We all agree there’s something magical about summer nights. The weather is getting warmer and soon it’ll be staying lighter for longer. 

If you ask us, it’s best to give in to the temptation, embrace the climbing temps and spend time outdoors enjoying fragrant flowers, beating the sun and friends and family that make any occasion feel like a special occasion.

Here are our five top tips on how to throw the perfect garden party. 

The Details

First things first, you’ll need to nail down the who, what, when and where of your party. 

The ‘where’ is already sorted, you’re going to be making the most of the weather by using your outdoor space: your deck, garden or courtyard. The ‘who’ refers, not to the 70s band but to your guest list! If you’re planning a small intimate sit down affair you’ll want to have a pretty good idea that your guests, although diverse and interesting will generally gel well and have a lot in common with one another, however, if you’re having a larger cocktail party you can invite friends from far and wide! The ‘what’ and the ‘when’ here go perfectly hand-in-hand with one another. When choosing the type of function you’ll also be able to narrow down the time of day. Brunch? Lunchtime? Dinner? Cocktail hour? The choice is up to you.

Have A Killer Outdoor Furniture Set-Up

There’re few things worse than being at a cocktail party in uncomfortable shoes and not being able to find somewhere to sit down. So if you’re going to entertaining in your garden this Summer then you’ll have to make sure you’ve got some aesthetically pleasing and practical outdoor furniture. Luckily, Remarkable Furniture has got you covered with a wide range of outdoor lounges, chairs and dining sets as well as anything else that you might need to make your garden that extra bit more accommodating.

Iron Out The Menu

Our love language is food and drinks (and lots of it!) so, it’s no surprise that in our eyes the menu is the most important aspect of any party prep. For sitdown meals, making big batch plates of pasta, salads and home-style dishes that people can help themselves to is a perfect way to cater to diverse tastes and dietary requirements. 

If you’re looking for finger food and hors d’oeuvres that you can hand round at a more casual cocktail party then, look no further because we’ve got all the food and drink inspiration you could possibly need right here. Though, as one last word of advice on the food front, we will say that a cheese board never went astray!

Light The Night

It undoubtedly stays lighter for longer in Summertime but, if you’re planning on having a party that stretches into the night it’s important that you have a way to light the night once the sun goes down. 

There are plenty of creative and chic lighting design ideas available, however, the ultimate choice of lighting will depend on your garden itself. Perhaps it is small enough to only need a few lamps or candles, perhaps it’s already well-lit, perhaps you could accommodate a mighty ceiling of fairy lights. Once again, the choice is up to you!

Have Back-Up Plans

If this year has taught us anything it’s that even the best-laid plans can go astray so you should always have a couple of contingency plans in your back pocket just in case! The biggest contingency you have to account for when planning an outdoor soirée is inclement weather. Make sure you’ve got enough shade, courtesy of awnings or outdoor umbrellas, to keep people comfortable in the hot summer months and that you’ve got enough room to move everyone inside should there be a sudden downpour. 

It’s also important to plan for a food emergency, say a dish doesn’t work out or people stay longer and are hungrier than you expected - make sure you have something that you can quickly prepare or whip out at a moments notice to save the day!