If you have a garden, you can invite friends and relatives to a garden party. It's not just in summer that people like to celebrate outdoors. We have put together the most important tips for a relaxed celebration in the garden for you.
Create a to-do list
Before you invite your guests to the garden, there are a few things you should consider. So that you don't forget anything, it helps to create aTo-do list:
- Observe the weather
- Create guest list
- Choose a theme
- Provide invitations
- Cleaning up the garden
- Assemble and clean furniture and accessories
- Inform neighbors
- Decorate
- Provide food and drinks
- Games and fun for the guests
- Insect protection
Protection against wind and weather
The success of a celebration in the garden depends primarily on the weather. However, especially with long-term planning, it is always a little uncertain whether the weather will actually cooperate at the planned time. Check the weather forecast regularly to be well prepared in an emergency.
Note:
If the German Weather Service warns of thunderstorms or storms, you should postpone the party if you cannot move indoors at short notice.
Rain
Party tents can help when it rains at normal levels. These are easy to set up. If the weather conditions are uncertain, it's best to set up a tent right from the start as a shelter. Alternatively, a carport, a cleared garage, a garden shed or a covered terrace can help. Folding pavilions are a suitable addition if there is not enough space in the shelters used. Thanks to their wide range of variants, they can be integrated visually and practically into almost any overall concept and thus ensure continuous protection against rain and, depending on individual characteristics, also against UV radiation or wind.
Wind
Wind can also disrupt an outdoor party. Choose a location protected from the wind when staying in the garden. You can sit comfortably on a house wall, next to a wall or against a hedge. Secure anything that could fly around. It is worth attaching the tablecloths to the table with clips. If wind is forecast, you should avoid light decorative items such as paper place cards.
Tip:
If windy weather is forecast on the day of the garden party, place the grill so that the smoke cannot disturb guests.
Cold
Even if the days are sunny and warm, late in the evening it may be too cool for sensitive people to sit. Provide guests with warm fleece blankets. If you have a fire bowl, you can ensure pleasant temperatures late into the night.
Patio heaters and heaters powered by gas or electricity make it possible to celebrate even on colder days, for example New Year's Eve garden parties are becoming increasingly popular. The infrared devices ensure cozy warmth when celebrating in winter.
Tip:
According to the season, advise guests in the invitation to bring warm clothing for the evening. Especially on festive occasions, guests are often only very thinly dressed.
Heat
Even temperatures that are too high can affect the fun of celebrating outdoors. Provide guests with chilled drinks. There is also a paddling pool for the children to refresh themselves. Alternatively, a lawn sprinkler will cool you down a bit.
Sun
Who doesn't love feeling the warm rays of sunshine on your skin? However, too much of it is a danger. Set up parasols or awnings in the garden to protect your guests from UV rays. Particular caution is required with children. Always have sunscreen handy when attending parties with children.
Type and theme of the celebration
Once you are confident that you are prepared for all weather-related eventualities, you can move forward with planning the party. Numerous occasions are suitable for a garden party, for example
| a big birthday | the farewell party | debut in the new team |
| the neighborhood festival | the hen party | the wedding |
| the graduation ceremony | the children's birthday |
Of course, a celebration like this varies depending on the occasion. However, essential steps in the organization remain the same.
Create guest list
If you only want to invite your closest friends to a barbecue in the garden, a guest list is unnecessary. However, if you are planning a larger event with several guests, it is worth creating a guest list. This also helps to optimally estimate the need for seating, food and drinks.
Tip:
It's best to create an address file straight away in which you enter your name, street, place of residence, telephone number and email address. You can use these perfectly for form letters and emails. You can note the acceptances or rejections and have everything at a glance at any time. You can also add a comment field to note any food allergies or similar.
Choose a theme
Have you often grilled in the garden and want to give your next garden party a special theme? That's a good idea! Which motto is suitable for the celebration in the garden?
The motto must fit the occasion of the invitation and the guests. For example, if you want to celebrate the debut of a new team in the garden, a party with an unusual theme would be rather unsuitable.
Possible themes for garden parties are:
1. Color mottos
Invite people to a black and white party and ask guests to choose clothes accordingly. Alternatively, you can declare a different color as the party theme.
Tip:
Check beforehand whether you have decorations and dishes in the chosen color in stock or can borrow them.
2. Mottoes from fairy tales and stories
Fairytale parties are a welcome idea for children's parties. You will be impressed by the many princesses, knights and dragons having fun in your garden. A garden party with a theme from a fairy tale or fantasy story can also be a welcome opportunity for adults to dress up again.
3. Country party
Are you planning a longer stay abroad and want to say goodbye to your friends with a party? Then you can declare a country motto. Guests can choose appropriate clothing and you can design the decoration, music and food to match the chosen country.
