Outdoor events are a great way of having fun while enjoying nature. Whether it’s a family get-together, a birthday party, a corporate event, or a simple neighborhood gathering for barbecues, backyard events have the right atmosphere to make your guests comfortable.
Although these outdoor events tend to be casual, planning for them can be hectic. You have to ensure you have everything that will make the party or event a successful one. There are many things you’ll have to do to keep the guests happy and comfortable. Here are some of the things you should prioritize when planning backyard events.
1. Have Sufficient Lighting
Proper lighting is one of the important things you should consider. If your backyard does not have any form of lighting system, consider doing some temporary adjustments for the party. Hang strands of outdoor lights on your fence, tree branches, or on the deck. You do not want your guests accidentally bumping into each other because of darkness or poor lighting.
A permanent solution is to install solar landscape lighting in your backyard. You will not have to worry about backyard lighting again. Furthermore, this is a one-time installation cost and you enjoy free solar lighting for your backyard events.
Good lighting also adds a sense of style and ambiance to the backyard. Some specific colors can liven the mood of the party. You can hang some pretty lanterns around your yard. Solar-powered lanterns would be the best choice for outdoor events.
2. Give Your Guests a Space to Gather
Your guests will need a place to sit or lounge as they dine, drink, or enjoy some music. Some may need space for dancing. This means the backyard should be able to accommodate the number of guests you invite. You know the size and space in your garden and you’re in the best position to determine the number of guests you can host.
Patios would be the preferred seating area for your guests. If the number of guests is higher than was expected, some of them can be hosted indoors. Ensure you have enough seats on the patio. Seven patio chairs would not be enough if you have a guest list of 20. You can throw in some of your dining chairs to ensure everyone has a seat. The alternative is to rent flooding chairs.
A casual party is easier to accommodate because you can get creative on how your guests are going to sit. For example, you can spread pretty quilts on the lawn or ground and have a picnic-style gathering.
Your patio may not be large enough to host the number of guests you expect. One of the best ways of creating comfortable seating areas for backyard events is by putting up a tent. You will not only have an extended seating area for the guests, but also protect them from the weather.
Are your guests coming along with their kids? The kids will also need their special place to gather and play. Trim your shrubs and mow your lawn to make the backyard a comfortable and safe playing area for the kids.
3. Repair an Existing Patio
Preparation for your backyard events means doing repairs to damaged areas of your yard. Some of these repairs or renovations should be done early enough before the party, while some can be done just a day before the party. For example, you should mow your lawn a day or a few days before the party, otherwise, the grass will grow big before the party and you’ll have to do it again. However, other adjustments like repairing your patio can be done early.
Your patio will be one of, if not the only seating area. It’s important that it’s in good condition to avoid accidents and injuries. You can fix cracks or potholes that are likely culprits for slips and falls. Look for a reputable concrete repair service company in your area to do these repairs for you.
While repairing your patio, you should also inspect other areas of the outdoors that may need repairs or renovations before the party. Does the pathway have potholes that need to be filled? Make sure they’re repaired to avoid accidents because there will be many people using the pathway on the actual day of the event.
4. Offer an Activity
You should know what type of activities your guests will enjoy. While some are fine with just some music, others may wish to play some games. Parties are all about having fun. This means investing in some materials and facilities to ensure your guests can partici[ate in their favorite fun activities. This also means doing repairs to these facilities if they are not in good condition. For example, if you have a tennis court that is in bad shape, you should get tennis court repair services before the event. You’ll do basketball court repair if it’s also not in good condition.
You should tell your guests what they should expect. This ensures they carry the right gear and items for fun activities. These could be tennis balls and rackets, swimming costumes, or basketballs. You can give them a heads-up on the right gear for the backyard events.
Outdoor party games can be great bonding sessions for family and friends. You’ll never go wrong with games like bocce and cornhole. If you have a swimming pool, you can consider games with water balloons.
Not forgetting the kids, you should invest in a few toys. As the grown-ups are kicking it in the basketball court or tennis court, the kids could be having their own fun as well.
You’ll also need music. This is where you should consider the preferences of your guests, which will be largely determined by their age groups. Work on your music playlist based on your guest list and ensure that the type of music is appropriate for that specific crowd. To ensure everyone’s preference is catered to, you can ask the guests to contribute to the playlist.
