So, you want to throw a garden room party in the winter? No problem!
Who says you can only have garden parties during the summer?
With a little creativity, you can make your winter party just as fun, festive and awesome!
Follow our guide on how to throw a garden room party in the winter.
Some of the things you may already have thought of and others, you may not... However, with our tips, you’ll be throwing a garden room party like a pro this winter!
So, let’s get into it:
1. Pick A Theme
Every party needs a theme, no?
And what’s a garden party without a botanical theme?
For your winter garden party, go for a more “muted” colour scheme; think whites, greens, and blues… This will help give your garden room party a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Of course, you can always add a pop of colour here and there!
2. Pick A Date
Now that you have a theme, the next thing on your list is picking a date. We're guessing that your garden room party will likely be near or during the festive season, so pinning people down for a date can turn out to be a bit tricky.
The best way to do this is by giving people a few dates to choose from. This way, you're bound to find a date that works for (almost) everyone!
3. Send Out Invites
Once you have a date, it's time to send out the invitations! You can either go ol’ school with physical invitations or do it the modern way and create an event on Facebook.
If you're going to be sending out physical invitations, make sure they're festive and winter-themed - you’ll be able to find plenty of great ideas for DIY invitations online.
For your Facebook event, make sure to include all of the important details like the date, time, location, and what kind of party it is. It's also a good idea to put up a festive cover photo.
It would also be a good idea to inform your neighbours about the garden room party, too - if you have no intention of inviting them, that is. Most people appreciate a heads-up prior to the event because they can make other arrangements for the evening, if necessary.
4. Plan The Menu
For those of you who are used to reading our articles, you'll know that we've mentioned planning before and there's a good reason for that.
Planning is key to throwing a successful party..!
One of the most important things you'll need to plan is the menu: What kind of food will you be serving?
Are you hiring a caterer, serving quick and easy finger foods, or will you be doing a potluck?
You may also want to think about how you’ll keep the hot food hot and the cold food cold; this could be the difference between investing in some table warmers or choosing to stick to things that are best eaten at room temperature, like cheeses and such.
Some of our favourite winter party food ideas are:
- Chilli.
- Mac and Cheese.
- Spicy Chicken Wings.
- Veggie Tray with Ranch Dip.
- S'mores Dip.
- Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese.
- Smoked Bacon Wrapped Carrots.
- Mini beef wellingtons.
- Cheese fondue balls.
- Sticky pork belly bites.
Depending on the theme, you could create a ‘signature’ drink (with or without alcohol) - hot chocolate, coffee, and tea are always great choices to have on standby for a winter party.
If you don't have any means of heating your food up in your garden room, then you'll need to pre-prepare the food in your kitchen.
You can either do this the night before or on the day of the garden room party. Just make sure that you have enough time to set up everything else before the food is ready!
5. Set The Mood With Music And Lighting
Once you have the food and drinks sorted out, it's time to set the mood with music and lighting.
For music, you'll want to create a playlist that's festive and gets people in a celebratin’ mood! If you can, try to have several different playlists that people can choose from.
This way, everyone will be able to find something that they like.
As for lighting, fairy lights are always a good idea - they instantly create an inviting atmosphere in your garden room, whether they are hung up around the top of the wall or bunched together in either glass vases or fish bowls, then placed strategically throughout the room… We are yet to meet a fairy light we didn’t like!
If you have any lanterns, now would be the time to get them out - these can be lit by real candles/tealights, however, you might want to think about investing in some good quality battery-operated ones instead…That way, you’re not spending your evening worrying about someone knocking/kicking your lanterns over and ending up with wax halfway up their arm or leg!
6. Heating
You'll need to make sure that your garden room is properly heated - no one wants to be freezing cold at a party!
If you have a fireplace, now would be the time to light it. If not, you can always bring in space heaters to heat up the room.
Just make sure that you don't put them too close to any flammable objects like curtains or furniture.
7. Set Up A Bar Area
Depending on how large your garden room is, you may want to set up a bar area - this will be a designated area for people to get their drinks.
If you choose to include a signature drink, this would be the perfect place to put it! You could even set up a hot chocolate or coffee bar with all of the fixings.
Don't forget to also set out some glasses and cups for people to use. And, if you're serving alcohol, make sure to have some non-alcoholic options as well.
Where possible, try not to have glass near the fireplace. If someone bumps into it, it could shatter and cause an accident. It's also a good idea to serve your drinks in plastic cups (but make ‘em cute).
8. Prepare Your Garden Room
So, now everything’s planned out, it's time to start preparing your garden room…
If you have any furniture that needs to be moved, now would be the time to do it. You'll want to create a layout that's conducive to socialising and dancing.
Once you have the furniture arranged the way you want it, it's time to start decorating. This is where you can really let your creativity come to life...
9. Decorations
Last, but by no means least, it's time to decorate!
Earlier on we mentioned greens, whites, and blues, but it really is up to you - as long as it’s in keeping with the theme, GO NUTS!
Some great ideas for winter party decorations are:
- Snowflakes
- String lights
- Gift boxes
- Pine cones
- Christmas trees
With these tips, you're sure to throw the best garden room party this winter!
Have we missed anything?
Let us know in the comments below!
