12 tips for backyard entertaining

Helpful Hints by Emily Henderson        

1. Embrace the relaxed, elevated backyard experience: While many of us love a sit-down dinner, your friends and acquaintances might have more fun with freedom and informal conversations. Arrange small quaint bistro tables to create a backyard beverage station.  

2. Ready, Set, Game On: Set out fun activities like conversation cards, bingo, cornhole, ring toss or bocce. This gives your guests a way to mingle and ease into conversation while giving them something to do.

3. Garnish your drinks: Bring the fruit flavors forward with delicious and flavorful garnishes. Whether in season fruits or edible flowers, an added something makes for the perfect elegant addition to your beverage.  

4. Bring the inside out: While there are a lot of disposable party items out there, bringing your indoor dishes, furniture, and textiles outside not only makes an outdoor party feel more special but it is far more sustainable and better for the planet.   

5. Rethink the drink bucket: You can use low and wide pots or bowls to house cold drinks with ice - no galvanized metal required.   

 

6. Ambience is key and starts with lighting: Think string lights, fairy lights and candles.  Not only will they light the way and tell guests where to gather, but they will create a warm, golden ambience that welcomes them to stay and enjoy themselves.   

7. Add effervescence in both drink and ambiance: Hosting a gathering is all about the texture, mood, and a feeling of brightness even at night. Your drink should match the mood. 

8. Elevate the classics: Think plaids, ginghams, quilts, wood and string lights. You don’t need to reinvent the party, you just need to lean into what people have loved forever, and then scatter these items to elevate the space.   

9. Make hearty snacks the main course: Elevated charcuterie and grazing platters are a delightful option for guests and easy on you (the host) to prepare in advance, cover and bring out. This allows you more time to spend with your guests.  

10. Opting for rustic finishes or ones that age lets people relax: Think worn woods, etched and stained marble, and well-trodden Persian rugs. Life is more fun when you don’t have to worry about stains on furniture or rings on a table.   

11. Flowers, branches and plants should meld with the vibe of the party: Select seasonal flowers - even if they are peonies and garden roses - and mix with greenery from your backyard or affordable wildflowers. OR choose potted flowering plants over flowers (that are a great gift for friends to take home, too).   

12. Create conversation areas while allowing for good flow: With smaller bistro tables and little bar setups scattered throughout, you can make the commute to food and drink more convenient to your guests.  

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.