How to Plan a Garden Party: 6 Sizzling Summer Garden Party Ideas

There’s lots of things we love about summer. Days out at the beach, lounging around with friends in pub gardens, BBQs that leave you so stuffed that you can barely move - the list goes on. 

But up there with the very best things about the summer has got to be the garden parties. Once that stubborn sun has made its way out, we love hosting elegant - or sometimes not so elegant! - events with our friends and families as we soak up the sun with a glass of prosecco in hand. Nothing beats it. 

We’re entering summer garden party season, and we’ve compiled a list of essential tips and garden party ideas that will take your sunny soirée to the next level. From hosting tips to the very best garden party decorations, we’ve got you covered.

1. Get your outdoor space summer ready with sophisticated garden dining furniture

Summer garden parties are really only about one thing: sharing delicious food and drink with your loved ones. So, for your outdoor event, ensure you have the right set-up for serving tasty culinary treats to your excited guests. 

Contemporary garden dining furniture allows you to create a sophisticated dinner party atmosphere right in your garden. Establish the vibe you want from your garden party early on to ensure you have the appropriate seating and dining arrangements prepared. 

For more formal, seated outdoor events, luxurious garden dining furniture like this stunning Scandi Outdoor Table will create the perfect conversational atmosphere. 

For a more relaxed, buffet-style affair, you might want to embrace a cosy outdoor sofa set, like this impressive five-seater Aruba Corner Set, which includes two large padded double seats and a practical coffee table too. The Aruba sofa takes patio sets to the next level.

2. Prepare for any weather

Garden parties are fantastic. Garden parties that are brought to an abrupt end by rain or a bout of cold are not.

When you’re planning for any outdoor event, it’s essential to be prepared for less appealing spells of weather too. To avoid your party being rained off, ensure you have an alternative indoor location to house your guests until the sun comes out once again. Or, even better, provide some shelter in your garden.

Our large Jodrell Anthracite Parasol is perfect for sheltering your guests - and your plush garden dining furniture - if the weather decides not to behave itself. It can rotate 360 degrees and be tilted any way to maximise the coverage it provides. It’s also super handy for those days when the sun is just that little bit too sweltering.

3. Embrace stunning garden party decorations

We couldn’t write a blog about how to plan a garden party without talking about garden party decorations. Adding subtle yet beautiful accessories to your garden for your event is such an easy way to inject that little bit of luxury into your evening. 

And don’t worry, we’ve got some great garden party decoration ideas to inspire you. 

Bring a splash of colour to your outdoor furniture with bold scatter cushions, like this pretty Blume Blush Floral Cushion or this iconic Terracotta Illustrative Portrait Tufted Tassel Cushion.

Jazz up your outside space with unique garden party accessories like these practical, 70s-inspired Set of Rattan Trays and this gorgeously distinctive Elephant Shaped Candle, which would make a lovely addition to a table centrepiece. 

Or, bring some light and glam to your outdoor dining table with a Chiswell Black Fire Lantern. These gorgeous features also look amazing dotted around your garden. 

Garden party decorations are what will make your outdoor event one to remember.

 

4. Provide more food and drink than you think you’ll need

As anyone who’s familiar with event planning will tell you, when it comes to food and refreshments, it’s much better to have too much than not enough. 

For your summer garden party, an idea to make it all run a little more smoothly is to ensure you have ample food and beverages to keep you and your guests going throughout the day/evening. 

And if there’s too much, we’ve never met a guest who isn’t keen to take home some tasty leftovers!

5. Offer a range of comfy seating options

Whether you’re hosting a garden party for 5 people or for 25, it’s essential that you have enough seating for everyone. And we don’t just mean those uncomfortable foldable wooden chairs. 

The best garden parties have a range of seating options, such as comfy outdoor sofas, benches and patio sets, that allow guests to settle into a relaxing evening. Our outdoor seating selection features some truly unique pieces, including our ever-popular Elysium Egg Chair and our bold and beautiful Blenhiem Blue Four Piece Patio Set.

6. Ensure your summer garden party can extend into the night

We’ve all been there. You’re outside having a lovely time in the summer sun, and then the night draws in and it gets… absolutely freezing. Unfortunately, we’re rarely blessed with warm summer nights in the UK, but that doesn’t mean your party needs to end as soon as the sun goes in.

When we’re talking about garden party ideas, there’s one essential device that will ensure you can eat, drink and be merry well into the night: a powerful patio heater.

Warm up those crisp evenings with our Barrington Black Patio Heater. It gives off a warm, ambient glow as it heats up your garden, making it an attractive garden party decoration too. Your guests are definitely going to thank you for this one. 

Don’t forget to provide some snuggly throws and blankets too - like our luxurious Aspen Crystal Throw - so you can snuggle up beside the heater as you chat the night away.