4. Beach party
Get that holiday feeling in the garden. A beach party is ideal for a garden party in midsummer. If you have a pool and can create a sand area, everything is almost perfect. You can also spread the sand on a tarpaulin for that beach feeling and simply remove it after the party. Parasols and an area for dancing are not to be missed at the beach party.
Write invitations
Creating the invitations increases the anticipation of the celebration in the garden. You can be creative with theme parties. You can find numerous ideas and templates for designing attractive invitation cards on the Internet. Alternatively, you can use online printing companies or professional local providers.
Please notethe invitation deadline. She depends on it
- how unique the occasion is
- how far guests have to travel
- how much effort is involved in the preparation.
Depending on the occasion, the invitation must be made two to four weeks in advance. You should announce a wedding even further in advance.
Tip:
Send a “Save the Date”. For weddings, a good time to do this is about five months beforehand. Send the final invitation one month before the date.
Preparing the garden and putting together accessories
If you want to invite guests to celebrate in your garden, you should prepare it accordingly:
- Put all garden tools in the shed or tool box. Otherwise, hoeing or raking can pose a risk of accidents.
- Rake up shrub clippings and garden waste. Put these on the compost or in the organic waste bin.
- Mow the lawn two to three days before the party.
- Clean the grill. Check for charcoal and grill lighters.
- Clean the garden furniture. Check tablecloths and seat cushions. If necessary, these still need to be washed.
- Check the existing lighting, because the party is less fun in the dark. Candles and torches quickly create a cozy atmosphere. However, be careful about security. Especially if there are children among the party guests, open fires should only be used to a limited extent. Make sure you have enough fire-fighting water nearby.
Tip:
Solar lamps charge with the sun's energy during the day. In the evening at the party they provide good lighting. Solar lamps also make it easy to find the way to the toilet. Garlands with solar lights are suitable as lighting and decoration at the same time.
If you're missing, just borrow it
If you are planning a garden party with many guests, you can rent furniture, dishes, cutlery, tablecloths, decorations and accessories inexpensively from an event rental company near you. You can often even find outdoor games on offer from rental companies.
Inform neighbors
Music, conversations and happy laughter in the garden can disturb neighbors. Not everyone likes the smell of the grill either. We therefore recommend that you inform your neighbors about the celebration in good time so that the police do not suddenly show up at the door to disturb the peace.
If the volume is kept within limits, the neighbors are usually very understanding. The best thing to do is to invite the neighbors, then no one can complain!
Decorate
Do you want to impress your guests with a beautiful decoration. Don't immediately look for offers on the Internet. When it comes to garden parties, less is often more A beautiful garden looks great all by itself. If you decorate the garden with shiny garlands, balloons and lots of knick-knacks, the garden plants could fade into the background. That would be a shame.
First of all, walk around your garden in peace. What flowers or herbs are blooming right now? Can you use some of it for decoration? Small vases with lavender, rosemary or mint look pretty in summer. Decorative pumpkins and colorful leaves decorate the party table in autumn.
Tip:
At children's parties, you can create a game out of the herb decoration depending on the age of the children. Have the children smell the herbs and guess the herb names. If you then tell us something about the use of the herbs, the little guests will learn something new straight away.
Food and Drinks
Guests at a garden party are particularly looking forward to delicious food and refreshing drinks. With good planning you can reduce the stress during preparation and the guests get their money's worth. Remember that not all food and drinks are consumed while sitting at the table. Especially at a garden party, it is good to serve small appetizers that can be eaten while standing or while walking through the garden.
Grilled
What would a celebration in the garden be without the fragrant dishes from the grill? You will quickly find buyers for sausages and juicy meat. But don't forget the vegetarians among your guests. A few vegetable skewers or spicy potato wedges from the grill should always be with you.
Pizza
Pizza variations are ideal for a party in the garden. They are easy to prepare and can be served after the guests arrive. Serve additional salads, fresh fruit and vegetable sticks.
Fingerfood
Mini steaks, various canapés, fruit and vegetable skewers, stuffed eggs or stuffed mushrooms and pickled cucumbers are enjoyed by guests at a garden party.
Nibbles
At parties that last into the night, small nibbles should also be offered. In addition to pretzel sticks and potato chips as classics, you can surprise guests with hearty puff pastry variations, for example.
Cake
The cake doesn't just taste good with coffee in the afternoon. Many guests also enjoy a small piece at night. Prefer simple sheet cake or pot cake.
Desserts
A light dessert can be enjoyed after a hearty grilled meal. Before the celebration, prepare desserts in small glasses. A curd cream with some fruit is quick to make. So all you have to do is take them out of the fridge and serve. Ice cream is also always welcome.
