Tips for hosting an awesome outdoor party

If like us, you are lucky enough to have a large back garden at your home, hosting an outdoor party, gathering or barbeque can be a great way to get your friends, family and loved ones together and make the most of your additional space. With an absolutely huge back garden to the rear of our home, we have held more than our fair share of outdoor parties, both for the children’s birthday parties and random summer celebrations.

If you’re planning to host an outdoor party for your children or family this Spring or Summer, here are my hints and tips for making sure it goes with a bang.

Sending invites – If you are planning a birthday party for children whose birthdays are either during or immediately following a school holiday, I would strongly recommend that you send your invitations early. It is far easier to give invitations out during the school pick up and drop off than trying to contact parents via WhatsApp groups or email. During peak seasons, families get booked up and have plans during the holidays, so the more notice you can provide the better.
Prepare for all weathers – whilst everyone hopes that the weather will be kind to you on the day, we all know that the UK forecasts can be more than a little unpredictable. To ensure that you can enjoy the outside space even if it does cloud over and start to rain, pop up gazebos with sides, bell tents or even a canopy with a frame is a great option. The last thing you want is a huge number of people squashed in your living room like sardines when the heavens open. On the flip side, tents and gazebos are a great option for providing a little shade if the midday heat gets too intense. Click here for gazebo pop up with sides.
Set a start and end time – the one risk with having outdoor parties at home as opposed to a pre-booked venue or hosted party, is that people tend to stay much longer, especially if the sun is shining and the drinks are flowing! With children’s parties in particular, I would recommend setting a start and end time (2-3 hours are normally plenty). That way, people don’t feel uncomfortable if they want to head off, but at the same time, don’t end up hoping for a second round of food when they are still there at tea time!
Talking of food, decide if you are catering at the party and if so, advise on the invitations including roughly what time you are planning to serve food. This helps people plan their day and ensures that people haven’t already eaten when you serve a buffet big enough to feed hundreds. It also prevents people from rolling up an hour late and expecting to still be able to tuck in, or you waiting to bring the food out for someone who hasn’t yet arrived.
Seating – You may not have enough seats for everyone, but a combination of patio furniture, loungers, deckchairs and picnic blankets is usually perfect and gives people a range of options depending on their preference. You might find the majority of adults stand around and mingle anyway, and the kids are normally far too busy running around to stay still for any substantial period of time!
Have ice filled buckets for your drinks – and encourage people to help themselves. The last thing you want is to spend your entire day going to and from the kitchen playing hostess – let everyone know where they can find a refill when they want one and that they can help themselves. That way, you can spend more time enjoying their company and will be far less flustered.
Don’t assume people won’t go inside – they will!! I’ve on occasion made the mistake of assuming that the kids will be happy to stay outside the whole time, and as such, the inside spaces haven’t been as tidy as they could have been. Inevitably at some point the birthday child will want to go and show the other children their bedroom, bring out some of their old toys, or remove every item they’ve ever owned from the toy storage in your living room – so be prepared for that.
Have plenty to entertain the children – and this doesn’t need to cost you a fortune. A variety of outdoor games, balls and activities means that the children can occupy themselves without always needing to be closely supervised, meaning you have more time to enjoy a sangria and some adult conversation!
Consider a photo booth – if you want to have lots of photos to keep as memories of the day but don’t fancy being the only one running around with your camera, a photo booth is a great solution. Adding a bit of fun and banter by setting up a make shift booth often results in people who wouldn’t normally take photos bringing out their phone for a quick snap, and they are great to look back on in years to come.
Send reminders – as someone who has the memory of a fish, and as such, has been known to completely lose track of days and miss a party in my time, I would always recommend texting people the week before just in case they have forgotten. This can be as simple as “looking forward to seeing you next week”, but also gives people the opportunity to cancel or advise if they can no longer attend.