When you say, “summer garden party”, different people picture different things. Some see ladies in pretty frocks sipping on a cup of tea in a vintage porcelain teacup. Others see the men firing up the barbeque to grill some expensive steaks. Others see something entirely different. Nobody is wrong because all of the scenarios have one thing in common: they’re festive occasions.

Once you’ve settled into your new home, you may want to have a garden party to get to know your new neighbours. We have a few tips to help you make an excellent first impression.

Tidy Space

When you are hosting an event in your garden, ensure that the allocated space is tidy. After all, you wouldn’t want your friends or neighbours to spend the majority of time warding off mosquitoes simply because you didn’t mow the lawn. Also, rake up any leaves and place them on the compost heap.

Food

Regardless of the theme of your event, one thing everyone will remember is the food. While grill parties are great, they may not be the best option for an initial neighbourly meet-and-greet. If you are hosting a barbeque, you might be tied up with the grill for an extended period. We recommend a variety of hors d’oeuvres that guests can snack on at their leisure. This enables you to freely mingle with your guests, getting to know more about them.

Sufficient Seating

Sufficient seating is a priority. Few things can ruin a get-together as quickly as guests whose feet are sore from having to stand the entire evening. There are a variety of seating arrangements that work well with garden parties, such as bean bags, benches, foldable camping chairs, or even more permanent seating fixtures like rattan corner dining sets.

Kid-Friendly Spaces

Even if you’re not a parent, it is likely that someone attending your gathering will be. Meeting new people is often awkward the first time, so don’t only make your guests feel welcome, do the same for their young ones. Depending on their ages, you could have a small play area set up for them, or if they’re older, a streaming room where the teens can get together and watch movies or play video games.

Background Music

The type of music you have at your event will depend on numerous factors; to name a few: your personality, the theme of your party, and your audience. It is also always a good idea to keep the volume at a level that is not intrusive on a conversation. You wouldn’t want your guests to be hoarse the next day because they constantly had to raise their voices to be heard, would you?

Sustainable Clean-Up

Where possible, put out proper crockery and cutlery for your guests. It not only creates a good impression; it is also more environmentally friendly. If you don’t have sufficient china to cater for all of your guests or simply prefer to use disposable plates, we recommend those of the paper variety as they biodegrade much faster than their single-use plastic counterparts.

These few tips are certain to get your brain in party planning mode. Good luck with your first garden party in your new home.