask your neighbors to borrow some of theirs. If your garden party is likely to go on onto the evening, you will need to get some lighting out there, there are many types of lighting on offer for gardens and to make the area look magical you could drape some fairy lights around for that extra sparkle.
5. Decorate
Giving your garden party a theme will make it look very elegant, it may be something as simple as a color scheme or as sophisticated as a dress code. Whatever you decide s simple way of doing this is to make sure the colors of your plates and cups match the table cloths and if you are going for a stylish feel you can cover the chairs in fabric which matches your color scheme.
When planning your party it is always a good idea to have a clear vision of how you want your garden to look and the type of party you want. That way you can look in the internet for color ideas, food ideas and lighting so that you can get all the supplies you need in advance of the day.
1. Shop ahead of time and don't Panic!
Around a week before your party, sit and work out how many guests you are expecting to arrive at your home, how many are kids, how many are adults and if there are any vegetarians. This way, you can create a menu to please everyone and not have so many leftovers. If you have a large guest list and will not be in a position to get all you need in one shop, shopping online is a great way to make sure you get all your ingredients delivered fresh and ready for you to prepare. If fridge space is a problem, why not ask close family or friends to bring along a pudding or some nibbles. Remember to add the extra essentials to your shopping list including cups, plates and serviettes.
2. Cheat your menu
If you want to keep the work down when you are preparing your menu, remember there are plenty of ready-made items that you can use for your food. Pate, crackers, dips and ready made sandwiches are just some of the items you may want to purchase so that you do not have to spend hours in the kitchen.
3. Get the drinks in
Make sure you have a good amount of beer, wine, pimms and soft drinks, as these are all staple drinks of any good garden party. Getting some unusual drinks that your guests may not have tried before will go down a storm and really get the party atmosphere going, cocktails are great for parties.
4. Is the garden party-ready?
It goes without saying that the garden will need to be an inviting place that your guests will enjoy spending time in. The first thing to do is to mow the lawn, maybe scatter a few pot plants around with colorful flowers blooming so that you get the garden looking its best. If you don't have any, a parasol or 2 will be a good idea so that your guests have a bit of shade out of the sunlight, or if you have a large garden a gazebo is also a great idea. Ensure that you have enough tables and chairs for everyone and if you are tight on budget you could ask your neighbors to borrow some of theirs. If your garden party is likely to go on onto the evening, you will need to get some lighting out there, there are many types of lighting on offer for gardens and to make the area look magical you could drape some fairy lights around for that extra sparkle.
5. Decorate
Giving your garden party a theme will make it look very elegant, it may be something as simple as a color scheme or as sophisticated as a dress code. Whatever you decide s simple way of doing this is to make sure the colors of your plates and cups match the table cloths and if you are going for a stylish feel you can cover the chairs in fabric which matches your color scheme.
When planning your party it is always a good idea to have a clear vision of how you want your garden to look and the type of party you want. That way you can look in the internet for color ideas, food ideas and lighting so that you can get all the supplies you need in advance of the day.