Simple 7 Steps to Plan an Outdoor Dinner Day

Compared with traditional indoor meals, outdoor dinners can bring a more relaxed atmosphere. But when it comes to the actual party preparation, you may encounter a lot of trouble - how to choose the venue? How to arrange tables and chairs? How to prepare food? Even weather changes may affect the whole plan. Have you ever given up organizing an outdoor dinner party because of these troubles?

Don't worry! This article will provide you with a simple 7-step guide to everything from site selection and setup to meals and entertainment and more. Hopefully, it will help you host a hassle-free outdoor dinner!

Choose the Right Place for Your Outdoor Dinner Party

Instead of bothering to find popular campgrounds, start with your own backyard! This saves running around carrying supplies and makes it easier to add food and set up. But there are some details that you should be aware of：

• First, you need to check the grass for potholes or slopes (if it's uneven, use old carpeting, waterproof picnic mats, or patchwork boards to temporarily level it). In particular, the table and chair legs should be stable at the contact points to avoid spilling soup or wobbling awkwardly when guests get up. 

• To make the environment more tidy and beautiful, you should mow the lawn and clean up leaf litter and waterlogged corners (mosquito breeding areas) before the garden dinner party. Spray lemongrass oil or put out mugwort bunches to naturally repel insects.

• What's more, it's worth mentioning that pick shady spots (shaded areas such as under the shade of a tree, next to the eaves of a house, or on the side of a fence). If natural shade is not available, a pole tent is a good alternative.

The Sheltent pole tent features a UV-resistant coating, providing excellent protection from the sun's harmful rays. In addition, the tent cover is made of high-density PVC fabric, so it's waterproof. Even if it rains outside, it keeps the tent a dry interior. Moreover, the tent is made of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. The sturdy construction can withstand wind speeds of up to 60 km/h.

Dinner under the tent brings freshness like glamping. You don't really have to do the trek, but you still enjoy the natural beauty of your backyard. And it also gives the dinner more space for creativity. For example, if you set up a clear top tent, everything will change.

At night outdoor dinner party, when the tent is filled with soft lights, the light pours through the tarp, and those sitting inside feel like they are enveloped in a glowing bubble. This distinctive atmosphere can make you and your friends feel happier.

Theme May Offer Advice on Something

Choosing an outdoor dinner party theme can help you determine the overall style and then guide the decorations, tableware, and food. But if you think it's too much of a hassle for a lot of things to be relevant to the theme, you can also base your dinner party setup on the natural environment palette of your backyard.

Considering the greenery, flowers, and natural tones around your backyard, you can choose colors and styles of decorations that harmonize with these elements. For example, pair it with wooden tables and chairs, simple white tableware, or natural floral decorations. This is aesthetically pleasing without the need for a complicated thematic design.

Confirm Your Guest List and Send an Invitation

You need to decide how many people to invite in conjunction with the venue space, budget, and the ideal outdoor dinner party atmosphere. If the backyard space is limited, it is advisable to keep the party small and guests will not feel crowded. If the venue is spacious and on a budget, you can invite more people and the meal will be more lively.

After confirming the guests, it is time to send out the invitations. The invitation method can be chosen according to the style of the party:

• Electronic invitations (e.g. social media, email) are quicker and suitable for a casual party;

• Paper invitations are more ceremonial and suitable for formal dinners.

Regardless of the method, invitations should include key information such as party time, location, dress code suggestions (if any), RSVP reply method, etc., to make it easier for guests to schedule and for you to better plan catering and seating layouts.

Dinner Party Table Set up

You can choose the shape of the dining table based on the party atmosphere you envision once you know exactly how many people are coming to the party:

• Round tables are suitable for parties of 6-8 people, and guests can communicate freely. This atmosphere is more harmonious.

• Long tables are more suitable for formal dinners or large gatherings and are visually more atmospheric.

• U-shaped tables help to create a sense of interaction (e.g., playing board games).

We recommend that the table be cleaned and prepared in advance. All dishes, knives, forks, glasses, etc., should be cleaned, wiped free of water damage, and set in place in advance. To enhance the beauty of your table, you can add a beautiful tablecloth or placemats. Don't forget that the color and material of the tablecloth should coordinate with the overall theme.

Place some more decorations in the center of the table so it will not be so monotonous. The following are some common methods:

• Vase + flowers. It can add aesthetic beauty to the table, but be careful that the bouquet should not be too high, so as not to affect the guests' sight and communication.

