Your Guide to Outdoor Entertainment
There’s an old age that says: Everything is better outside. Whether that was just made up for the sake of the blog, you’ll never know. But one things for sure – outdoor parties will always trump an indoor soiree. Who wants to be trapped in a stuffy room right? Whether you’re planning a small dinner or a big celebration, here is a simple guide to ensure your outdoor party is a smooth sailing event.
Dining outdoors does not have to be paper plates and plastic glasses!
Preparing the Space
Dressing the area sounds like hard work, but is actually more fun than you realise. It’s the moment where you realise that everything is coming together. Start by ensuring you have ample lighting for the area. You can do this by lightly stringing lanterns and fairy lights from tree branches to create a lovely sense of whimsy and festivity. If you’re having a dinner party, you could incorporate a bit of nature into your décor by strategically placing pinecones, flowers, and coloured leaves on the dining table; this will also provide hints of freshness and fragrance.
If you’re the type of person who fancies the occasional outdoor get together, have you considered building in a designated outdoor entertainment area or patio? These are inexpensive in the long run, and can be easily put together in a day by companies like Hats4Houses.
The Guests
According to Harry Nilsson, one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do – he’s not wrong. Unless you want to be singing yourself sad renditions of One, you best be picking up that phone, jumping onto Facebook events, or sending a good ol’ fashioned snail mail invite to all your friends. Give guests plenty of notice in the lead up to the event and be sure to include any relevant information pertaining to your party. Don’t forget to ask them if they have any allergies, intolerances, or preferences – you can’t exactly have a meatlovers party with vegans.
Entertainment
While a dinner party can make do with a simple iPod playlist, a big celebration calls for live entertainment. Assess your budget and look online for an act that you can afford. Be sure to think about what acts would suit your theme – a hard rock band wouldn’t exactly suit a Hawaiian style party. If you can’t afford entertainment, ask your musician friends if they would kindly play a couple of sets throughout the night in exchange for a case of beer.
Dining and Seating
If your guests are from varying age groups, some are not going to feel that comfortable standing up for the entirety of the night. Ensure that there is ample seating and resting space for your guests to take a load off after they’ve been dancing. Don’t worry about needing to match your furniture; outdoor entertaining is all about being eclectic. Feel free to pick up some funky chairs from your local second hand store if you’re in need of some extras.
With a tiny bit of effort, you can enjoy many hours of outdoor entertainment.
If you have any tips for great outdoor entertaining please leave them in the comments box below. Enjoy!
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