It’s spring! We’ve sprung ahead. We’re not getting up for work in the dark anymore. The days are getting longer. We’re ready to break out of our winter coats and end our social hibernations. It’s time for garden parties, grilling out, and sitting on the patio late into the evening with friends and family.

If you’re planning a party to celebrate all of the warm weather coming our way, we have some great tips for how to set the mood and enrich the environment with some clever décor and lighting tricks for your home and garden.

Floral Decorations

The cherry blossom trees have started blooming. These pale pink and white flowers rain down soft petals as spring wears into summer. They have a light scent, and they look beautiful in bouquets or by themselves in centerpieces.

Decorating an outdoor garden party with flowers and floral arrangements is a great way to spruce up your yard, your table settings, and the whole environment. We love cherry blossoms because they’re beautiful, light, and airy. They are virtually synonymous with spring to a lot of people.

If your flower garden is thriving, cut a few blooms and arrange them as centerpieces for your tables and buffet. If you haven’t seen many blossoms yet, you can purchase cut flowers for decorations, or you can rent blossoming plants from a local nursery.

Lighting Up the Night

If your party’s starting in the middle of the afternoon, you’ll have no problems with your lighting. The sun will create all the light and warmth that you need. If the party keeps going, though, especially if it’s still early spring, you’ll probably find that you need to make some arrangements for heating and lighting your garden and yard.

Strategically placed tiki torches and outside heaters can take the chill off and add a warm glow. If you don’t need the heat or the bug repellant effect of the tiki torches, you have some more creative options, too.

Christmas Lights Not Just for Christmas

Dig out your Christmas decorations. No, we’re not going to suggest you throw a “Christmas in April” party. However, if you have a few strings of white lights, you can string them up around your yard, in the trees, and along your fence to create a warm glow to light your party.

Paper Lanterns

If Christmas lights aren’t enough, or if you want to add some color to your lighting, you can buy electric paper lanterns. Some of these come as singles and some come on strings, like Christmas lights. You can even get battery-powered paper lanterns to hang up in the trees in your yard. You won’t have to worry about extension cords creating an eyesore or a trip hazard.

Atmosphere is important to any party. Whether you’re entertaining at home or in a rented space, consider your lighting and decoration options. Colored incandescent lights are always more flattering and fun than fluorescents, and flowers always make a room look brighter.

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