Drinks with and without alcohol
Refreshing drinks are a must at the garden party. In addition to cocktails, beer and wine, plan on a non-alcoholic selection. Much more than mineral water is possible:
- Lemon lemonade with raspberries and mint
- Raspberry lemonade with rosemary
- Elderflower syrup with a squeeze of lime
- Herbal lemonades from your own garden
- Tea and mulled wine (in winter)
Tip:
There are various drink calculators available on the internet that you can use to calculate the average drink requirement per person for your celebration in the garden.
Games and fun for the guests
Not all guests always know each other. At weddings, for example, friends and relatives from two families come together.
Games
- make it easier to get to know each other
- create shared experiences
- lighten up the party
- make you feel good
Tip:
Sports games such as badminton, darts or table tennis are a good alternative in the afternoon and early evening.
We have put together some interesting game ideas for you with little effort:
Silent Post
Everyone knows the game from their childhood. However, it's not just for children's birthday parties. As soon as you announce the game, you'll be sure to cheer up the garden party. Try it:
A player whispers a sentence into the ear of the person sitting next to him. This person passes on what he has understood in a whisper to the next person. This is repeated until the start of the round is reached. The last person reveals the sentence or what has reached him. The first player then reveals which sentence he had given in the round. Depending on the number of participants, completely new, surprising results often emerge.
Who am I?
A fun game that delights young and old party guests is “Who am I?”
These are the rules: Each participant writes the name of a famous person on a sticky note without being seen by the others. One player starts and sticks the piece of paper to the forehead of his neighbor on the left. He can ask the group a question to guess the person. The others can only answer “yes” or “no”.
If he cannot name the person he is looking for, the round continues. The first person to guess his name wins.
Lie or Truth
This game requires thinking. This is how it works:
- each player gets a piece of paper
- write a lie and two true statements about yourself on it
- passes the note to the neighbor
- this one has to guess the lie
This game also brings the party guests together. All guests learn more about each other in a playful way. In the best case scenario, they find out what they have in common and there is a lot to talk about.
Karaoke Singing
Singing karaoke in a friendly atmosphere is a lot of fun. You can buy karaoke games and microphones for various game consoles. Alternatively, the smartphone can be used as a karaoke microphone. You can find a selection of suitable titles on the Internet.
Note:
When singing karaoke, pay attention to the rest periods. Not every neighbor finds singing a musical pleasure.
Don’t forget the little guests
If children attend the garden party, plan activities. Outdoor games or a craft and painting corner are welcome.
Repel unpleasant insects
The celebration in the garden comes to an abrupt end when the guests are pestered by mosquitoes or even stung by a wasp. With a few tricks you can prevent unwanted visitors.
- Plant fragrant plants around the terrace or seating area in the garden. Catnip, lavender, peppermint and sage have been proven effective in repelling mosquitoes. The pests avoid the scented herbs, which also make excellent decorations.
- Cedar, lemon, sandalwood and bergamot do not like mosquitoes and wasps. Place scented candles or aroma lamps with these aromas on the table.
- Do not choose a seat near water sources. Mosquitoes breed in small ponds or rain barrels.
- Cover food and drinks if possible to protect against wasps and bees. The insects don't just love sweet cake. She is also magically attracted to grilled food.
Tip:
Later in the evening it is advisable to cover bare skin to protect against mosquitoes. The ankle area is particularly at risk for mosquito bites. Stockings provide some protection.
Frequently asked questions
What is a suitable gift for the host of a garden party?
Hobby gardeners are happy about flowers and useful plants. Garden tools such as weed whackers, shovels and hoes are also always needed. However, if you don't know exactly what you need, you should choose a voucher from a gardening store. This will definitely hit the mark with hobby gardeners.
What quiet times should be observed when celebrating in the garden?
If you use a garden in front of an apartment building, the house rules must first be observed. Homeowners can set the rest times individually. Depending on the federal state, quiet times between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. apply on weekdays and Saturdays. Sundays and public holidays are generally considered rest periods. This means that loud music and loud partying are prohibited on Saturdays from 10 p.m.
Can neighbors prohibit grilling in the garden?
That depends on whether this will cause significant disruption to residents. There are no general rules for grilling in the garden at state level. Observe the requirement of mutual consideration. If clouds of smoke from the grill waft into your neighbor's bedroom or loud music disturbs your night's sleep, trouble is inevitable. Therefore, inform the neighbors in advance.
How to encourage conversations between guests who don't know each other?
In addition to small games that make it easier for guests to start a conversation, a well-thought-out seating arrangement can help. As a host, you know exactly the people you want to invite. Who could get along well? To do this, put up nicely designed place cards. Alternatively, you can also label stones. As the party progresses, the rankings will change automatically.
