Rob Howard
A successful dinner party doesn’t demand anything elaborate―just simple food, good company, and a convivial setting.
Looking for more fun summer party ideas? Find creative themes, menu ideas, decorating tips, and entertaining shortcuts.
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An umbrella not only has the obvious task of providing shade, it also helps define your outdoor dining room.
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Make wind less of an issue by skipping a tablecloth. Weight dishes―and greet guests―with small bowls of fresh fruit.
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Repurpose indoor furniture to create an outdoor “room.” Here, a cot covered with pillows becomes a settee.
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Set up tables in separate areas―say, drinks in one spot, dessert in another―to encourage guests to roam.
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Stock a bar cart with essentials: glasses, plates, ice, a cocktail shaker, and swizzle sticks. Wheel it back to the kitchen if you run low.
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Floating peonies and gardenias make a pretty centerpiece. Just pour water into a large serving platter, and trim the stems off each flower.
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To keep dairy-based dips chilled, fill a large bowl with ice, and sprinkle it with kosher salt. Place the dip bowl on top.
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Keep bugs away from food with an upended wire-mesh colander. Use Popsicle sticks to distinguish the rare burgers from the well-done.
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A summer party should be relaxed. Not enough seating to go around? Even tree stumps will do just fine.
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Set up a lemonade stand to keep guests hydrated on hot afternoons. Place glasses within easy reach on a dessert stand.
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Create ambience with themed decorations. Here, a starfish is tied to a basic napkin ring for a beachy feel.
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On a steamy night, your guests will be happy with simple fare: sparkling drinks and savory little bites, like fancied-up crudités.
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At twilight, make sure you provide plenty of lighting. Paper lanterns draped from tree limbs (with dark extension cords that blend in) are charmingly festive.
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Twinkling strands add instant ambience to any evening party. (Secure with plastic hooks―nails and staples can pierce the wire.)
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Hang glowing lanterns on low branches (be sure the lanterns’ handles are long enough that the flames sit about 12 inches from leaves and branches).
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A solution for cautious hosts: battery-operated candles. Provides you with the same warm light, with no worries of wind or dripping wax.
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Lend an ethereal effect to a backyard with solar lights, which run on energy gathered during the day and snap on as darkness falls.
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All the crackle of a campfire without the need to rough it: Set up a fire pit on grass or a stone patio.
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