It’s finally springtime! The weather is warming up. Trees are turning green, and flowers are starting to bloom. There’s no better way to shake off the cold of a long winter than by embracing the warmth of spring with a garden party.

You can really kick off the warmer months right when you follow these easy tips. From beginning to end, we have ideas and pointers that will help you throw the best party possible. All your friends will be inspired to throw spring parties, too, and they’ll all try to match how great yours was!

Paper Invitations

To get the best turnout and connect your social circles, you should send out invitations a couple of different ways. First of all, take this opportunity to get to know your neighbors by slipping invitations into each of their mailboxes a week or two before the date of your party.

When you choose these invitations, pick party invitations that have colorful and bright color schemes and themes. You want your invitations to say that this is a fun garden party before your guests even open them up.

Include information in the invites about whether or not they should bring the kids, drinks, or any food. You don’t want to run out of anything, and you don’t want people feeling awkward about whether or not they should bring something.

Online Invitations

To get the word out about your event to everyone else on your list, you can go one of two ways. You can design and send out Evites directly to their email inboxes, or you can create an event on Facebook and invite them there. More and more people are opting for the latter, but if you have friends who aren’t on Facebook, you won’t want to exclude them.

Make sure that you indicate in the event information whether it’s okay to bring kids, invite a date or more guests, and – just like with the paper invitations – whether they should bring anything to add to the festivities.

Lighting and Décor

In early spring, an afternoon garden party is always a great idea. Afternoon is the warmest part of the day, and evenings can still be quite brisk. If you choose an evening party, or you plan on continuing the party into the night, you might want to consider tiki torches or outside heaters to keep everyone comfortable.

If you’re entertaining during the day, the sun will be all the lighting you’ll want. Dress up tables and your buffet with flowers and greenery. A white pavilion tent could give your guests a place to sit in the shade for a bit between games of croquet and horseshoes.

If you choose tiki torches to add a little bit of warmth, you’ll also be adding lighting. In addition to these, colorful paper lanterns add beautiful light and atmosphere.

Refreshments and Libations

You should always make sure that you provide at least some refreshments. Providing a few bottles of wine, some beer, and iced tea or lemonade will get things started on the drink counter. You can also encourage your guests to bring beverages of their choosing and make your own spring-themed cocktail punch.

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