During the summer months, many of us look forward to entertaining in our gardens. There’s something magical about sitting with friends, enjoying good food, drinks, and conversation in the early evening sun. These summer nights are relaxed, casual, and a great way to spend time with the people that make us happy.
If you have a large garden and are particularly fond of these garden gatherings, you might be keen to take things further. People with large gardens often choose to host weddings, birthday parties, work days out, and other events in their gardens as a way to say money and to enjoy more flexibility with planning. While these larger garden parties can be fantastic, if you want to do it well, there are a few things that you need to think about. Here are eight great tips to help you throw an amazing event in your garden.
Consider the Facilities
Even if you have a huge garden, chances are, your house only has one or two bathrooms. If you are inviting any more than ten people to your outdoor event, this could quickly get tricky. Using outdoor restrooms from Satellite Industries can be much easier and will ensure people aren’t walking through your house all of the time. You should also make sure there are plenty of rubbish bins outside to keep your garden tidy.
Avoid Using Your Home as a Thoroughfare
Think about who you want coming into your home. If you are inviting people that you don’t personally know very well, you might not want them coming through your house to get to the party at all. If possible, use a gate or side entrance to let people in, keeping your doors closed.
Don’t Trust the Weather Forecast
Prepare for all weather situations by adding a sheltered area, but also providing sunscreen and a shaded area.
Don’t Forget Lighting
If your party is in the evening, or you are hoping that it will go on into the night, you’ll want to make sure that people are still comfortable when the sun starts to go down. Add outdoor solar lights, lanterns, and string lights.
Try to Create Zones
Events rarely go entirely to plan, as guests want to do different things. Keep things organized and give people options by creating zones. Offer comfortable seating for people that want to chat, a food drink area, and perhaps a space for entertainment.
Consider Access When Making Plans
Access isn’t just important for your guests. You’ll need to think about how things like chairs and tables, entertainment facilities, restrooms, decorations, and other equipment that you want are going to get into your garden. Make sure you know this before making any bookings.
Warn Your Neighbors
If possible, invite your neighbors along, but at the very least warn them that you are having a party, listen to their concerns and find compromises when you need to.
Check Your Insurance
You might want to update your insurance policy if people are coming through your house. You should also check that any entertainers or caterers that you are using have public liability insurance, and consider adding it to your own policy, just in case.
An outdoor event in the garden can be brilliant. But it’s worth taking care in the planning stages, to avoid mess, chaos, and upset neighbors.