Outdoor entertaining can be a fun and memorable experience for you and your guests. Whether you’ve got a jacuzzi, a pool or just a great deck, some of the best times can be had under the stars. To create a fun night with your family and friends you’ll need to just keep a few things in mind. Of course everything depends on where in the world you live, because, obviously, good weather is the place all outdoor entertaining starts.
Let’s talk about some outdoor entertaining ideas and some stumbling blocks to avoid.
Make it comfortable
Whatever your outdoor event, you need to have adequate seating for everyone. Having a comfortable set of patio furniture is really a must. These seating sets can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Remember, you don’t need to have heirloom quality outdoor furniture. If you shop around, you can find great quality outdoor furniture at a good price. The big box stores often have beautiful, sturdy, and comfortable furniture for your patio. That’s where we got ours. We’re going on our fifth season with our outdoor furniture and it’s holding up great.
We spent around $2k on our set and apart from having to vacuum the dog fur, it looks as good today as ever. We chose to go with a sofa (3 cushion), two chairs, a table, and two ottomans. This provides lots of seating for guests. There are also great upholstered cubes that can provide seats people can sit on to eat and drink. Matching foldable outdoor chairs are a great way to provide extra guest seating as well. Think about your outdoor living space as an extension of your home’s interior. Make it inviting.
Clean it up
Over time wood decks will start to show wear and tear. Tree sap and dirt can cause your once beautiful deck to look grungy. Power wash the area the day before. A wet deck can spell disaster because it can become slippery and become a danger to your guests. A wood deck will deteriorate over time, it’s inevitable. To keep your deck beautiful, longer, it’s a good idea to top coat it with a sealer. To prolong the life of your deck consider an acrylic deck coating to protect it from the elements. Maintaining the deck surface is much less expensive than replacing the it. When you notice any weak boards or railings, replace them before they get worse.
Maintaining the safety and beauty of your deck is the best way to protect your investment.
Light it up
It’s important to have enough lighting when you’re entertaining outdoors after the sun goes down. Outdoor lighting is not only functional, it provides a great ambiance as well. Filling up you trees with sparkling fairy lights gives the space a magical feeling. But these lights do little to actually illuminate the space. Adding Edison lights around your pergola or pavilion give ample light for everyone to safely get around.
If you don’t have an outdoor structure you can take six or seven foot posts and mount them in concrete in large planters. Set them up in a configuration and string your Edison lights between the poles. You can also string lights between trees if you have them. Outdoor chandeliers also can add beautiful lighting to your space. Landscaping lights also do a good job of illuminating walkways.
Have fun entertaining outdoors while the weather allows. Your guests will thank you!