HOW TO THROW A BACKYARD PARTY

Summer is around the corner and backyards will be busy with parties and events yet again. They are perfect outdoor venues for warm weather or during the crisp cool months in the fall. Here is everything you need to throw the best backyard party.
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Invitations
The first glance your guests have into your event is through invitations. Invitations indicate the theme of the party, what your guests should wear, and all the essential details. Make sure to add the time, date, location, what type of event it is, and how guests should rsvp. 

Menu
Backyard parties can be casual or upscale. Depending on the theme of the party, the menu will vary. For any party we recommend charcuterie boards or a grazing table as an appetizer or cocktail snack. Kids and adults can choose what to enjoy from the grazing table from fruit to cheeses and meats. For a casual backyard party pigs in a blanket, barbeque, or finger foods wil be a hit with your guests. If you have a more formal party, hiring a personal chef will have all the perks you are looking for such as a fully catered and customizable menu with salad, soup, and entree. 

Drinks + Bar
Every party deserves a beautiful bar and a signature drink. For any party remember to have ice, an ice bucket, water, and drinks of your choice. For a casual backyard party canned and bottled drinks in an ice bucket are an easy way to go. However, for a formal event hiring a bartender and bar cart is a must. The bartender will serve your guests throughout the event and create delicious drinks with beautiful garnishes.

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​Seating
Choose picnic seating, dinner seating, or a combination of both. There are also tables and chairs for kids as well. Luxury picnics are a unique experience for kids and adults as they allow for comfortable, on the ground seating. This is great for a casual event or when the guests are 40 or less. 
Formal dinner table settings are great for formal lunches and dinners with tables, chairs, and all the items seen in the above photo. The decor and items can be customized to your event theme.

Decorations
For formal and casual events florals are a must. The amount of florals will depend on your budget and type of event. For a casual event, smaller bud vase arrangement suffice while formal events require larger centerpieces. For evening and formal events candles are a great addition. A mixture of different types of candles such as tea candles, long candles, and thick candles in hurricanes bring height to any tablescape.

Signage
Add custom signage on backdrops, table settings, and to welcome your guests. We recommend a welcome sign, sign on a backdrop, food and drink menus, name place cards, and more personalized touches such as drink stirs and custom stickers.

Lights
Add light bulb lights or string lights to add light to the party and keep the party going until the sun goes down.

​Games/Activities
Have activities for your guests such as a dj for dancing, bounce house for adults and kids, and lawn games. Here are some activities kids would love: coloring pages, watercolor cookies, ball pit, face painting, and balloon animal twisting.

Music
Depending on your budget there are a few options for music. You can either create a Spotify playlist, hire a dj or musicians.

Prepare the Space
If you plan to use your grass in your backyard then remember to cut your grass a few days before your party, powerwash and clean all outdoor seating and furniture, remove all the toys, and random items lying around.

Pest Control
The downside of outdoor parties are the bugs that can come out of nowhere. We highly recommend mosquito and bug spray, fans, and citronella candles to help keep bugs abay. In addition, keeping food covered or indoors will keep bugs from having a feast on your food.

First Aid
Have a first aid kit on hand, life happens!

Backup Plan
It may rain. That is what back up plans are for. Tents help protect you from the rain, the sun, and wind. They are great if the tents are near a door to the house as guest will need to come inside to use the restroom. If you have space for guests indoors then have a space cleared off indoors in case if it rains.

Clean Up
After a great party it is time to clean up all the decorations, tables, chairs, and everything that was set up. Here are a few things to have on hand for an easier clean up: trash bags, trash cans, laundry bags for linen items, oxiclean and cleaning sprays. If you plan to clean up the party yourself then having a variety of cleaning supplies on hand will be a must.
If you have a larger event budget then I highly recommend hiring a service to clean up. Hiring a company such as ours that cleans up all event items helps you enjoy your night without having to end the fun.