Five Ways You Can Prepare for a Summer Garden Party

*This is a collaborative post about preparing for a summer garden party 

If last year’s summer weather is anything to go by, then this year we are in for another treat! During the first lockdown, we were blessed with scorching hot days that would last until 10 pm, urging us to stay outdoors until the sun went down; however, this was enjoyed mostly by ourselves or with other members of our household. This year though, the tables might be turning, and we can look forward to summer celebrations including weddings, festivals, and more importantly, garden parties. So you’ll have a lot to organise from food and invites to hiring a balloon company in Dallas if you want decorations.

Here are five exciting ways in which you could prep for your upcoming garden party this summer.

Set Your Budget

Before you get to the exciting planning stage, it is best to decide exactly how much you want to be spending on the celebration rather than going into it clueless and spending way more than you ever wanted to just at the expense of a great party. Remember that this can and should be done on a budget without looking cheap or underwhelming – after all, you probably wouldn’t do your weekly shop without a budget, so don’t forget to make one for a party. This budget will play a part in every move you make thereafter, such as which type of bubbly you’ll be treating your guests to. A higher budget might allow for a glass or two of Champagne and a smaller budget might be better served with a cheeky glass of Prosecco and a solid ‘bring your own booze’ policy in place. 

Decide on a Theme for your Garden Party

It is a good idea to have a theme for your party to give you a colour palette and decoration ideas to go and buy when kitting out your garden for the event. This way you can tie together your theme using different accessories, for example, the table wear can match the outdoor lighting or perhaps even the colour that you use to ice your cakes. There are hundreds of theme ideas out there for garden parties. If you’ve been desperately missing out on summer beach holidays, for example, then how about choosing a paradise theme? Think blow-up flamingos, beach balls, and exotic cocktails to get your guests excited.

Make a Guest List

This is a simple, or in some cases, not so simple task to complete at any point in your party planning, but it is best to think about it sooner rather than later to avoid missing out on important friends and family members from your list. Consider whether you will be holding the garden party before the 21st of June or after, since holding it before would mean that you are unable to have more than 30 guests, including yourself, on the guest list. Organising your list sooner means that you will be able to send out invites earlier to find out who will be able to attend and who will not. Once you know the number of people that will be coming, you can better organise your shopping list for the event, including, food, alcohol, and seating. 

Prepare Your Garden

Since we might all have a lot more time on our hands now, it is the perfect opportunity to give your garden a final spruce up before the summer. Do this by removing any dead heads off flowers and giving your lawn a once over in a perfect stripe formation and put away any visible gardening tools or toys that might be lying around. Alternatively, if your budget allows, then using this time to install decking in your garden would be a great way to add a contemporary look and offer you a great outdoor space for a make-shift dancefloor! Ecoscape UK offers environmentally friendly decking, made from a high-quality wood, plastic composite (WPC), with no PVC deck boards insight, and using a range of neutral tones to integrate well with your outdoor space. These are a perfect option for when your guests get a little too fearless with their dance moves since they are designed for wet and dry conditions, making them entirely slip-resistant. 

Check That Your BBQ Is Ready for Action for the Garden Party

Barbecues are a great addition to any garden party, especially when you can delegate a barbeque master to keep an eye on the food for the whole day! Nevertheless, this piece of equipment is usually neglected over the winter months and might need a good dose of TLC to restore it back to its original glory. For a charcoal barbeque, scrape out any old ashes or leaves that might have got caught in there, and leave the grate to soak in a bowl of hot, soapy water overnight and clean in the morning using a metal scourer. With electric barbeques, there is usually less cleaning to be done, but ensure that it is all clean and sparkly for the big day.

Hopefully, after reading these tips you can start to get excited about the summer and look forward to hosting the best garden party of the year, without any negative surprises to add any stress to your planning.