An outdoor party can be a wonderful experience. If you’re lucky enough to find a time when the sun is shining to venture outdoors, you can take in the fresh air, and enjoy a wide range of activities. However, it’s worth noting that just like any party, outdoor events can be subject to the occasional issue. From sudden showers to a lack of appropriate beverages, knowing the issues you might face in advance can save you a lot of stress.
While some things can’t be helped – like the wind blowing over your seats, there are a few outdoor party mistakes that you might be able to avoid.
1. Opening Gifts Outside
If you’re hosting a party where people will exchange gifts, then it’s probably not the best idea to do the present unwrapping outdoors. Usually, exchanging gifts outside means that you’ll need to spend a couple of hours picking up stray pieces of wrapping paper that got loose during all the excitement.
There’s also a risk that presents could be suddenly drowned in the rain if the weather changes. With that in mind, consider prepping your living room or dining room for this part of the event. You don’t want to put the precious gifts you bought at risk. If you’re struggling to find the right gift to choose, by the way, have a look at UKGifts.co.uk – I was browsing their site earlier and some of their gift list ideas are fantastic.
2. Not Making Enough Refreshments
It can be difficult to know for certain how much food you need for your party. That’s why it’s helpful to have a basic headcount of how many people you should expect. If you’re planning on having 12 people at the event, but there’s a possibility for 15 – make enough food and drink for the 15.
Although you don’t want to go too over the top and end up with party food clogging your refrigerator, you do need to make sure you’ve got a back-up if you run out of refreshments too quickly. Speaking of ensuring everyone gets their share, make sure to cater to those who don’t drink alcohol and vegetarians too.
3. Having Too Few Seats
It’s important to ensure that your guests are comfortable. This means providing plenty of seats – including a few areas in the shade if necessary. If you’re not sure how warm it’s going to be, you can also provide seats next to outdoor fires and heaters that will keep your guests from getting a cold.
Even if you don’t have a lot of actual chairs to spread out, there are other options for seating to explore. For instance, you could consider spreading a blanket out on the ground so that your guests don’t have to sit on a dirty pavement or grass.
4. Failing to Plan for Bad Weather
Let’s face it, most of the time, when you plan for an outdoor party, you need to accept that something is probably going to go wrong with the weather. As you plan for your outdoor party, checking the weather report as often as possible, make sure that you do have a plan B in mind if something goes wrong with the atmosphere at the last minute.
If you start to notice clouds in the sky or your guests begin to get cold, consider passing out blankets, or providing other sources of heat. If you’re worried it’s going to start raining, you could consider letting everyone pile into your living room instead. Just make sure that you’ve made plenty of space in advance.
5. Forgetting to Be a Good Neighbour
House parties are often a point of argument between neighbours, particularly when they’re overly loud. Garden or outdoor parties are even worse because there aren’t as many walls getting in the way of your music, and your neighbour’s bedroom. With that in mind, be courteous. Don’t play any loud music or get too over the top when it starts to get late. You should start to quieten things down at a reasonable time.
It’s also helpful to send your neighbours a note or knock on their doors to explain that you’re having a garden party in advance. Talking to the people that live around you will give them an idea of what to expect, so they’re less likely to be annoyed by the size.
6. Not Cleaning Up Quickly
Finally, make sure that you clean up after your party as quickly as possible. Leaving trash and paper plates lying around might not seem like a big deal when you’re tired after your celebrations. However, when the wind picks up and starts knocking your garbage into the garden next door, you’re going to end up with a dispute on your hand.
Clean up as you go to save yourself some effort. Make sure that everyone knows where trash cans are so that they can dispose of napkins and other items.
