Ten Tips for Outdoor Entertaining

It's the beginning of the outdoor party season, so we decided to provide these tips on how to make outdoor entertaining easy and stylish for you.

• Seating - It's important that you have enough seating for everyone during a party. Buy or borrow some outdoor folding chairs to increase the seating area, or have guests bring their own.
• Use plants and lighting to add interest and warmth to your outdoor area. This is particularly good if you don't have a traditional garden area.
• Candlelight will help to illuminate the space without being expensive, and can add to a cosy atmosphere.
• A simple mini bar goes down well at parties - just add a table and drinks in a corner that is easily accessible.
• Music brings a party to life, so move the sound system outside and involve guests in the music selection. You can do this by telling people to bring their own playlists or favourite tracks on an iPod or MP3 player.
• The secret of a successful dinner party is simplicity, so don't serve up too much, overload the table or make the food too fancy. Make sure that the food you prepare will suit most if not all of your guests.
• Cushions can transform an outdoor space by adding to your guests' comfort while creating an 'indoor in the outdoors' look.
• If you have a large amount of guests that are invited, then Home Improvement recommended that you have more than one table for food and drink and set them in different parts of the garden. This way there won't be one area of congestion but instead will be spread out over all the available space.