5 Outdoor Entertaining Ideas

by Alli

Whether you are planning a small intimate date night outdoors or having the entire family or neighborhood drop in (yikes!), or celebrating a special occasion (graduation, bridal/baby shower, going away party, etc.), here's some ideas I think you're going to like!

5 Outdoor Entertaining Ideas

1. Ditch the plain, boring paper plates.

I used melamine and bought mine at World Market. They would get a little pricey if you needed to buy a large number of pieces. But, I also spotted some beautiful ones at The Dollar Tree and I fell in love with the orange/white and blue/white pattern I need to go back and buy them! I just like the way melamine kicks an outdoor party up a notch, but still keeps that casual vibe.

If you want to stick with paper for easy clean up, go beyond the plain and boring and add a pop of color!

2. Keep it simple and low key.

Just because you don't use paper plates, doesn't mean that you have to stress over the meal. Make up a simple menu and let the grill do all of your work! Check out my perfectly cooked steaks here! But you can go way beyond the beef! The veggies can be cooked on the grill, too. Even dessert can be grilled! Here's 17 irresistible grilled desserts!

A fish fry is a little more prep work, but, honestly, the outside deep fryer does all the work! Find the best fried fish in the world right here! Or keep it ultra healthy and grill your fish.

When cooking outdoors, my menu usually consists of a freshly prepared salad, a main dish meat, a starch, a vegetable, assorted beverages and a dessert. Sometimes, if I'm feeling especially festive, I'll have an appetizer - usually an antipasto platter. My favorite is Ina Garten's!

3. Prep your yard and clean the house!

Make sure the lawn is mowed and your landscaping is tidy. Also, unless you have an outdoor pool house with a bathroom, make sure the house is clean. (I always do the deep cleaning a few days in advance and then on the day of the party I hit the high spots!

Make sure you have citronella candles to keep unwanted pests away.

Helpful Hint: Mint will help keep the flies away! Use pots of mint as part of your decor. It's beautiful and smells good. On that note . . .

4. Decorate with cuttings from your yard.

It's pretty! It's free! What more could you ask for?

5. If you feel too overwhelmed, have a pot-luck.

Ask everyone to bring a dish. It's helpful to specify dessert, side dish, etc. so that everyone doesn't bring dessert. Of course, that would be fine by me! :) And ask your BFF to come over early and help you set up.

The outdoor party that I'm featuring here is an intimate party for my husband and me. And I decided to celebrate our upcoming trip to St. Lucia.

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2 comments

Amy Ellis @ StowandTellU on Jul 28, 2014
Ali, these are great tips. I had no idea about the mint keeping the bugs away and I agree, melamine plateware really comes in handy. We had a set for YEARS when I was growing up!!

1 Reply
Alli on Jul 29, 2014
Thanks, Amy! Mint really does work!

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