Take Your Alfresco Entertaining Up a Notch…

Spring is well and truly here – even if the Great British weather isn’t quite playing ball. We don’t let the risk of rain dampen (pun intended!) our party-planning spirits at Love Lumi HQ, though.

Instead, we solider on with our plans for a spring/summer of alfresco hosting – and hope for the best. After all, if it does rain…we can simply bring the party inside. No bother.

If you’re planning a barbecue or garden party too, here’s how to ensure you’re the host (or hostess) with the most…

Regardless of what the weather’s doing, a cold beer is infinitely better than a lukewarm one – but it’s even more satisfying when it’s scorching hot outside. So, keep the drinks – alcoholic or otherwise – cold in a makeshift (or shop-bought) ice bucket. Or your bath tub – whatever you like.

How about make your own? Here's a link for how to make your own bucket made from ice!

Your guests will thank you for it if the sun does decide to rear its head – and you’ll be glad you planned ahead.

You might also want a fancy, automatic push-down bottle cap opener to hand…because who wants to faff around with a manual bottle opener? Not us, that’s who.

Whether you’re hosting a barbecue or a more sophisticated garden soiree, why not create a ‘grazing table’ to accompany your main dishes? Add anything from small cubes of cheese to other delicious finger foods and watch as your guests descend with glee!

You could even create a sweet grazing table, adding marshmallows, strawberries, chocolate, miniature biscuits and whatever else you think will take everyone’s fancy.

Emily Norris has plenty of tips on creating wow-worthy grazing tables in her ‘How to Feed a Crowd on a Budget’ video.

You might also want a dedicated board just for cheese – a personalised one, at that – because, well, who wouldn’t?!

Always wanted to own your own bar? Is it time to really go to town and turn your garden shed into a makeshift pub, then – just for fun? Or maybe you could simply have a ‘drinks station’ or bar trolley, featuring all manner of beverages.

Take your creativity up another notch by making your own bar out of pallets! Full instructions here.

You could set up a mocktail bar for the kids, incorporating lots of little additions like paper umbrellas. Or glace cherries, perfect for piercing cocktail sticks with for DIY pina coladas and such like.

You might also want a personalised gin bar hamper crate, ideal for displaying your favourite glasses.

Okay, so not everyone is a fan of ‘forced fun’, so encourage only the guests who want to take part in the party games to get involved.

Perhaps you can assign a friend or family member to host the games – whether that be good, old-fashioned charades or maybe even something nostalgic and, let’s face it, a bit childish, like a three-legged or egg and spoon race.

You might also want to award the winner of the egg and spoon race with their very own egg cup ‘trophy’ – what else?!

Come rain or shine, here’s to a fun-filled spring/summer – and if your garden party is in aid of someone’s birthday, don’t forget to check out our party décor.

Until next time…