When the weather outside is good in summer, partying is a must. Hosting a get-together in your backyard with friends and guests doesn’t have to be tough. That’s why take help from party tent rentals and this easy guide for planning a deck party.

Create A List

Whichever type of party you’re hosting, your first move should be creating a list of everything you will need for the party. Maybe your guest list includes some people who are diabetic so you will need to get some sugar-free drinks and food items and you would not want to forget this detail. This is why making a list is so crucial.

Guest List

As you’re creating a list of the items and things you will need, you should prepare another list that should have the names of all the people you will be inviting for the deck party.

The first thing to consider is how many people you are comfortable inviting and how many people can your backyard accommodate. Moreover, create a guest list by keeping in mind that some people won’t come. Plan the guest with a 20% decline rate. So, you can also make another list that has people who will be promoted to the guest list if someone declines.

Don’t forget to invite some people who can make any party fun – they are usually called the life of a party.

Invites

The last point leads us directly to this part of party planning. As you want to know exactly how many people will come and how many won’t so you can also invite some other people, you should send out invites as early as you can.

The best time for sending out invites is after realizing the type of party you want to host and creating a list of the things required for the party. Once you decide the type and scale of the party you’re having, get on with the invites.

It’s a party so you don’t need to send physical invites. Send out invites via email, SMS, instant messaging, or a phone call. Request an RSVP, so you know who won’t come and you can allot that space to someone else (without telling them that they were not on your original guest list).

Moreover, share any other important detail in the invite as well like the theme, the food, or if they need to bring something.

The Menu

After creating the guest list and sending out invites, you can go on with checking off the things you have listed in your party planning checklist. Begin with the menu.

The menu depends on the size of the party and the focus of the party. If you have a medium-sized party, but the focus is on any other activity, you can go light with the menu because you only need people occupied when they are not doing that activity or when they are chatting.

However, if the focus of your party is the activity as well as the food, then you need to prepare more food and include more items. Common food items you can include that everyone loves are pizzas, salads, hamburgers, and hotdogs. You can also include bite-sized food for people who want to eat something light.

A tip for anyone who would cook the meal is to create a menu where all the food items are easy to prepare and only one item is difficult to cook. Then, make that item the focal point of the menu and amaze your guests.

Prepare Your Backyard And Deck

You will be hosting a party in your deck so you will need to get it ready for the action. We don’t mean décor here. Before décor, you should focus on cleaning and tidying up the space because you won’t like your friends to see a pile of leaves in the yard, or unmown lawn, or a dirty deck.

So, declutter the space and remove things that don’t belong to the deck or backyard. Even the tools should go to the garage or a shed if you have one.

Then, clear the backyard especially the pathways and the deck from leaves, branches, and other debris. If you have overgrown trees and shrubs, trim them first before removing leaves and debris.

Remove furniture from the deck and pressure wash it if it hasn’t been for a year and then move in furniture that you will need for the party. Place trash cans where you can access them easily but are not in direct sight of someone on the deck.

Moreover, prepare your outdoor kitchen for the party as well so check if your grill is fine along with other appliances and equipment.

Take Care Of Seating

Depending on the number of people you’re inviting, you will need more chairs and tables. To avoid being in a situation where there is less seating than the guests, always get more chairs and tables than you need.

If you’re having a small party, you can simply take out seating from the indoor, but if the party is big, it’s better to rent tables and chairs and other items as well.

In case your deck is not big enough to accommodate all the guests, create multiple seating areas on the deck and in the yard. This will also encourage like-minded people to gather in one part of the space.

Avoid Bugs

A disadvantage of warm weather is pests and bugs that can make your outdoor time irritating. To make sure your guests don’t feel this way in your deck party, create a plan to deal with pests.

Clean the area and ensure there is no spot with standing water. Place fans strategically to keep bugs from disturbing the guests. And spray a bug repellant an hour before the party in the yard or keep it with you in case the bug situation becomes worse.

Plus, don’t forget your food. Cover it with something like netting or a lid to keep pests away from the food because it’s for the guests, not the bugs.

Shade

If your deck party is during the daytime, there should be a shade planned too so guests who want to move to a shade should have an option for that. The shade can be your roofed deck, a tent set up, especially for the party, or anything else. If you have a pergola set up, install a retractable tent on it.

This will also prove to be a great place if the weather becomes rainy. There will be enough space for many guests to enjoy the rain without getting wet.

Decoration

You can decorate the space that shows your personality or according to the theme. If it’s a non-themed party, balloons, lanterns, pinata, and colorful tablecloths almost always work. For a night deck party, string lights are also a staple that looks enhancing.

Have A Backup Plan

We touched upon this earlier that you should have shade for guests who want to avoid the sun and for a change in the weather. If you have a big party, make sure you have set up a tent that can accommodate all of your guests in case of rain.

Conclusion

A deck party summons joy and fun so plan the party well, take input from party rentals Clarksburg, and then enjoy the party.