5. Give Guests a Place to Park
Whether you have enough parking space or not, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your guests’ cars get parking space. You can park some of the cars in your garage. Ensure that your residential garage door is in good condition to guarantee the safety of the vehicles.
Work with your neighborhood association or neighbors for more space to park the cars, just in case your property doesn’t have enough space for all the cars. You can also tell your guests in advance if they’ll be okay with parking in certain areas of your neighborhood.
It is tempting to invite as many people as possible. But things like a small parking space will push you to manage your guest list. If you don’t have enough parking space but still have to accommodate many guests, you can request some of them to carpool or use taxi services. Since everyone prefers to have their cars parked in a safe area, these alternatives will be better options for them.
6. Avoid Flooded Yards and Pathways
Most people prefer to host backyard events during summer or hot seasons. However, occasions such as birthday parties or wedding anniversaries can fall on any season of the year, and if you want to host them outdoors, you have to make necessary adjustments to make all attendants comfortable. For example, if it’s during a rainy season, ensure you have a cover like tents and backup plans to host them indoors. A more pressing matter during the rainy season is flooding.
Just imagine making plans for a bash only to wake up to flooded yards and pathways on the day of the event. This is a result of poor draining or water harvesting systems in your home. You should consider a gutter repair if you establish they’re the source of the floods.
The repair of the gutter is a preventive measure to avoid floods. Make these repairs days or even months before the party to confirm that the gutters work properly. While at it, you may want to also ensure that your plumbing system is working properly. Any damage to the plumbing system can also cause floods in the yards.
7. Make Your Yard Look Perfect
There are many things that go into making your yard a perfect venue for backyard events. The backyard should not only be neat and beautiful, but also safe. Low-hanging branches can cause accidents for both adults and children. Getting these parts of the tree to the right size and shape using a tree pruning service will not only make the trees more beautiful, but also keep your backyard safe.
One of the easiest ways to make the backyard look perfect for a specific event is to pick a theme and run with it. If it’s a themed party, the decor and seating arrangement you use should rhyme with the theme.
You can hang colorful lanterns to add to the ambiance of the space for night events. Mix and match various types of colors to achieve your desired look for the party. If you have no idea what to do to make the place beautiful, you can hire someone to do the decorations for you.
8. Keep Pests Away
Keeping your yard safe for events is not just about pruning your trees. You also have to ensure that the garden is free from all types of pests – flying insects, crawling insects, and rodents. You don’t want such surprises at the climax of the party.
Use appropriate measures to keep these pests away not just from your yard, but also from your home. Use mosquito control services to get rid of mosquitos. These insects get active at night and can ruin the mood of the party. Professional pest control services should be able to get rid of these insects and other pests from your yard.
Your pest control measures should be well planned, especially if you’re going to cook in the yard – and your guests are going to eat in the yard. Take note of how long it will be safe to cook in the area after spraying it with insecticides.
Preventing floods does not only make your yard a conducive venue for the party, but keeping it dry also keeps some types of pests away. During the event, you can also use some types of candles to help with pest control.
9. Help Your Guests Cool Off
Summer backyard events can be fun until the heat is too much to deal with. During these hot seasons, you should have plans on how you’ll keep your guests comfortable. Consider adding a swimming area for your guests to cool off. Talk to professional inground pool installers to come and assess your area and suggest the best type and shape of pool that can be installed.
Your guests can also keep cool with cold drinks. Ice packs or cold compresses are a great hack. You can use your indoor fridge, but these buckets would avoid frequent trips to the kitchen. Provide plenty of water for your guests.
10. Make Your Event More Private
As one of the major steps you should take to ensure your guests feel safe and comfortable, you should ensure that the yard provides a private space. This means it should be well insulated with walls to keep away from prying eyes. You can hire a local fence builder if you don’t have a fence yet.
Party tents will also be ideal to offer privacy from areas that are visible from nearby balconies. Specific lighting systems at night will ensure that the light provides illumination for the guests in the yard, but is not bright enough for people far away to see the activities of the party.
Hosting backyard events gives you the freedom to incorporate unique styles. Depending on the theme, you can source decor and materials that match with the theme to create the right atmosphere. There is more that goes into preparing for outdoor parties. For example, you have to keep the place safe from pests, avoid floods, incorporate fun games or activities, and keep the venue private.