Have you ever seen someone host a party and share about it online and think “wow, that’s so beautify, I want that?” Well that was me, seeing other people’s garden parties and ladies nights online, but instead of dwelling on the part of me just wanting it, I decided to create it myself. I’ve been really making an effort this past year to have friends over. Not friends with their kids for playdates, just real adult friends and let me tell you – it is 100% worth investing your time into, which is why I’m sharing a few tips on how to host a simple backyard garden party because I want you to experience the magic too.
The “what ifs” of hosting a garden party?
What if nobody comes, what if it rains, what if we don’t have anything to talk about, what are we going to do, what if I don’t have chairs for everyone, what if my table setting doesn’t all match, what if I have a small house, what if my house is a mess, what are we going to do?
Then you get overwhelmed by all the “what ifs” and your garden party idea becomes nothing more than that, an idea. It’s happened to you before, hasn’t it? It sure has happened to me.
- BUT, what if you decided to ignore all the “what ifs” and asked yourself, “what if this is better than expected?” What if we have an amazing time, what if it’s as dreamy as I imagine, what if none of the above actually matters?
- Honestly, nobody cares more about any of those things than you do. The purpose of gathering with friends is just that, it’s about gathering, connection and being around people you enjoy spending time with.
- I guess what I’m getting at is I don’t want you to read this and be discouraged from hosting your own garden party because you think it’s not perfect. I want this to encourage you to host your own imperfectly perfect party whether its for 1 or 2 friends or a large group, it doesn’t matter, just host the dang party.
A garden party is actually the perfect solution
- And honestly, if you host a garden party or some sort of outdoor party, you don’t have to worry about your house because it’s outside! When we grew all these sunflowers (I didn’t realize there would be so many when we planted them), I knew I had to make use of them somehow, which is what gave me the idea of hosting a garden party.
- Now that you’re in the right mindset, let’s get this garden party going!
- Our garden beds are from Sproutbox, we’ve had them 4 years now and absolutely love them. They are metal so I don’t have to worry about rotting wood or re-staining them. You can use my code JACKIE10 to save, just click HERE. They’re Canadian too.
What to eat at a garden party
I find it easy to make a couple appetizers and then invite guests to bring a dish. This takes a lot of pressure off the person hosting and I find people generally enjoy contributing. If you really want to keep it on theme, I’d stick to fresh foods – think garden – and floral aesthetic. It’s fun to use garden flowers for garnish too. I made this really pretty veggies and dip and bocochini appetizer with mushroom scewers. Little things such as the mushroom skewers can add the perfect touch of whimsy without breaking the bank. I’ll share the photos below of my garden party appetizers and here’s some ideas for more garden party themed appetizers you might want to try.
Garden Party Appetizer Ideas
- Charcuterie board or charcuterie in a tea cup
- Fruit platter and dip (cream cheese and cool whip fruit dip)
- Fruit pizza
- Hummas or other dips and cracks or bread
- Sliders or mini sandwiches
- Mini cucumber sandwich or crackers with smoked salmon, cream cheese and fresh dill
- Whipped goat cheese
- Lemonade bar
How to set a table for a garden party
I wish I took more photos because it really wasn’t fancy. I used a folding table and random chairs and lawn chairs and even asked a friend to bring a chair because I didn’t have enough. I covered all the chairs with a blanket or our favourite Turkish towels and one had a faux fir hide and it was just fine! The table was covered in brown kraft paper and lined with a mushroom / whimsical themed table runner.
I used some vintage glass bowls for food, paper napkins in wood napkin rings, compostable paper plates, drinks on ice in an enamel pot and of course some cut sunflowers from the garden.
- I literally placed the table right in front of my garden on the lawn. It felt extra magical to be amongst the flowers. If you have a large garden I’d say put your table right in there! If you don’t have a garden, don’t stress, you can host the same style of party in your backyard or on your deck!
- I added some candles with moss (that I collected from the side of the road) and the candles were a super nice touch into the evening. Don’t skip the candles!
What to do at a backyard garden party
I always feel like to need to plan an activity, but have you ever been around a table of women – they sure don’t need an activity, they can yap all night!! For this garden party I suggested everyone just bring their own craft or project to work on and it’s definitely a theme I’m gonna do again. Into the evening it got a little dark for things like embroidery, however we all enjoyed each others company and visited much later than I thought!
One friend and I worked on our schools PAC bulletin board for back to school. Click HERE to see it finished.
Some other ideas for a backyard party
I recently went to friends 40th birthday party and it was a High Tea party in the afternoon, set up in a friend’s backyard with a beautiful view of the mountains. It was honestly just gorgeous and I thought such a great idea for a gathering, while kids were in school. You could even make your garden party High Tea themed.
My aunt recently sent me the photo on the right of a garden tea party she attended with lilacs and I thought it was also such a beautiful idea. Plan your party around whatever flowers are in season and run with it!
In summary, just host the dang garden party!
I’d love to hear about your garden party, make sure to connect on socials @sobrighthome on all channels and let us know about your party!
Need some help getting started?
Here’s a few things to help you get started, but it always do recommend shopping your home first and making use of things you have such as baskets, table settings, vintage or antique pieces always add character too.
I couldn’t find the same table runner I purchased, but I linked a similar one. I also linked our everyday glasses that we love as they can be dressed up for a nice table setting too. And the bug deterrent fan – it works great!
Any questions! Let me know in the comments!
This post is not sponsored; however some links may be affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you shop using the links. There is NO extra cost to you. The opinions and photos are of So Bright Home.
