If you’re planning an outside gathering ~ you need to review this list of 9 outdoor entertaining mistakes to avoid.
It’s SUMMER TIME!!!
That means dining and entertaining outside.
Whooty-whoot!
Are you planning an outdoor party?
Do you want to ensure its success?
If you know the outdoor entertaining mistakes to avoid, you are sure to have a wonderful event and happy guests.
After all, that’s the goal of any party, isn’t it?
But there are a few things you need to consider when planning an outdoor party. Things you don’t need to think about when the party is inside.
To ensure an enjoyable time outside for your guests and yourself, here are …
9 Outdoor Entertaining Mistakes to Avoid
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1 ~ Avoid serving food that requires a knife & fork
Unless you’re planning a sit-down meal, around a table outside, don’t serve food that requires a knife and fork.
Your guests will want to mingle and eat standing up.
An easy outdoor entertaining mistake to avoid is to serve finger food or fork-only food.
That way your guests won’t need to find a surface to cut their meal.
Plus it enables them to mingle more freely.
2 ~ Not providing entertainment for all ages
If you’re planning an outdoor party then you need to consider the ages of everyone attending.
Not just the adults.
If there will be little kids then you need to have entertainment for them.
Consider what games and activities you will provide and where you will set them up.
Cornhole, ladder toss, and Spikeball are three outdoor games that are fun for all ages to play.
After all, if kids are happy, then everyone is happy.
3 ~ Forgetting to set out trash and recycling cans
Not setting out a place for your guests to throw their trash and recycling is likely the most common outdoor entertaining mistake.
Probably because it’s so easy to forget.
You’re so fixated on remembering all the other items on your list that need to get done, that you forget this easy entertaining mistake.
It’s also one of the most annoying mistakes made because if your guests don’t know where to toss their trash, it ends up piling up in places you don’t want it.
Then you’re left running around picking it all up.
That’s no fun!
But it’s also easy to fix.
All you need to do is put them in an easily accessible area.
So, avoid this outdoor entertaining mistake and set out trash and recycling cans.
4 ~ Not having enough seating for everyone
Do you have enough chairs, cushions, or benches for everyone?
Or at least a place for every adult to sit?
There’s usually a point during the party that everyone wants to plant their tush somewhere, and they no longer want to stand.
Don’t make the outdoor entertaining mistake and not have enough seating.
5 ~ Not providing special diet foods (allergies, vegetarians, etc.)
When you’re planning your outdoor party, think about everyone you’re inviting.
Do you know if they have any dietary restrictions? What about their kiddos (if it’s a family gathering)?
It really sucks for guests when there aren’t food dishes that accommodate their allergies or dietary needs.
Often it results in pulling yourself away from the party and then running around trying to find something your guest can eat.
It’s easy enough to find out ahead of time if there’s any limitation on what your guests can’t eat and then plan accordingly.
6 ~ Underestimating the bug problem (bug spray and covering food)
It doesn’t matter where you live.
When planning an outdoor party, there will be annoying bugs.
They might be the biting type or the crawling kind, so think of both.
Avoid the bug problem by having bug spray on hand, along with food coverings.
Your outdoor gathering will turn sour if your guests are constantly swatting at bugs, or trying to shoo them off the food.
Consider investing in mosquito nets for your patio umbrellas. A great way to keep the bugs off you and the food.
7 ~ Not having a backup plan for bad weather
You can’t control or predict Mother Nature.
So have a backup plan for bad weather.
Consider the number of guests attending and where they will go if the weather turns on you.
That way the fun doesn’t stop, it just gets moved indoors or under a covering.
8 ~ No music
Not having music playing is an outdoor entertaining mistake that you need to avoid.
You don’t need to blare the music.
Just have music playing in the background.
Music helps set the tone for your gathering. What you play will affect your guests’ mood.
It can energize your guests and bring your friends and family together.
When you play music at your party, you control the energy of your gathering.
9 ~ Not having enough food or drinks (running out of food)
Running out of food and/or drinks is an easily avoidable outdoor entertaining mistake.
It’s best to have too much food than to run out of food.
There’s nothing worse than a guest wanting a burger, but there aren’t any left.
You don’t want hungry guests!
So plan enough food and drinks to accommodate a few more guests than you think will attend.
And if you have leftovers, just send them home with your guests.
Knowing and planning around these 9 outdoor entertaining mistakes to avoid will help to ensure a successful party.
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