Planning the Perfect Party Outdoors
Outdoor Furniture Quotes
from local businesses
Guide to planning the perfect party outdoors.
The beauty of nature and the living world outdoors is one of the best possible locations to hold a party or celebration. There your decorations will be the sun and the sky, the ambiance will be the wind kissed air and the music will be the infinite song of birds in flight. The following ideas will help you to avoid the pitfalls of planning a party in the natural world, while also helping to maximize the potential of any such event.
Before you begin, you will have to decide whether you want to have a formal sit down party at a table, or if you would rather do a more informal buffet style event, with everyone taking food and refreshments from a central table and then spreading throughout the space. This will be dependent on the nature of the event itself and who will be attending.
You’ll also have to decide on a location. If you have a large yard, or a decent sized porch you can probably have the event in your own home. However if you have a lot of people attending, it might be better to set it in a park or other public place. Just make sure that you check the rules and regulations of any location where you will be hosting a public event.
One thing that you should consider is that outdoor furniture has to be specially built or treated to be able to stand up to the elements on a daily basis. This often means that the furnishings you have in a yard or on a porch, are a little sparser than what might be available in the home. This can sometimes be supplemented with folding chairs and card tables, but depending on the size of the crowd you’re expecting that might not be enough.
However as long as your not throwing your party in the middle of a storm, there is no reason you cant bring some of your inside décor out to populate your yard during the festivities. Tables, chairs, even decorative piece can all be brought out to help fill out the space and make it more comfortable for your guests. You can even bring out old seat cushions, throws, or rugs, and lay them on the grass underneath a leafy tree to create a cool shaded retreat. Just make sure you bring everything in at the end of the day so it doesn’t get ruined by unexpected rain.
If it’s a day time event the lighting will naturally come from the sun. However at night, you will have to get creative. Items such as strong lights can be a beautiful way to create trails of illumination across the space, provided you have access to electricity. You can also use items such as candles, or tiki torches which will require no fuel but that which the fire feeds on. If you are clever, you’ll even find candles that will help keep insects and pests away from the proceedings.
As you set up the space, keep an eye on functional necessities. You will want to find a cool shaded place for any food or iced beverages to be stored. If kids are invited, you may also want to consider setting aside a special area for them to play in, which will keep them out of the adult’s hair. Finding a place where the chef can do his cooking which is out of the way of the direct flow of the party is also important.
Finally, you have to be prepared to deal with inclement weather if it arises. On the day of the party check the forecast, and act accordingly. If light rain is predicted, you might be able to get away with renting a tent or tarp to cover the proceedings. Otherwise it might be better just to cancel and reschedule the event for another day.
This article is brought to you by PebbleArt and their line of outdoor bistro tables, which are hand crafted from real, mountain born natural stone materials. The author of the piece is stone artist and designer Joey Pebble.
Outdoor Furniture Quotes
from local businesses
