Let’s plan a summer party
Summer is a great time to have a party! The weather is warm (hopefully), the days are long, and people are generally in a fun mood. There are also so many challenges right now in the UK, having events to look forward to are a wonderful way to get through the weeks and look forward to having a good time at a summer party.
Why not get together with a few helpers and plan something for friends, family or your neighbours. It doesn’t need to get expensive, especially if you set a budget and work together to stick to it!
Here are Our Events Made Fabulous tips for planning a successful summer party:
Choose a date: The first step in planning a summer party is to choose a date. Try to pick a date that works for most of your guests and that doesn’t conflict with other events in the area. Just do a quick Facebook events or Google search to see if there is anything big happening at that time.
Choose a location: Once you have a date, you’ll need to choose a location. If you have a great garden or other outdoor space, that can be a great place to host your party – and no fees! Otherwise, you can look into renting a community centre or a local event space nearby. Try local pubs, restaurants and halls – many don’t charge hire fees.
Send out invitations: Once you have a date and location, it’s time to send out invitations. You can send invitations through email, social media, or traditional mail. Make sure to include all the important details, such as the date, time, location, and any special instructions or requests. It’s always good to ask for RSVPs too, as knowing in advance of final guest numbers will help you plan and stop wastage.
Plan your menu: A summer party is the perfect time to serve light and refreshing food. Consider grilling burgers or hot dogs, serving fresh salads, or setting up a build-your-own taco bar. If you’ve got keen chefs in your group of friends you could see if they’re up for being the cook for the day. However, that can be quite stressful. You can use our supplier search to find local caterers – and because you’ll always get their best price, it doesn’t need to cost the earth. We have caterers who offer pizza vans, hog roasts, BBQs, buffets and much more. Check out our caterers in our supplier library.
Plan your bar: The bar is always an important part of the event. People will usually like a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks. Summer cocktails are a lovely idea – many of our suppliers who offer mobile bars can recommend a few summer cocktails alongside regular favourites. Having a professional run your bar, does make life a lot easier. You won’t run out of ice, glasses or other accessories. Plus, they’ll do all the tidying up! Get some quotes from us today, you may be pleasantly surprised by the prices.
Don’t forget to have plenty of cold, soft drinks on hand, too. Especially if the weather is hot!
Set up decorations: You don’t need to go overboard with decorations, but a few simple touches can help set the mood for your summer party. Consider setting up a table with a brightly coloured tablecloth, putting up some string lights, or hanging some balloons or paper lanterns.
You can easily do this yourself, but for a bigger party, you may want to ask event decorators for quotes on balloon arches, balloon garlands or party walls. These are great for people to take pictures against – a great selfie wall! Again, we have a range of event decorators that can offer flowers, balloons, furniture, dancefloors – whatever you may need.
Plan some activities: Depending on the age range of your guests, you may want to plan some activities to keep everyone entertained. A game of wellie wanging, pitch and putt or hook a duck can be fun for all ages – especially if there is a prize for the winner! Simple ideas for the kids include a craft station or a mini-drinks bars (non-alcoholic) for them to make their own cocktails. You could even hire a children’s entertainer if you have a lot of children coming – this really helps keep them entertained and the adults can have fun!
We have lots of outdoor games specialists and entertainers in our supplier library to get ideas from.
Make sure you have plenty of seating: Make sure you have enough chairs and tables for your guests to sit and eat. You may also want to set up some blankets or beach chairs for people to relax on. If you have older people coming, this is an absolute must!
Have a backup plan: While a summer party is great when the weather is nice, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan in case of rain or other inclement weather. Consider setting up a tent or renting an indoor space just in case. Marquees are typically quite good value – we’ve got a few prices examples for you to review here.
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to planning a successful summer party that your guests will remember for years to come!
Let us help you today – all you need is your date and location to create a new event with Events Made Fabulous – then watch the quotes roll in. Fill in the form below…