Add Outdoor Lighting Ambiance to your next Garden Party

There’s something magical about a garden party. If you can’t quite put your finger on it, we’ll give you a hint: ambiance. Hosting a party outdoors automatically ups the sensory experience with the fresh air, trees, golden hour, moonlight… you get the picture. It’s all about the great outdoors.

While we love a milestone celebration, you don’t have to wait until your 25th anniversary to put your fantastic patio to good use. Stop saying “we should get together” and pencil something in with your closest pals this weekend. Here are a few garden party ideas to add ambiance with outdoor lighting while lowering the stress that comes with hosting. No pinterest board or DIY decorations needed. 

Mood lighting

The best kept secret to a great garden party? Simple outdoor lighting without any pesky power cords. The key to great minimal lighting is layering in different levels. Ground lighting, for instance, helps people find their way while also illuminating the colors in your garden. Available in small and large sizes, scatter a few Vezda Lanterns on your terrace. With a natural finish, the powder-coated metal wire frame holds a handblown glass candleholder that flickers with a romantic hue.

Available in an even smaller size and an Olivine Green color, the Vezda Lantern shines on a coffee table, adding a mid-level glow to your guests’ faces and striking the perfect mood to keep the conversation flowing.

Create height with your lighting scheme by hanging a couple large Bori Lanterns on the minimalist, iron Bori Stands. The battery-operated lantern delivers a warm light that will complement the natural candlelight of the Vezda and might even inspire your friends to start dancing.

Umbrella, ella, ella

On to daytime light. While getting an early start is always a good idea, the sun can be quite harsh. The Rutbeek Umbrella keeps your veggie platter cool while providing guests with UV-resistant shade. The Coast Green fabric and solid teak pole are a nice mix of casual sophistication. Oh, and don’t forget the convenience of the Paima Black Umbrella Base. Unobtrusive, its sturdy powder-coated steel and concrete base also ensures your umbrella won’t get knocked over.

Flower power

A little greenery goes a long way. Add natural ambiance with a few well-placed planters like the Tuva in Gray Terrazzo. Grow your own herbs and earn bragging rights for the fresh cilantro in your guacamole. Or set a vibrant mood with dahlias and ranunculuses to make things really bloom. Available in two sizes, each with a hole for drainage, the Tuva Planter is sleek enough for indoors but durable enough to live outside.   

Spots to snack

Spread out your spread, getting strategic with your snacks. A bar cart, like the Boden, is a convenient way to bring things outside and doubles as a serving station. A stylish teak handle and powder-coated aluminum frame also make it a chic and safe spot for glassware with two levels of protective trays. 

To keep company from coming inside for a refill, place beverages in a large galvanized steel bin with an ice set on a side table, like the Rablo, so guests can easily serve themselves. With rope handles, this fiberglass and teak side table is also simple to move around. 

Get cozy

With good food and, more importantly, good lighting taken care of, add that extra bit of intimacy to your festivities by transforming your patio into an outdoor living room. The Redondo Rug in Vista Blue adds color, texture, and a soft underfoot with its small, checked pattern that is woven from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Extra large patio? Layer the round Natica Rug overtop of the Redondo. A soft neutral with its Light Gray flat braided weave, the Natica adds even more depth and dimension to your sitting area, plus it creates the ideal space for the aforementioned Vezda Lanterns.

Like your life-of-the-party friend who has everyone in stitches, throw pillows should certainly be on your invite list. Mix and match colors, patterns, and sizes, combining the Fasen Geome Orange Large Pillow Set with the Moln Arrow Pink Bolster Set. The pop of personality adds a fun dynamic.

Good night, and good luck

Remember; the key to a fun party is all in the ambiance. A party isn’t about perfection, it’s about creating an atmosphere that puts you and your guests at ease. No one will notice if you forgot to serve the prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe with a balsamic reduction, but people will remember the warmth in the air and the hilarious, candlelit conversation debating the merits of Dune and whether or not Timothée Chalamet is overrated (he’s definitely not). This is friendship and you don’t need a special occasion to celebrate it.