When the weather is great outside and there is a special day to celebrate, an outdoor party or garden party may just be the thing to plan for your next occasion. Entertaining summer parties outdoors has its benefits since this is a chance to be able to get a little sun and have a great time.

Just like any other party, outdoor party events need careful planning. Keep the weather in mind first and foremost, and keep posted on what the weatherman may be saying before setting an actual date for your party. A flash storm or sudden hail will end that party quicker than you would expect, so be ready to entertain indoors, just in case.

Outdoor parties usually involve garden furniture, so make sure that your garden area is clear and that all possible places for your guests to sit are clean and hosed down well. Be prepared with supplies such as paper plates, plastic cups, extra trash cans for recyclable and non recyclable waste, as well as extra blankets or cloths in case people run out of places to sit down.

Make sure that the bathrooms are accessible to your guests, you can make little signs to point the way to them, and this lessens the number of people who will be asking you for the same directions over and over. Be sure to keep the bathrooms stocked with tissue paper as well as paper towels for spills for those awkward clumsy moments.

Plan the food well; as this is an outdoor party, barbeque may be the in thing for that day. Be sure that barbeque grill is clean and ready to start its role, as well as making sure that what you will be cooking is marinating in the refrigerator, ready for its turn. Keep a lot of snack foods and drinks handy for those who may be waiting a little longer to get their food cooked just right.

Your food menu should stay simple and easy to prepare, since it is best that you have more freedom to entertain your guests than to be slaving over the kitchen all day. If you can prepare food as early as the day before, this would be the best option.

Basically, outdoor parties are self serve types of parties, so just make sure that food and drinks are readily available and accessible for everyone. If necessary, label your coolers so that children can identify where to go if they should want water, soda, or juice. If you will be serving alcoholic drinks, it is best to keep these in a separate cooler and just point the adults in the right direction once they ask.

Oftentimes there may be setbacks like too much wind blowing, or the neighbor’s dog decided to join the fun, so be prepared for such mini disasters by making sure that you have a plan B for your venue (and menu.) Planning your outdoors party well in advance is the secret of success in this case, because there are many factors to consider especially since the weatherman may not always be right on target.

Author Bio: Danielle Brooks is a freelance writer who loves to entertain. When entertaining she likes to use Noritake Colorwave dinnerware from Noritake

Category: Recreation
Keywords: summer parties,parties outdoors,entertaining summer,garden party,entertaining summer parties