• Candles or lights can make the surroundings romantic (but don't forget to use windshield candles).

Additionally, adding napkins, personalized menu cards, or small ornaments can make your guests feel even more appreciated.

Outdoor Dinner Party Decor

The overall décor of the party is also bound to be centered around the atmosphere you want. The entrance is your guests' first impression of the party, so consider accenting it with strings of lights, a floral arch, or a simple welcome sign. Alternatively, you can place a wooden sign or chalkboard welcome sign at the entrance with lanterns or greenery decorations.

You can't always rely on moonlight to illuminate the party when it starts. So you need to set up some tent lighting that will both illuminate the party and add to the overall ambiance. Hang strings of lights from the top of the party tent, tree branches, or fences so guests can move around easily without the hassle of navigating in the dark.

As well, the ground can also be illuminated by placing small garden lights or solar lights along the lawn or on both sides of the path to the table. This keeps the overall color palette coordinated.

Outdoor Dinner Party Menu & Food & Drink

The menu for an outdoor dinner party can be set according to the season and the tastes of your guests. It should feature seasonal ingredients as well as consider the convenience of outdoor dining. The summer outdoor dinner party lends itself to refreshing, light foods such as fresh seafood, grilled vegetables, cold salads, grilled chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, and cold noodles.

Also prepare chilled drinks that are perfect for summer, such as homemade lemonade, or serve wine and refreshing cocktails, such as mojitos, white sangria, or grapefruit sparkling cocktails. Fruit smoothies or coconut water are also great choices if non-alcoholic options are desired.

🎈Tips: There are also a few more details to keep in mind when preparing party food and drinks. First, food should be prepared as far in advance as possible; for example, salads and cold cuts can be made ahead and refrigerated. Meat and seafood can be marinated in advance and cooked straight away when guests arrive.

With the high temperatures of summer, foods that spoil easily, such as dairy products and sashimi, should be frozen. Moreover, prepare enough ice in advance and arrange a beverage area for guests to help themselves.

Provide Entertainment for Outdoor Dinner

An outdoor dinner party is more than just a culinary treat; proper party entertainment can make your time together even more enjoyable. You can arrange a freestyle rap competition for your guests to improvise, or “Who's Undercover” and “You Draw, I Guess” to increase the tacit understanding and promote friendship.

If you want a more pleasant experience, you can set up a cocktail mixing session so that guests can freely mix and match flavors and enjoy the fun of DIY. When playing games, you can play some popular music so that everyone may be more engaged.

Throw a Fun Outdoor Dinner Party with Sheltent

Hosting a successful outdoor dinner party requires not only good food but also a comfortable and enjoyable environment where guests can relax and have fun! And a tent can just do the trick. The key to ensuring a high-quality tent is to choose a reliable and experienced provider.

As a brand in the industry for nearly 10 years, Sheltent has always been committed to providing users with high-quality and cost-effective tent products. Our party tents come in a variety of styles, such as frame party tents, high peak party tents, clear top party tents, and more. They are modular in design, so their sizes are not fixed for one option. You can expand or reduce the tent size depending on the number of guests.

And with an aluminum alloy frame and reinforced seams, our tent is resistant to wear and tear and is highly durable. Its PVC cover can also be waterproof and UV resistant. If you have any questions or need help, contact us today.

FAQs About Outdoor Dinner Party

What to Wear to an Outdoor Dinner Party?

You need to inform guests of the theme of the party and the expected weather temperature in advance so that guests can choose appropriate clothing according to the actual situation. Here are some common pairing suggestions:

• Formal Parties: long dresses or suits for slightly cooler evenings.

• Casual Party: lightweight T-shirt and jeans or simple dress.

• Cool Weather: sweaters, jackets, and scarves.

What Makes a Great Outdoor Dinner Party？

Creating an outdoor dinner party isn't as hard as you think, and you just follow these methods to get it done successfully.

• Choose the Right Venue: Consider your backyard for convenience and flexibility.

• Use Sheltent's reliable and durable tents to hold an outdoor dinner party

• Plan Decorations: Set the atmosphere with colors and styles that complement nature.

• Confirm Your Guest List: Ensure the number of guests matches the space and budget.

• Set Up the Table: Arrange the dining table shape and clean everything in advance.

• Decorate the Space: Enhance the ambiance with lighting, flowers, and small ornaments.

• Prepare Seasonal Food and Drinks: Offer dishes that are easy to serve outdoors.

• Provide Entertainment: Organize fun games or activities to engage guests.