We’ll have a house party—but take it outside

Join Luke Bryan and the crew 

Whether it’s a backyard BBQ, an outdoor brunch, or an around the campfire style party, hosting outside adds an extra layer to your party planning. We’re here with tips and tricks to keep your outdoor party hosting a breeze. And yes—we will help you prevent the breeze from blowing your decor over. If however, that does happen, see Tip #1 for our best advice. Let your outdoor party planning checklist commence.

Top tips for hosting outdoor parties

1. Check the weather 

This one may seem the utmost obvious, yet we’re reminding you nonetheless. Based on the forecast, plan to have lots of extra ice onhand to keep drinks cold or extra throw blankets to warm little s’more roasting hands. Be sure to give your guests a heads up to clue them in too. If temps do drop suddenly or rain shows up unannounced (how dare she), have a back-up plan ready. Make space in your garage or clear the main living area ahead of time to cover all your bases.

2. Keep the bugs from bugging you

Think about bugs before the party, and you’ll be happy you did. Have bugspray on hand and make sure guests know it’s for sharing.

3. Repel with smell

Two birds with one stone: Citronella candles repel bugs while adding a nice afterlight glow. So light ‘em up and watch the bugs scurry away. Cloves are the hidden repellent. We love this spice-y partytrick. Grab some gloves and scatter them around. Snag them here or check out your grocery store spice aisle.  

4. Stand under your umbrella, ella, ella …you get it

You don’t think you need them, until suddenly you do! Whether they’re keeping you dry or offering shade from strong sun, umbrellas are handy to have around. Plus, they add a festive aesthetic to your set-up. If the odds of a storm look likely at all, think about what back-up room (or garage space!) you can direct guests into.

5. Prep your pool area plan

If it’s a pool party, then have at it. If it’s not the party where you’ll have eyes on the pool and its swimmers at all times, then be sure to block off pool access and throw away the key (well, keep it for yourself, but keep the kiddos out).

6. Have wet wipes on hand

Pumpkin carving makes a mess. Apple-picking parties have a lot of “juice”. Roasting s’mores is sticky. Heck, whether your party is indoors or outdoors, we always love a good wet wipe.

7. Whip out food covers or nets

Use net-like food covers and every dish feels like an instant delicacy. That’s an option, in the case of any bugs (or nosy little fingers) around. We find it’s simpler than unwrapping cling wrap, but pick your poison.

8. Use napkin weights

The breeze is gonna come, it’s just bound to happen. Whether you use cute rocks to hold down the napkins or cutesy napkin weights, better to plan ahead than have a flurry of napkins flying around.

9. Keep Benji busy

We love him too. Your golden doodle is basically part of the fam. Unfortunately, your guests may not think so. Have a plan ahead of time for where your dog will spend the party. The other side of the fence likely isn’t gonna cut it - his barking is not the soundtrack you want to hear.

10. Lock in your speaker sitch

On that note, let’s make sure your desired playlist is up and running. If you have an outdoor sound system, check that it’s up to par. If not, look into wireless options, move a TV with loud speakers outside, or hook up the ancient Bose cords and call it a party. 

With that, we’re pretty sure your party is set to go! For more partytricks, check our bag (of tricks).

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