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Garden
Party
As
the warms in late spring and summer, there's nothing quite like
an outdoor garden party to celebrate Mother's Day, a graduation,
or to just give family and friends their day in the sun.
Make it special
by sprucing up an otherwise casual backyard garden with real silverware,
elegant tableclothes and, of course, oversized flower centerpieces
and fruit bowls for splashes of bright, vivid color.
Like any good
party planner you should expect it to rain, and have an alternative
space inside where guests can party indoors. After all, there's
nothing like being prepared for the worst to ensure it won't happen!
Send
out invitations using downloadable clipart or garden
photos, then set up any outdoor space decorated with fresh
flowers (silk or paper flowers will do if a green thumb isn't
one of your strong points,) terra cotta pot utensil holders, or
a bright carved
watermelon basket you can make yourself.
You
don't need an enormous lawn with space for furniture. A small
patio, city backyard - or any outdoor space with room for chairs
and a group of people - can be a perfect garden party setting.
Send
guests home happy with a keepsake favor flower seed packets, a
fresh flower bouquet, or a satchel of home-grown
vegetables from your garden.
Here are some ideas for themes, food and menus for hosting an
open air graduation,
tea party,
spring
Easter party, or bridal
shower for friends or family, and more expert garden party
planning ideas from around the Web - whether you're holding a
simple buffet or a 7-course banquet ...
Oprah's
Garden Party
- There she is, holding court in a jazzy garden party hat with additional images
in a photo gallery - and including a complete menu, recipes, tips and advice for
party decorating, making the invitations, planning the menu and setting the table.
You can check out her other ideas
for summer parties, too.
Evite's
Garden Party Tips - Evite provides more than just the email invitations
and an easy way to manage the guest list. You'll find ideas for themes and activities
as well as menu suggestions complete with recipes. Mint julep, anyone?
Outdoor
& Garden Parties - Great ideas from Kraft with kid's birthday party
advice, pool party ideas and more, with decorating and activity suggestions, printable
invitations, tips for party favors and related recipes
Sunkist
Home Garden Party - A printable checklist for planning, preparing, cooking,
decorating and setting up your garden party with a link to related Spring
Recipes.
Activities
for Kids - Garden Party - Neat, one-stop browsing for fun do-it-yourself
decorations, advice on party themes, recipes for food, drinks and dessert, craft
and activity instructions, along with printable downloads and e-invitations to
send. Garden
Party Bridal Shower Recipes - Ingredients and instructions for dandelion
salad, dandelion fritters, cucumber gazpacho, with more on garden party bridal
shower games and activities, and places to purchase related party favors online.
Perfect
Patio / Garden Party - A short list of good tips on how to decorate your
garden party using flowers as the focus, from aboutflowers.com.
"Seeds
of Kindness" - A Christian Ladies Ministry has plenty of great ideas
for a garden banquet themed party. The Christian motif runs through the ideas,
but even if that's not your thing, the party ideas and links are first rate. Must
for Mums Garden Theme Party - Geared to 4-8 years olds, the ideas for
foods, games, gifts and decorations will make planning an outdoor birthday or
celebration a breeze for busy moms.
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