Stylish Garden Furniture

Entertaining from the comfort of your garden has become the new normal, with many more people hosting friends and family in their outdoor space. Garden parties are going to be the popular choice this summer.
Hosting an outdoor party will be a lot of fun, but here are a few things to consider to make it a memorable night for you and your guests.

What is the occasion?
Is it an evening with old friends to catch up after months without seeing each other? If so, they will appreciate you making the dining table a bit of a celebration area, but it is most important to ensure everyone can sit back and relax. If it is more of a formal event, then creating the ambience you want will take more time and prior planning.

Table accessories and decorations.
A beautifully decorated table is, in our opinion, an absolute must. But for outdoor entertaining a minimalist approach is essential for practical reasons. Choosing a theme is the key. As an example, with a eucalyptus tree in the garden use the leaves as the basis of the centre piece with flowers, bright gerberas for instance. Then use a spring of the eucalyptus leaves to outline each place setting entwined with the cutlery. Colourful napkins and napkin rings can then be colour coordinated with the flowers. Candles, a staple of indoor entertaining won’t stay alight in the slightest breeze, but may come into their own later on, during a balmy evening.

Lighting.
An evening party will start in sunlight and end in the dark. It is a good idea to preposition decorative lighting to back up any functional lighting that is already in place. For example, strings of fairy lights on bushes or oil lamps with tapers will provide some light but their real function is to enhance the atmosphere.

Music, create a soundtrack to the evening.
As we all know, music has a massive effect on any ambience you are creating. The benefit of hosting from home means that you can control the music from your own device and create the exact atmosphere you want. This also means that you and your friends can request songs that remind you of past occasions when all together.

Chairs and seating.
Stylish garden furniture is a must when entertaining in your garden. Not only is it important to have enough seating for all your guests but it also needs to provide comfort for an extended period of time. Do you start in one area of the garden on sofas and lounge chairs and move to the dining table later? Or will you all stand for drinks before sitting down to eat? Whatever way you choose to do it, some luxury outdoor lounge furniture will be remarked on and enjoyed.

Activities.
If you are hosting a formal dinner then good conversation, good wine and laughter will be enough. But if there are children some pre-planned activities that they can get on with are a good idea so the adults can have time to themselves throughout the evening.

Enjoy yourself!
Lastly, enjoy yourself and have fun with your guests! Prior planning and preparation will mean that you can enjoy yourself on the night knowing that you have created the evening you envisaged.

For more advice on creating the perfect outdoor space this summer, read our top tips for recreating this summers outdoor living space trends.