11 Jul Snapdragon Parties
Based in London, Snapdragon parties organise couture weddings and luxury parties, including stunning corporate events. As summer is upon us, many of us will be organising garden parties and events. To make your party spectacular Julia Dowling, Managing Director of Snapdragon Parties, has shared her tips on garden parties.
Julia Dowling’s Hot Tips on Garden Parties
From staging a grand occasion to hosting a more relaxed affair at a much-loved family home – there are limitless ways to make a garden party memorable.
Setting the tone
You need to work with a garden not against it – so if you have a beautifully manicured formal garden then aim to stage a suitably smart event. Use hessian matting to make paths easier to walk on – preventing mud from being a problem or heels sticking into soft grass. If any treacherous areas need to be negotiated make sure you put down suitable hardwood flooring. If, on the other hand, you plan to host your party in the wild and woolly grounds of a rambling rectory then tell people not to wear their favourite pair of Jimmy Choos and think of fun ways to reinforce the more rustic atmosphere. For example, use old garden sieves (with clean napkins on them) to serve food, old flower pots or a wheelbarrow full of ice to keep wine cool and wind wild flowers around the ropes of an old swing. Whichever route you take, set the tone from the invitation onwards and follow it through.
Make the most of your garden’s features
If your garden has a particularly beautiful herbaceous border, pergola or hedge think about ways you can incorporate it under a large open-sided tent and make it part of the decorations. Hang wide luxury ribbons or old lanterns from the boughs of a beautiful tree and watch them move with the breeze. Incorporate window boxes into a high back bar and surround a pond or pool with storm lanterns. If possible, plan a year ahead. Make a note of when your garden looks its best – and imagine how things could look and where everything should be placed. Allow for a bit of extra growth as well as some seasonal variation, caused by a particularly cold or mild winter or spring.
Weather, tents and warmth
Sadly we can’t rely on the weather at any time of year in this country but, as a result, the British often rather enjoy scurrying for shelter should the heavens open. After all, a downpour will give us something to talk about for hours! However, if there is even the smallest chance of rain, you do need to have a back-up plan to prevent your garden party from becoming a damp squib. Instead of a marquee why not use canopies or open-sided stretch tents. Better still, think about hiring some Bedouin style tents dotted around your garden which lend themselves to all sorts of styling opportunities, especially when filled with mountains of cushions, the odd antique mirror and a few lanterns. You can make each one slightly different – which makes it more fun for your guests. One of the best things about a garden party is discovering a secret corner which no one else has found. Even the warmest summer night can turn chilly, so make sure you buy in a good supply of fun rugs – the softer the better. As long as they don’t prevent a hazard, fire pits are an evocative way to provide warmth. Even a barbecue or a hog roast will throw off a surprising amount of heat as well as create a focal point. If the forecast is hot, make sure you have places where people can sit in the shade and that there are plenty of soft drinks.
Play to the senses
One of the main attractions of a good garden party is that it appeals to all the senses. The smell of roses, honeysuckle or beds bursting with lavender can be backed up with the use of home-grown raspberries added to glasses of Champagne or freshly picked mint in Caipirinhas or Mojitos. The feeling of grass, the smell of a distant barbecue and the sound of birdsong will all add to the atmosphere. Even if you let nature provide the main soundtrack you can still add to the individuality of tents or sitting areas with gentle ambient music which doesn’t carry too far.
Lighting
Lighting can turn an ordinary garden party into something quite magical and it can be as simple as lots of candles in jam jars or as dramatic as lighting all the most beautiful trees in the garden. At night, garden lighting should be relatively subtle – a little light goes a long way in the dark. Apart from candles and lanterns, your guests should never really notice the lights themselves, they should only notice what is being lit. Entertainment, food and drink Garden parties lend themselves to people wandering around rather than congregating in one place so it often makes more sense having some musicians, magicians, acrobats or stilt-walkers who can easily perform in different places rather than just one. Similarly, unless you have set up enough tables for everyone to sit down, choose food which is easy to eat while standing. If you are having fireworks don’t forget to alert your neighbours who might be affected and tell them roughly when they will be going off.
Children
Garden parties are perfect for children as long as they are properly supervised, especially if there are ponds, pools or other potential hazards. A good children’s entertainer can stage treasure hunts and all sorts of other games. Parents will really appreciate it if there is a good, properly staffed crèche (preferably out of earshot!).
Finishing touches
Personal touches are often one of the best ways to make a party memorable and garden parties are no exception. A nice way to end the evening and make sure that memories of your party live on is to give every guest a plant to take home that you have chosen especially for them with a handwritten tag attached to it. It could be anything from a small houseplant to an exotic shrub.
