Top Tips on hosting your garden parties at home this summer

The Great British Summer Garden Party is back, and it is here to stay for 2021. We share our top tips on hosting the perfect summer party at home!

With restrictions beginning to ease, we are finally starting to find ourselves in the position to see our loved ones again. This summer, the garden party has never been more important and with people starting to try their hand at planning their own events at home, we thought what better time to share a few tips gathered across our 37 years of hosting the most exclusive events in London.

Korean chicken, gochujang dip

First, the food!

The menu you choose will set the tone for the entire evening. This is something your guests will remember so it needs to simple, so you aren’t spending all day in the kitchen, but equally impressive. Moving Venue have a few canapés up our sleeve that we love to roll out for our summer parties at home:

1. Smoked fillet of beef, rosti, truffle cream
2. Goat’s cheese balls, quince and pear jam with walnut crumb
3. Siracha prawn cocktail lettuce rolls
4. Korean chicken, gochujang dip
5. Mac and cheese fritters

Rosé-Aperol Spritz

Then the booze...

Second only to food is the drink, this is the rocket fuel that will keep your party light and upbeat. A chilled glass of Prosecco is a safe bet but why not go the extra mile and offer your guests a cocktail as they arrive? Our favourite cocktail that feels like summer in glass is our take on a Rosé-Aperol Spritz!

For 4-6 servings all you need is:
¾ cup passion fruit juice, chilled
¼ cup Aperol
¼ cup fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons sugar
1 750ml bottle sparkling rosé, chilled
Ruby red grapefruit wedges (for serving)

As your party runs late into the early hours, your guests tend to separate into smaller groups which is why cosy seating areas are highly important. If you want your party to go into the early hours and spark up great conversations, then small pockets of seating are a great way to do this. If you do not have the full rattan garden set, then blankets and garden pillows also work perfectly at creating a warm and cosy feel. A little fire pit also goes a long way…

Spotify Rooftop Sunset Playlist

Lastly, the music!

We have the playlist. Grab your bluetooth speaker and get onto Spotify to find that perfect playlist that works to everyone’s taste and does not mean you have others reaching for your phone trying to play DJ. Our planners swear by Rooftop Sunset – it is the perfect mix of disco, funk and house grooves to capture summer in London.

After a tough year, we all want to make the most of summer 2021 and make memories with friends and family we haven’t been able to see. We hope our tips help you create the perfect summer garden party and we can’t wait to welcome you back to a live Moving Venue event soon!