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How to Throw a Garden Party

Mrunal Belvalkar
Garden parties are an absolute delight for the guests to come to and the hosts to organize. But a lot of things can go wrong if you are not careful! Here are a few pointers on how to throw the perfect garden party that your guests will remember and talk about for times to come!
Garden parties are a sure-shot way to win your guests over! Everybody loves to be out in the open air. We are for most hours of the day inside buildings and rooms - at school, in the university, in the office, or at home.
A little bit of fresh air and cool breeze is just what we need at the end of a long day's work, to rejuvenate us and help us get back to pavilion.
A garden party for your friends, your family, your gal-pals, your office colleagues, or your child's classmates gives you the opportunity to spend some time in your beautiful garden - something that you may crave to but not be able to do everyday!

How to Plan a Garden Party

There are many garden party ideas from which to choose, but there are some essential points that will be common to all. There are some things that will be the prerequisites on which you would need to work before you actually organize a garden party. Here are some useful tips...

The Seating Arrangement

There is room for a lot of experimenting when it comes to the seating arrangement in a garden party. A garden gives you the perfect setting where you can try different styles of seating arrangements. There can be a few chairs and tables. If you have a swing in the garden, you can prop a few cushions on the swing.
Another different and unique alternative could be to spread out some mats on the lawn to allow people to sit cross-legged or simply stretch their legs out. If you have a huge tree in your garden, spreading a couple of mats under it could be a nice option. If your house also has a porch, you can arrange for a few stools or even a sofa or a lounge chair there.

The Lights

Lighting won't be a concern if you are having a day party. But for a party that will commence in the evening and continue into the night, the lighting could help you create an ambiance even in open air. Who said you can use string lights for Christmas alone? Go on and get those lights out and throw them over your trees and plants!
If your garden has some clear space to dance, you can choose appropriate dance numbers - from upbeat sensuous salsa tracks, to slow romantic waltz numbers. If there are any singers among the guests, you can even arrange for karaoke tracks and a few mics. Even without any singers, some tracks are fun when sung in chorus.

Party Music

If there is no music, it's not a party! Depending on the age group of the guests, the theme of the party, and the time of the day when you are going to host the party, you can choose from different music genres and artists.

The Drinks

There are a lot of options to try from while choosing what drinks to keep at a garden party. If it is a day party, you can have fruit juices or mocktails. If you must serve alcohol, you could opt for a sparkling wine or champagne. If it is a night party, there is practically nothing that you CANNOT serve.
For a kids' party you could have milkshake, smoothies and juices. In summer you could choose to refresh your guests with some good fruity alcoholic drinks, while in the winters, you can go for brandy cocktails.
You would have to be careful about not letting the drinks get warm though, so make sure you keep ice buckets at hand; to place the bottles, and to add cubes to the drinks.

The Food

While arranging the food or snacks for a garden party, make sure to arrange it all in one place. Also be absolutely sure to keep dustbins around for your guests to throw used plates, glasses, tissues and other things; you don't want to be picking litter off your lawn at the end of a great party!
As concerns the menu, that can be anything and everything under the sun! A barbeque party could also be a great option - especially on a cold night! Another tip I would like to share here is to avoid using glassware. Glass, if and when it breaks in the house, is easy to clean off the floor.
But in a garden, the pieces of broken glass would be concealed by the lawn and could hurt someone. Also in case of a children's party, this would be the wisest thing to do, as children are bound to run around!

Party Games

Party games are a great way to get all your guests to interact with each other, especially if they all don't know each other. If they are all your close buddies instead, well, when did a few games ever harm anyone? Games can be add the element of fun in an otherwise plain old garden party.
Depending on the age group of your guests, you can have all different kinds of games. If its only you and your gal-pals, you can probably break the monotony and go wild with a few adult games!
If it is a family get-together, team games would be fun. You could choose games like a treasure hunt, musical chairs... kids games like Simon Says could also be a lot of fun!
Garden parties give you the perfect occasion to show off your garden... So one last tip would be to thoroughly clean the garden a day in advance. Mow the lawn, clear the leaf litter, and prune the plants.
One advantage of garden parties is, you don't have to take any extra efforts to decorate a garden - the plants with their colorful flowers and all the shades, hues, tints and tones of green add enough color to leave your guests mesmerized! Hope you have a great party!