Anyone can use their outdoor space for entertaining. Some may be more challenged with landscaping, layout or noise problems, but anything is possible.
Are you thinking of entertaining outdoors this summer? Now is the perfect time to set your yard up for effortless, stressful, easy and of course, FUN gatherings. By taking an objective look at your outdoor living space, arranging the existing pieces and creating additional functional spaces, you can create an enjoyable area that fits seamlessly into your hospitality plan. With a newly designed space, you can host small teas, fun team parties, raucous graduation parties, summer brunches and elegant evening cocktail parties. Just follow these simple steps.
Objectively Assess Your Current Space
Look at your yard through the eyes of a newcomer. Is it an inviting space for guests? Are there weeds, prickly shrubs, or insect-attracting plants that are nearby? If so, eliminate them and replace them with something more attractive and more guest-friendly. Do you have a focal point in your yard – a fire pit, a beautiful specimen tree, a rusty swingset, or the neighbor’s compost pile? Play up the positive aspects of your yard and minimize or eliminate the negative aspects. Do you have noise issues from a nearby street, the neighbors’ pool, or your teenager’s stereo? All of these situations can detract from the overall experience that your guests have, so address the deficiencies of your space, before the party begins.
Quantify Your Capacity
Once you’ve minimized the negative aspects and maximized the positive aspects of your yard, it’s time to determine how many people can be serviced in your yard. Look at your outdoor furniture --- do you have the traditional patio dinette set, a weathered picnic table set full of slivers, folding aluminum chairs or some other configuration? Any seating arrangement can work for your guests, as long as you take some precautions. If all you’ve got is the sliver-filled picnic table, make sure that you cover the top with a thick tablecloth and drape soft fabric or cushions on the benches. Determine the best layout for your space --- depending upon your yard and planting beds, you may utilize multiple smaller seating groups, one large dining area of rental banquet tables and folding chairs, or mix and match lawn chairs with lap-friendly service trays. Once you go through this exercise, you’ll have a good estimate of the number of guests that you can host at any one time.
Think Outside of the Box
Now that you’ve got a firm idea of how many guests will fit in your space, break all the rules! If you determined that you only have room for 30 guests and you wish to host 50, think about hosting an open house format where people eat at staggered times. If you wish to host an elegant dinner party but your patio is too small for anything bigger than a bistro set, think about setting up a larger rental table and chairs under a white canopy. Information is power, and now that you’ve analyzed your outdoor entertaining space, your imagination is the only limit. Have fun!
© Text by Janice Benoit. [May, 2007]. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright
