Garden Party Planning: Themes, Decorations, Food, & More!

Garden Party Planning: Themes, Decorations, Food, & More!

With sunshine on the horizon and the King’s Coronation just around the corner, you might be thinking about outdoor celebrations and how you can make the most of the glorious British summertime. In this article, our lifestyle team has put together their ultimate garden party guide, complete with delicious food & drink ideas, games, themes, and decorations!

How do you plan a garden party? When planning your garden party, consider these aspects:

Choose a theme and stick to it throughout the planning

Decorate your party accordingly (bunting, balloons, flowers, crockery, lighting, etc)

Choose your food, which may include a BBQ or picnic

Stock both alcoholic and soft beverages

Entertain with garden party games such as croquet or rounders

We’ve created the ultimate garden party guide; read on for food & drink ideas, as well as our favourite garden party theme ideas, party games, decorations, and much more…

Garden Party Theme Ideas

The first step to organising your party is choosing your theme - this will dictate your decorations and your food & beverage choices! We’ve outlined some of the best garden party theme ideas below:

• Royal / the King’s Coronation
• Beach party 
• Spring fling
• Boho picnic
• Pink party 
• Tropical
• Garden brunch

If you’re throwing a garden party for younger kids or teenagers, why not try these themes instead?

• Mad Hatter’s tea party
• Unicorn & rainbows
• Football (great for when large events happen, such as the World Cup)
• Animal jungle

Decorations For a Garden Party

For a Pinterest-worthy garden party, decorations are a must. They don’t have to be expensive! We explore some of the most colourful and creative decorations for a garden party below:

Garden Shelter

British weather can be so unpredictable, so make sure you plan ahead for wind and rain, or even an unexpected heat wave. You can do this by renting or buying a gazebo for shelter from the rain, or by creating an area for the little ones with a teepee. If you simply want to create shade for your guests, use a garden awning. 

Bunting & Flags

Bunting can be a cost-effective way to decorate your garden or gazebo. Be sure to keep your chosen theme in mind when buying your bunting. For our King’s Coronation garden party, we’ll be purchasing red, white, and blue flags with the official emblem. 

If you have time ahead of your event, get your kids involved by making paper chains instead of buying flags. You can make them in almost any colour, and they are a great eco-friendly and budget option. 

Wicker Baskets

Wicker baskets look particularly good if you’re going for a coastal or boho theme for your garden party. As the cold evening draws in, we’d recommend that you fill up a blanket basket with cosy throws for guests to wrap themselves in. Wicker baskets also work well as planters or cutlery storage. 

We stock a range of stunning and sustainably made household wicker baskets here at Northern Willow, which you can find by exploring our website categories. 

Fresh Floral Arrangements

Fresh flowers and foliage are an effective way to make your party look super stylish. Choose flowers that keep with your chosen theme, if it has a specific colour. Pop your arrangements in vintage vases and dot them around your party. If your budget allows, why not consider a hanging floral arrangement? The beautiful floral installations will definitely help you create that unmissable ‘wow’ factor!

Top Tip: If you’re on a budget, buy one large bunch of your chosen flowers and split them into smaller jars. This way, you can spread them around your garden and tables

Wine Baskets 

Add a touch of elegance to your garden party by storing your wine and beer in wine carriers. Wine carriers are perfect for displaying your bottles on the food table, or for dotting around your party for your guests to help themselves to. Combine with a posh picnic for the ultimate outdoor excursion.

We stock beautiful wine baskets, which are specially made for garden parties. Our Chilled Garden Party Set has a built-in zipped chilled compartment making sure drinks are kept cold even on the hottest days and includes 12 champagne glasses which can all be stored in their own compartments.

Planters 

If your garden already looks pretty, then you won’t need many decorations! Use wicker basket planters to pot herbs and fresh flowers. Smaller potted plants can also be used as table centrepieces in a pinch.

If you’re keen to learn how to use wicker baskets for planting flowers and vegetables, give one of our latest articles a read - ‘Building a Sustainable Garden’.

Tableware & Crockery

Mismatched tableware can be a fabulous way to incorporate funky colours without worrying about finding matching plates for extra guests. Look around vintage stores and charity shops to find unique pieces for your garden party. To add a cute feminine touch, tie sets of cutlery together with a bow made from colourful ribbon. 

For those of you who don’t want all of that washing up to do (we certainly don’t!), you could instead opt for biodegradable plates and cutlery. 

