After a long winter cooped inside, temperatures are finally rising. Which means you can finally throw your dining party in the backyard. Doesn’t everyone love a garden party? We know we do! So without further ado, let’s get started on how to organize the perfect backyard dining party in 7 steps.

Pick a theme

If you’re planning on throwing a garden party for at least 10 people, we suggest choosing a theme. Think about composing a mood board on Pinterest or real-life, because this will visualize your party scheme. Wish you were in Mexico during your garden party? Throw a Mexican party with a piñata and bright colours. You can also go for soft colours such as white, beige and sand. But you can also pick a theme that’s very crazy. What about ‘Christmas in the summer’? Wear a Christmas dress (Dutch: kerstjurk) and put down a Christmas tree. Do you know about the Dutch carnival season? Well, everyone dresses up as a character of their choice with carnival costumes (Dutch: carnavalskleding). Whatever you pick, it’s up to you.

Beautify your area

Did you pick a place in the garden where the party can be held? Then you can think about what kinds of decorations you can use. Bring out the balloons, pom poms and paper lanterns to amplify your theme. Our tip is: don’t hold back on ambience lighting. Because when the sun goes down, there is a whole other vibe to your party. Your backyard will look like a twinkly paradise once you have installed lanterns, loads of candles and string lights.

Make sure your guests are comfortable

Your guests being comfortable should be your top priority. Whether there is a heatwave going on or it’s pouring down with rain. You should provide your party with the right shelter. Of course you want to have sunscreen laying around in case of hot weather. Also think about shaded areas of umbrellas, party tents or big trees with fans for daytime and heating lamps for night time. And if it’s really hot, make sure you have some citronella candles and bug spray on the tables for all the insects. Also think about having plenty of different seating arrangements. A bench over here, a table with chairs over there. You can even create some chill spots on the grass for people to lie on.

Serve a seasonal meal

Serving a seasonal menu will be a big hit for your party. Whether a chef is coming to make it for you, a catering company delivers it or you make it yourself. There are different types of ways you can implement seasonal food. For example, you can start with a cocktail with seasonal fruit ingredients. But you have to know that food doesn’t have to be that expensive. It’s all about the things you want.

Playing music is a great way to get the atmosphere in the right direction. Maybe you can hire a DJ or make a spotify playlist in which every single attendee can add songs to it. That way, everyone can dance and sing along to their own picked songs.

Are you ready for your summer party? Follow these steps and we’re sure you will have an amazing time.