PLANNING A GARDEN PARTY or BARBECUE BBQ

When to party - useful tips

A garden party is usually held in the spring or summer in the UK and USA, but can be held all year round in hotter countries. Garden parties often include a barbecue, depending on how formal the event is. This also depends on country and class. Wedding parties rarely have barbecues.

Inviting friends and family to a party in your back yard is exciting and more personal than hiring a venue. Good preparations for décor, menu items and gifts can give your party a boost.

I have attended quite swanky garden parties in Africa with spit roasted cows, turning over pits of fire, which you don't see much of in Surrey. Barbecues are also called BBQ, Bar-B-Q and Bar-B-Que, Barbie, and braai. You might have to BYO (bring your own drinks and / or food), in an Esky which is a cool box.

In the UK the latest date for a garden party is around Bonfire Night on November 5th. I have had several parties then, on one memorable occasion we had an awning over the barbecue area, and it rained.

A bit later the awning tipped and all the water landed on some guests! Very amusing, for all concerned. Broke the ice and so on.

Some people like outdoor parties at winter solstice time, but they are pagans and dance around in Gandalf costumes before jumping in freezing ponds. Not recommended. We prefer an indoors winter party.

Garden party and barbecue garden decoration

Decorating a garden party yourself is really exciting and a memorable experience. Garden party décor is simply decorating a garden for gathering and making the party pleasing and entertaining for your guests.

Always make preparations beforehand. Start with listing all things you need to have in a notebook. Make columns for very essentials and less essential stuffs. Cut things down when you feel running out of budget. Decide the party theme for an evening or mid evening time.

People and Invitations

Inviting friends and family to a party in your back yard is exciting and more personal than hiring a venue. Good preparations for décor, menu items and gifts can give your party a boost.

This means all guests not just people exactly like yourself, so think of children of present, and old people too. Old people will need seats and young people, distractions. Everyone else will need large supplies of food and especially drink. Running out of drinks is not good - soft drinks and alcohol should be stocked up, as any left over can be used in the future so there is no waste.

Match your invite designs to your garden design. These days it is easy to print invites from digital photographs of your actual garden, and you can have fun designing the cards.

Evening party or Day party

You can opt for a day or an evening garden party but it depends on what sort of party you're planning for, also what time it will be suitable for your guests to arrive. Don't just think of yourself here, as if lots of guests can't make it early (or late) then you might organize a flop. Or a more intimate do, as we prefer to say.