Turn your backyard into a whimsical dreamscape for a summer soiree. Invite family and friends to enjoy an evening outside, complete with delicious food and enchanting decor. 

We’ve gathered five pieces of inspiration that will not only add to the look of your party, but also make it easier to host.

Skip the table and chairs.

If you want to throw a soiree worthy of a Pinterest pin, you may want to skip traditional seating. Rather than renting and lugging tables and chairs to your backyard, hunt down some free pallets to build your dining arrangement lower to ground. Gather pillows and throw blankets (or some old sheets) that your guests can sit on.

You can locate free pallets near you by using this nifty pallet locator. Just make sure to bring a friend when meeting with an individuals 

https://www.1001pallets.com/pallet-classified-ads/

Make a Snackable Centerpiece 

Rather than dealing with appetizers that you have to make in advance and then serve, create a big charcuterie that runs down the center of your table. Your guests can graze before dinner on cheeses, fruit, nuts and crackers and best of all, you don’t have to worry about a centerpiece. Pluck some flowers, twigs and leaves from your backyard to style around your charcuterie spread.

Light Up Balloons

A couple of hours before your soiree, stop at your local party store. The party store will likely carry some battery-operated mini LED string lights, but you can also order them in advance. You can keep your decorations elegant and simple with white jumbo balloons or pick out different colored jumbo to add a more fun vibe to your soiree. Turn your fairy lights and stuff them into the balloon before inflating it with helium. Your balloons will then have a gorgeous sparkle inside them which will add an additional sparkle when the sun sets. 

Dig Out Your Twinkle Lights

Dig out your holiday decorations boxes and wrap your twinkle lights around the trunks of your trees. You can also buy extra battery-operated LED fairy lights and place them in your shrubs and garden. If you want to drape lights above your tablescape, drape battery-operated lights on light poles. The battery-operated lights make it much easier as you don’t have to deal with extension cords.

Make it a Potluck

You provided the delicious, snackable centerpiece. Request your guests to bring a dish and make your soiree a potluck. This way, you aren’t stressed out trying to make and serve a huge meal. Request each guest to provide the recipe of their dish in advance. You can make a cute recipe book for all of the guests to take home as a party favor.