May is the perfect month to entertain outdoors. The weather is almost uniformly warm and sunny, but not yet unbearably hot. This past weekend, we honored some very special volunteers at a reception in my backyard, and I wanted to be sure that I paid attention to every detail to make them feel welcome and appreciated. If you’re planning an outdoor event (from a casual cookout to a more formal occasion), then let me share my Seven Secrets of Outdoor Entertaining:
1. Let them know they’re in the right place! Be sure to put something out front to let them know where the party is, especially if you’ll be hanging out in the backyard instead of answering the doorbell! I hung these colorful paper lanterns in lime green and white on my mailbox–a little more unique than the usual balloons!
2. Make sure everyone knows each other.
At a more formal event, like mine, that might mean that you set out pre-printed name tags that match your color scheme. Or you position a greeter at the door to introduce guests to one another. Either way, it makes your guests feel welcome.
3. Let everyone know what to expect.
I love printing (and framing) a menu using a mix of several different fonts for visual interest, and then putting it on my serving table to tell guests what their choices are. You can also add notes like “gluten-free” or “vegetarian” for your guests with dietary restrictions (I will post all the tried-and-true recipes I used for this event very soon!).
Small picture frames hold labels with each menu item. You can read how I made those {here} and {here}.
4. Keep things comfortable.
Whether it’s a casual or formal event that you’re hosting, you’ll want your guests to be comfortable. While I was expecting a sunny day, the tent provided much-needed shade for us while we were eating, and I didn’t have to worry about where we’d all sit inside if a spring shower popped up. I also made sure that my everyday outdoor furniture was a part of my event, and we added folding tables and chairs to expand our dining space.
5. Use your indoor and outdoor space.
This is a busy time of year, with proms, graduations, and lots of weddings coming up. Why not consider hosting your next event outdoors? You can invite so many more people when you use your backyard to add to your party space! We easily fit 40 people under the tent, but we kept the food and drinks inside for this particular event. That way, everything stayed at the proper temperature, and the flies didn’t get to our meal before we did!
6. Add fun and unexpected touches.
When I saw the high ceiling in the tent, I just knew I’d have to hang a chandelier up there! Fortunately, my neighbor had the perfect piece, and it really added a fun and festive touch to our decor.
I also set up a make-your-own-champagne-cocktail bar inside. Guests could create their own drink with a choice of fruit juice mixers and fruit add-ins, or they could opt for a champagne-free fruit juice on ice, too. This was a big hit, and I posted more on it {here}!
7. Add beauty and comfort with TIKI® Brand products!
It’s beautiful here in Savannah, but the mosquitos and sand gnats are vicious! I wanted to be sure that my guests weren’t the main course for the bugs, so I positioned four TIKI® Brand Island King® Large Flame Torches at the four corners of the yard to help keep the mosquitos away. TIKI® Brand torches now come in a variety of colors and finishes, so you can coordinate with your party’s theme and colors. Aren’t they pretty?
I also used the TIKI® Brand Glowing Tabletop Torch:
They worked like a charm, because we were bug-free all afternoon. We also burned these beautiful blue TIKI® Brand Glowing Torches at my neighbor’s low country boil the night before, and they kept the mosquitoes away:
Thanks to the folks at TIKI® Brand for sending me all these fabulous party goodies–they really added to the fun (and comfort!) of the afternoon. All of these goodies are available at WalMart, by the way. Want to win your own party package from TIKI® Brand? They’re giving away 2 TIKI® Brand Glowing Torches (the beautiful blue ones) + 1 TIKI® Brand Glowing Table Torch + 1 – 64 oz Bottle TIKI® Brand Torch Fuel + 1 Snap & Pour spout = Retail Value $102.95 All you have to do to enter is comment below telling me “How does the TIKI® Brand help create the perfect environment for your outdoor entertaining?” The contest runs through 6/30/14. Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!
This post is sponsored by TIKI® Brand, but as always, all opinions are my own.
Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/15/2014-7/4/2014.
Be sure to visit the TIKI® Brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!