Mood Lighting

If you’re planning a garden party that you know will run into the late evening, ensure you set the mood with fairy lights, lanterns, and candles. You could also use a fire pit or patio heaters for lighting and warmth if you already have these on hand. 

Other decoration ideas include:

• Paper pompoms
• Handwritten signs 
• Balloons

Garden Party Food & Drink Ideas 

Food

Food is one of the most important aspects of any garden party (at least in our opinion!). We’ve outlined a variety of options below, each ideal for a range of garden party themes:

Grazing Tables 

Grazing tables and boards are one of the most stylish food options you can go for. We love this option as it's very versatile whilst remaining social - guests can graze and chit-chat around the table over the course of an afternoon. Grazing platters can be made to suit groups of all sizes, whilst remaining a hassle-free option for you as a host or hostess. 

A Classic BBQ

There is nothing better than hot dogs and burgers in the British summertime, so a BBQ is a perfect option for your garden party. Most supermarkets bring out dedicated BBQ ranges at this time of year, so there are plenty of options to choose from. For any veggie guests, we’d recommend grilling halloumi and vegetable skewers, or buying meat-free burgers for them to enjoy. Serve alongside fresh salads, buns, and plenty of sauce options!

Posh Picnics

Posh picnics are a great option if you only have a small number of guests attending your garden party, or if you are celebrating away from home. Simply lay out a soft rug or picnic blanket and lay out a selection of picnic nibbles (think finger sandwiches, salads, and other ‘picky bits’). If you’re feeling extra fancy, bring your supplies in a fully-stocked picnic basket, complete with crockery, plates, and wine glasses!

If you’d like to find out more about creating a fancy picnic for your guests, complete with equipment, food ideas, drinks, and decorations, why not read one of our popular blogs- ‘Posh Picnics: Your Ultimate Guide’?

Potlucks

Popular in the US, a ‘potluck’ is where guests who are attending your garden party each bring a dish to share. Agree in advance on what each person should bring, for example, a dip, a platter, a meat dish, a salad, a pudding, etc. A potluck is great if you are on a budget, or simply if you can’t find the time to cook!

Drinks

We like to get a little more creative than your standard beer buckets, so we’ve outlined some easy garden party drink ideas below. Keep your drinks on a sturdy table lined with a colourful tablecloth, and most importantly, encourage guests to help themselves!

Cocktail Pitchers

If you are hosting a garden party for the King’s Coronation this year, a pitcher of Pimms & lemonade on the table is a must-have. Top your beverage with fresh summer fruits and lashings of fresh mint and ice before serving. 

Other fabulous pitcher options for your garden cocktail party include the classic Mojito, as well as spiked strawberry lemonade, spicy Margaritas, Pink Sangria, or bloody Marys.

Top Tip: Always have a mocktail version available - this is a great way to make kids feel ‘grown up’, whilst offering an option for those who don’t drink alcohol.

‘Pimp Your Prosecco’ Table

If you’re having your girlfriends over, a ‘pimp your prosecco’ station always goes down a treat! Simply set up a table with the following:

• A large ice-filled bucket with plenty of prosecco
• Carafes of fresh orange, cranberry or elderflower juice
• Slices of citrus fruits and berries 
• Edible prosecco glitter 
• Sorbet in a variety of flavours to make a sgroppino-style cocktail
• Springs of fresh mint

Homemade Lemonade

This classic drink is popular with almost everyone, and here’s how you make it:

1. Remove the zest and juice a bag of lemons (we use one lemon per person)
2. Add the zest to a saucepan with 400ml of water and 120g of sugar
3. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously to dissolve the sugar before adding your lemon juice
4. Use this mixture as a lemon cordial to mix with still or sparkling water
5. Garnish with ice and lemon slices, and enjoy!

Garden Party Games

Keeping your guests entertained all afternoon might initially sound like a challenge, but trust us, it’s way easier than you think! We’ve outlined a few of our family-friendly favourites below:

• Croquet 
• Beer or prosecco-pong
• DIY pub quiz (a royal-family-themed quiz would be perfect for a King’s Coronation garden party)
• Giant classic games like Jenga, Connect 4, or Noughts & Crosses
• Mölkky (also known as Finska)
• Rounders

Garden Party Hosting Accessories From Northern Willow

From posh picnic baskets, to elegant wine carriers, outdoor planters, blanket baskets, and more - you can find everything you need to host the perfect outdoor soiree on our website. Each of our items is carefully handcrafted from sustainable materials, so you can trust that they’ll last for years (and many garden parties!) to come. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team via email - we’ll be more than happy to help! PS… we also offer free shipping on all orders over £100.