Planning the Perfect Summer Party

We’re not doing too badly with the sunshine recently, which is making us trawl the internet for garden party ideas. With the perfect mix of good weather, good friends and good food, a gathering in the garden can be a memorable occasion of laughter, stories and good times.

We’re throwing a few summer party ideas out on this blog, to make your next get together one to remember!

Set the scene

Any good party needs somewhere inviting to sit, and B&M have pushed the boat out this year with its range of outdoor furniture. We are loving the Venice Cube Rattan Furniture Set (hurry up though - this incredible furniture set is selling out fast!) which will make your garden the go-to area of your house in the summer, but is hardy enough to last the winter (as long as you put the very comfy cushions in storage first, of course). Your guests will love sitting on such chic furniture that makes a real style statement.

Lighting

A good party goes on… and on. Which is why you need to think about lighting in advance – that glorious sunshine won’t last all evening. Again, the outdoor lighting range at B&M has surpassed itself, but if we were to go for one product, it would be these very useful solar powered coloured glass jars, which can sit on the table or be hung on the branches of a tree to add a certain ambience to a get together.

Light up the Barbie

Now you’ve made the place look pretty, you need to tackle the food. Fortunately, this large family drum BBQ is the perfect addition to a party, and does most of the hard work for you. Get some steak, fish, sausages, burgers and slabs of halloumi cheese on the go and let the charcoal give them the unique BBQ flavour – and serve them on these very cool slate platters. No more rushing in and out of the kitchen, and barely any washing up. Winner!

Drinks

It wouldn’t be a party without some cold drinks on the chiller. We have some incredible summer cocktail recipes that you can make in advance to wow your guests, but you can also make things simple and get a few bottles of fizz and some beers to put on ice. For non-alcoholic drinks, we are loving this fruit infuser jug – stuff the centre infuser stick with cucumber, lemon, lime, oranges and other slices of fruit to create a refreshing drink great for kids and adults.

Food

Besides the barbecue, we think a good summer party should include some sharing food, which is why we’re including this 5 Section Removable Sharing Platter. Fill with mezze, olives, crisps, dips and other nibbles for some tasty appetisers as guests arrive. Plus it’s made of durable plastic, so perfectly fine to use outside.