An outdoor party can be a really magical atmosphere, but it goes without saying that it comes with its challenges.

The weather, the food, the entertainment are all things you’ll have to take into account if you’re planning an outdoor bash, but if you follow our tips, you can create something truly spectacular!

Furniture

If you’ve already got some outdoor seating that’s great, but it likely isn’t going to be enough for your entire party (unless you’re only inviting two or three people, in which case…it isn’t really a party is it?).

First thing first, raid the house for any extra seating that you’re happy to use outside! Dining chairs or beanbags are good options, or even dig out a picnic blanket for people to sit on the lawn.

There are even companies such as Furniture Hire UK who will loan you furniture for surprisingly low prices. (80p a week for a folding chair!).

Lighting

The last thing you want is your guests tripping over the garden fence, so make sure that everyone can see where they’re going!

Having said this, your eyes should adjust to their surroundings as it starts to get dark, so you only need some faint ambient lighting.

Something as simple as some fairy lights could do the trick, or some tea lights. We particularly like Chinese lanterns such as these LED lights from Lights 4 Fun.

If you’ve got a big enough space you could kick things up a notch with some light up letters such as those from Light It Up UK.

Why not spell out the name of the birthday boy or girl for a really special touch?

Decorations

As for the decorations, there’s a lot of room to get creative, especially if you’re going with a specific theme.

Try and keep all your cups, plates and table decorations coordinated, and maybe invest in some outdoor pillows to make things a bit comfier for your guests?

Piñatas are a fun idea, and not just for kids! The sight of a group of grown adults swinging a bat at a colourful papier mâché character after a couple of beverages is one to behold!

Music

Getting the music right at an outdoor party is a delicate act, especially if you’ve got a lot of neighbours, as is ensuring you’ve got the right sound system in place to play your favourite tunes without being too loud and the sound dispersing too far.

If possible, spread out your speakers as much as possible, and keep the volume relatively low. In many cases, working with a specialist speaker hire company who offer a range of solutions is your best bet as they’ll be able to advise on the best solution for your circumstances. In London, we’d always recommend Pro System Services.

After all, its not just for the benefit of your neighbours, your guests want to be able to hear themselves talk as well!

As for what songs to choose, that’s entirely down to personal preference! If you’re subscribed to any of the big streaming sites they have a whole host of party playlists covering all kinds of genres so you’re sure to find something that’ll suit your vibe, and it’ll save you sitting up creating your own playlist the night before!

Toilet Facilities

It’s an unavoidable fact that when you’re bringing that many people together (and plying them with alcohol), you’re going to need to think about where they’re all going to go to the toilet.

If you’re holding your party at home, do you really want that many people in and out of your bathroom?

Why not consider setting up portable toilets? They may have a bit of a reputation as being unhygienic, but there are some higher end luxury options out there such as Event Washrooms.

Their luxury portable toilets are larger, more hygienic, and generally just more attractive to guests than your average portable toilet solutions!

Entertainment

Whether its for the kids of the adults, you’re going to need to give everybody something to do.

For the adults, beer pong is a classic. Why not supersize it and use bins or buckets and a football to create a giant version?

There’s a host of games out there which will appeal to kids and adults alike such as Giant Jenga and Twister.

If it’s a hot day, the kids will love a water balloon fight or Slip N’ Slide!

We hope if you do choose to throw an outdoor party everything goes swimmingly, but for all your planning, we all know that the weather can ruin everything in a matter of minutes, so make sure you have an indoor alternative planned!