{doesn’t that host look pretty relaxed?)
The garden party we threw over last weekend was the first real party Michael and I really ever hosted. We’ve had smaller gatherings and barbecues and tons of low-key dinner parties, but never a proper party. It was a learning experience for both of us – and we managed to make it through alive!
With only one party under our belts, we’re by no means experts. That said, I thought I’d share a few basic party tips and tricks we found along the way.
The more candles, the better
We made a special trip to Ikea (cheap and cheerful!) last week and stocked up on candles of all sizes and shapes. We also picked up those tiny glass tea light holders. They’re very inexpensive and you can hide them in lots of little nooks.
We also collected empty wine bottles for a few weeks ahead of the party and soaked them in water to take off the labels. Then we collected colorful autumn leaves and glued them to the bottles. I knew we’d only use the bottles outdoors and that we’d probably only use them once, so we weren’t too particular with the leaves. The leaves have already dried out and fallen off some of the bottles since the party, but for the night, they did the trick. We stuck white taper candles in the bottles and they added height to our candle collections around the patio.
Stay simple, collect, and repeat
Choose a simple decorating theme, a simple color scheme, and repeat it. We decided to go with cheery autumn colors and lots of found, natural materials. When the weather started to change a few weeks before the party, I knew we weren’t going to be able to use cheery summer colors, but I was not ready to dive right into fall with more moody colors. So we picked yellow, orange and gold.
Keep your eye out for outdoor materials you can use (but check for permission if they belong to someone!) . I knew there was an enormous bush full of orange berries by the train station that I could cut branches from for days without depleting the supply.
I can’t take any credit for the tip of repeating the decorations everywhere. I knew we’d have tons of candles in every corner and on every surface, but my dear friend Naomi gets all the credit for putting those orange berries everywhere. It was dramatic and simple – she even put a few sprigs in the bathroom!
Think ahead about seating
Seating and the flow of a party isn’t my strong suit, but luckily it’s one of Michael’s favorite parts when planning a party. And he happens to be fantastic at it. He used tea lights to direct our guests through the house to the back (it’s a long, narrow house!) where the party was. He also set up the “cellar” bar in our shed which would draw people away from the food where people tend to congregate and clog up the space.
Signpost the food
I had every intention of making little signs for the food, but simply ran out of time. It’s the one thing I would definitely have done if I had a few minutes to spare. I spent a ton of time (happily!) explaining what the dishes were. This wouldn’t be a bad thing except whenever I’m asked what’s in something, I feel compelled to say how great it is and how easy it is to make and how I can just send you the recipe and you just have to make it. Every single time. I’m sure it was exhausting for my party guests and it wore me out too!
So if you’re at all cheerful and cheerleader-y like me, signpost the food and save your guests! I often make little flags and glue them to toothpicks to stick into a dish. Very sweet!
What about you? Do you have a few tried and true party tricks? Do share!
No Comments