Home Tips: The Perfect Backyard Fete

Want to throw the perfect party but you have limited to no experience? No worries! Follow our five steps to a stylish backyard party, and the only things you’ll have to worry about are keeping your own glass full and avoiding mosquito bites.

1. Raise the Bar: The ideal drinks setup is streamlined, well stocked, and self-serve. Case in point: A batch of freshly squeezed lemonade will please practically everyone. Ice it down in a four-gallon stainless-steel dispenser and no one will get stuck manning the bar. Kids can help themselves; adults can punch theirs up with vodka and citrus and herb garnishes, which double as decor.
2. Refine Your Table: Dinner outdoors can be just as gracious and comfortable as one you’d host inside. To encourage guests to sit back and stay awhile, set a table with sturdy ceramic plates and flatware, hefty (but unbreakable) glassware, and colorful linens. To anchor your tablecloth in a breeze, clip a fishing sinker onto each corner.
3. Uninvite Pests: Run an electric fan and cover food with mesh domes to keep bugs away. This artistic deflector, inspired by a Mexican street vendor trick, shoos flies naturally: Sunlight reflecting off the water-filled glass bulb confuses and repels them.
4. Turn on Tunes: Connect a few Bluetooth speakers via wifi, and anyone with a smartphone can DJ. This sleek model with surround sound emits a warm, campfire-like glow. Queue up a few songs, or create a fun playlist.
5. Light the Way: Once the sun sets, create ambience with generous, well-placed lighting. Oversize lanterns lit by flameless LED candles can hang or perch along any path that needs brightening. String battery-powered, outdoor-safe bistro lights between trees for extra illumination sans outlets.