Springtime Soire

Plan the Perfect Outdoor Dinner Party

By Julie Senger

Hooray! Springtime has officially arrived, ushering in warmer temperatures and more daylight hours. So, before we roll in to the sticky-hot, humid days of summer in Georgia, now is the perfect time to plan an outdoor dinner party for friends and family. Heres what you need to do to pull off the perfect springtime soire.

Lets Get This Party Started!

Thematically Speaking:
The first thing you need to do is decide on a theme. The best way to decide this is to consider the reason youre gathering people together for an outdoor meal. Some popular spring themes for outdoor dinner parties include: Easter dinner, little league baseball, bridal/baby showers, wine-and-cheese/chocolate tasting, small plates/appetizers, garden party, spring harvest, block party, Cinco de Mayo Mexican fiesta, rustic BBQ, low-country boil, farm-to-table, Hawaiian luau, ethnic food (Moroccan, sushi, Italian, etc.), murder mystery, and and and. you get the point; the possibilities are endless!

Youre Cordially Invited:
If your theme is less formal, your invitations can be as casual as a phone call, face-to-face conversation, a flier posted in the break room at work or a group invitation in social media/Messenger. However, if your theme is more formal, youll want to order or create traditional invitations to send out via regular mail. Your invitations should hint at your theme. In other words, if youre having a garden dinner party, you may want to select an invitation with a delicate floral pattern. If youre having a murder-mystery dinner party, your invitations might have fingerprints or a magnifying glass depicted on them.

In addition to date, time, theme and location, be sure to let your guests know what to expect, so they can come prepared. If your theme requires that your guests dress a certain way (formal/casual attire, costumes, etc.), make sure to indicate this on the invitation. You will also want to let your guests know if they need to bring anything (BYOB, a side dish/dessert to share, white-elephant gift, games/sports equipment, etc.).

Ambiance Set the Stage.

Thats Music to My Ears:
Unless your dinner has another planned form of entertainment (outdoor movie night, spoken-word poetry readings, etc.), youll need to decide what type of music to have at your party. You can hire a DJ or live musicians, or you can run your digital music app of choice (Pandora, Spotify, etc.) through speakers you have set up outside.

Make sure that your music compliments the theme youve chosen. For example, if your theme is sports-related, you might want to select a stadium/arena rock station on your music app. If youre having a wine-and-cheese/chocolate tasting, you may consider hiring an acoustic band or solo artist to play mellow, mood music in the background. Make sure that youre considerate of your neighbors and aware of local noise ordinances.

Ive Seen the Light:
Though many people dont give it much thought, lighting is very important when it comes to setting the mood for your outdoor dinner party. If youre having a Hawaiian luau, you may want to set up lots of tiki torches around the area. A sushi dinner party might call for paper lanterns, or a Moroccan theme would be best illuminated by colorful, ornate, glass lanterns. String lights or twinkling fairy lights draped from tree branches or adhered to nearby bushes or fences are always a lovely choice that can complement many different themes.

Table Decor:
When setting/decorating the table where your guests will dine, in addition to sticking with your theme (Ha! Are you noticing a running theme here?), be sure that your centerpieces are low enough so as not to obstruct the flow of conversation. Lots of tealight candles floating in water in short glass bowls or short vases and/or votive candles in various types of decorative candle holders are always a safe choice. Short flower arrangements, plants or succulents bring fresh life to the table.

Its always a good idea to set up a separate table or three so that your guests have plenty of space to eat on the dining table; set up one table for drinks, one for your main course and side dishes and one for desserts. The exception to this would be if youre planning a low-country boil, in which case youd use a disposable table cloth and dump the delicious food right down the middle of the butcher-paper table runner. Be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand!

Food! Get in Muh Belly!

Whats for Dinner?
While your theme will likely dictate your menu, you dont necessarily have to prepare the food yourself. Catering is a wonderful option for those short on time or for parties planned on short notice. There are many local restaurants that can accommodate you. For example, if youre having a BBQ-themed event, Butts and Barley has delicious entrees as well as down-home southern sides and yummy desserts.

When preparing the food yourself, if youre not preparing items that will be consumed right when theyre served, consider making dishes that will be palatable at room temperature, so you dont have to worry about being close to a kitchen or other heat source, and guests can snack throughout the evening. Youll also want to make sure that you have a way to cover food items while theyre not being eaten in order to keep out the bugs.

Other Things to Consider

Extra-Curricular Activities:
If youd like to be considered the host(ess)-with-the-most(ess), plan to have a few activities for guests to enjoy once the meal has concluded. Cornhole, horseshoes, Slip n Slide, Twister, hula-hoops, jump ropes, karaoke machines, badminton/volleyball nets, sprinklers, bubbles, sidewalk chalk and movies projected onto an outdoor screen are fun ideas, many of which are great for adults and children alike.

Climate Control:
Springtime in Georgia can be a bit unpredictable. Plan to have fans (electric and hand-held) in case its still really hot when the sun goes down or a fire pit, campfire or bonfire in case it gets chilly. If it has been awhile since it last rained, make sure there are no current bans on outdoor burning in your area before igniting your flames.