Throwing a Gorgeous Garden Party

With the weather reaching those perfect temperatures for entertaining outside, it’s a great time to throw a stunning garden party to show off all of the work you put into those new bulbs and blooms.

If you are lost on exactly how to make this casual and elegant with a ton of fun, see below for some great tips on how to kick off the outdoor season with a bang and just a few bucks.

Choose your location. If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor green space in your home, that would be the obvious choice. For those in suburban homes or in the country, a garden, porch or patio is the perfect place to entertain your guests outside. If you are in a city setting with more of a concrete jungle, a large balcony, deck or rooftop are good alternatives that you can make into your oasis with some simple design tips.

Incorporate your greenery into your decor. Matching your theme color to your garden blooms will tie everything nicely together. For example, use pinks and reds if you are planting roses or bright yellows for sunnier flowers like daisies and tulips. If you have an array of colors you want to choose, keep the color choice for tablecloths and settings an easy, natural green. For urban environments, use a few planters and take advantage of more unique opportunities to add some green, such as wall sconces or latticework.

Pick your menu. A garden party is meant to socialize, not have a sit-down dinner. Keep it light with tea sandwiches, fresh fruit and vegetable trays, cheeses and other light choices. For drinks, adding club soda to simple pink lemonade and white cranberry juice makes a refreshing sparkling non-alcoholic punch that will please even the pickiest of guests. For wine, choose something in a white or a rosé, and add a signature cocktail to boot. Display your menu on a serve yourself bar with your favorite vintage picture frame or gold picture frame.

Mix and match your plate patterns. For a young, bohemian look, try not to make everything match completely. Feel free to use miss-matched plates that keep within a certain theme, such as all gold, silver or floral. Use one metal for your silverware to tie it all together, and keep the paper products simple, but classic.

Make a light playlist. Music can help the party get started and keep your guests at ease, especially if they are one of the first to arrive. If you want to make your own playlist, keep it light with some classic crowd pleasers, and make the music last at least three hours. Once more guests arrive, and especially once the food is being served, turn the music down to a background level so that your guests can converse freely.