Hosting an outdoor party for family and friends is something many people enjoy. Food, drink and fun aplenty and an opportunity to spend some quality time with those closest to them is an occasion few people turn down when given the chance to either host or receive an invite.
The current climate with Coronavirus unfortunately makes the situation much more difficult with various regulations and rules in place to protect people during the pandemic, limiting contact with those from out with one’s own household. Planning an outdoor party - or any party for that matter - is a difficult enough task; but the Covid-19 virus has made party planning even more challenging.
That isn’t to say it isn’t possible to host an outdoor party; it just means that there’s a lot more to consider such as safe social distancing and the number of attendees. After all, no-one wants to host a party and then have the attendees later fall sick.
But hosting a party outdoors can go a long way towards ticking the social distancing box as with added space to work with, party guests can enjoy each other’s’ company but at the same time maintain a safe distance. In the current scheme of things it might be better to wait on the virus passing and life gets back to normal. But virus or not, there are many ways to make an outdoor party even more special.
Pick a theme
It isn’t necessary, but introducing a theme into a party is always a great way to heighten the fun and help break the ice.
Choosing a theme helps to set the tone for the party, makes it easier to decide on decor and party favors, activities and more. It is always advisable to make the theme the first thing to be decided upon; otherwise other facets of the party
Fancy-dress parties always go down well and there’s often lots of talking points and guessing about peoples’ costumes, while parties dedicated to birthdays or anniversaries, or special dates in the calendar such as Halloween or Thanksgiving are popular events which to build themed outdoor parties.
Get the invitations right
Many parties are often word-of-mouth affairs; but consider issuing proper invitations keeping in line with the party’s intended theme.
Messages regarding the party can often become ‘lost in translation’ as they are passed from person to person meaning vital information can be missed out or truncated which often leads to confusion.
The best invitations convey the most relevant information concisely without sowing seeds of confusion in intended guests; stick to the date and time, the party-s theme and if there’s any dress core to follow, food on offer - if any - or if guests should eat beforehand.
Make sure to add an RSVP method such as a telephone number or email address so intended guests can inform whether they can make it, helping you to plan menus and make sure there’s enough supplies without going overboard as well as organize seating plans and tables to maximize the available space.
Planning the menu
From simple nibbles such as potato chips, peanuts and pastries to barbeque food cooked on a grill outdoors it is important to cater to everyone’s taste. Many supermarkets offer party platters of various foods making it easy to get the catering right for casual get-togethers.
But many people love to get out the barbeque, fire up the grill and get some steaks, burgers, fish or other food on the go.
The grill can often be a focal point of social gatherings as the chef for the day rustles up some delicious food to feed hungry guests but operating a grill needs some forward planning as well. If cooking different types of food on the grill then there may need to be multiple rounds of cooking, for example fish cooked first and then steaks or burgers so guests might have to be prepared for a wait.
Some grills might require to be lit in good time ahead of guests arriving so it reaches the required temperature for cooking; while a gas grill can be quickly ignited and brought to the required cooking temperature although there’s always a risk that the gas fuel might run out so having a spare is always a good idea.
Gas grills have become hugely popular because of their ease of use and portability compared to an electric grill which requires to be near a power point; while cooking can begin almost immediately giving it a great advantage over a charcoal grill which requires time to properly heat up.
For those looking to introduce a garden grill into their parties they’ll be pleased to know that gas grills needn’t break the bank either and basic gas grills can be bought relatively cheaply – check out this all-encompassing review https://grillguru.org/best-gas-grill-under-300/, for example, to get an idea of what is right for you.
Drinks catering for all
Having a choice of drinks available to guests is the hallmark of a good host and catering to a range of tastes and drinking habits can only help the party go well.
If alcohol is on the menu then consider that not everyone will be drinking so offer up a few alternative options for those not partaking, perhaps because one person is driving or maybe on medications or even pregnant or not of legal drinking age.
Providing drinks for all can be costly so consider asking guests to bring their own while providing a bare amount yourself to keep the party going. This allows guests to suit their own particular preferences, helps save your wallet and lessens mistakes by perhaps buying lesser palatable brands.
Keep the drinks area separate from the food preparation and eating areas to save bottlenecks and having too many people together in one area.
Getting rid of the trash
There’s always trash left behind after parties so make sure to have ample trash facilities handy for guests to dispose of their rubbish. Keeping the bins emptied through the night so they don’t begin to overflow can make the task easier while lessening the opportunities for accidents to happen.
Also consider setting up somewhere for dirty crockery, glasses and cutlery away from the main party area which also helps to reduce the possibility of accidents, and regular cleaning and processing of any dirty items will save time at the end of the night once the guests are gone.
These are just a few considerations to consider when hosting an outdoor party; from music and games and activities to setting up lighting and dealing with unwanted pest insects to cutting down on noise pollution make sure you give yourself plenty of time to explore and decide on all the options available to make sure your outdoor party goes well and the guests - and not forgetting you - enjoy themselves.