10 Best Backyard Party Ideas
The easiest and most stress-free way to host a party is to have it at your own house. But you don’t want the party inside so let’s move it to the backyard. Also, you don’t want to stress the prep or play the “hostess with the mostess” all night long so let’s make it simple, kill those badvibes and get this party started. Here are 10 best backyard party ideas from Just 4 Fun Party Rentals in Santa Barbara, CA.
10 Best Backyard Party Ideas
1. Guest List — start by making a list of who you would like to invite to your party and let them know if they can bring a + 1. If it is a family friendly party make sure that kids have other kids to hang out with and vet the plus one guests so that you don’t have anyone who doesn’t fit with your invite list. Your guests will need to mesh as a group so invite people with similar interests and pair party guests with friends in the same age group so that you don’t have to entertain one person, or babysit all night long.
Rest assured the guest list will definitely be curated! You are absolutely NOT obligated to invite everyone you know. Select your guests with care and according to the tone you want to set and the atmosphere you would like to create. Once you have a well rounded group of guests picked out, simply send a group text to all — this is the easiest way to invite people without having to call every single person. It’s also a fun way to get the group excited before the party starts. (For older guests you might have to call them and be on the look out for anyone who doesn’t respond to the text to make sure they saw it and you have the right phone number, etc.)
2. Drinks — Ask your guests to bring their favorite drinks. Easy peasy. Rent a beverage tub and buy 2 large bags of ice and everyone will be happy. (You can never have too much ice, especially if it is summer and the ice can melt easily so over buy rather than under buy on the ice.) Additionally, have a few juices and mixers on hand and that will take care of the people who don’t imbibe. Put out some still and sparkling water and viola your drink table is all set.
Pro-tip = put extra bottles under the drink table for convenience.
You can also provide a signature drink, like margaritas or sangria. A large glass drink dispenser rental with a self serve nozzle is perfect for this. You can also rent glassware and a bar if it suits the party. Wine is universally loved so that is a solid option. It is super simple and requires no clean up. Make sure you have both white and red wine on hand for your guests if you go the wine route — people get funny about their wine. (If it is a family friendly party make sure to consider accessibility to the adult beverages so that you don’t have a party foul with a minor.)
3. Party Prep — make a list of the items you will need to rent for your backyard party. At the minimum you will want to rent banquet tables (6 or 8 feet long), a food table (8 feet long), a beverage tub or two, rent party chairs and a portable speaker system to play music. People often skip over party chair rentals because they have a few backyard chairs of their own, but if you are planning on having any food at all or having guests over 45, you will not want to overlook the party chair rentals. (People like to sit when they eat and put their plate in their lap if there is no table and in general it is polite to offer seating at your party.)
If you want to create some backyard party ambiance you can rent event lighting, string lighting, umbrellas (if you need shade) and misting fans or heaters (if the weather isn’t perfect). Just 4 Fun Party Rentals offers Party Packages Santa Barbara, they will install and deinstall everything for you and make your party prep and clean easy as 1, 2, 3.
So make a list of all the items you want to rent and note the groceries and supplies you will need to gather. This will help you stay organized and staying organized eliminates 90% of the party hosting stress.
4. Food — To keep it simple, thematic, fun and EASY, think camping food! Hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, chips and s’mores. These foods work well because you can scale them to any budget. You can have fancy sliders, truffle potato chips or basic burgers with chips and salsa. You can go vegan alternative or full carnivore and get creative with the classics. For dessert nothing is more simple than a pre-made fruit plate from the store and everyone enjoys the activity of making s’mores over a fire.
A taco bar is also fun and many people enjoy grilling so that can be an activity in and of itself. No BBQ, no problem, Just 4 Fun Party Rentals has BBQ rentals You know your guests so pick foods that you think they will enjoy but keep in mind that you are having a backyard party so keep it simple, primal and fun and you can’t go wrong. (Take into consideration any special diets of your guests, and you will be the hero of their night.)
If you have an outdoor table to dedicate to food service that is perfect but you could also rent banquet tables (8 feet long). A rustic wood table would be perfect but if not you can find Wood Farm Table rentals in our catalog. Concession equipment rental is also possible — you can rent a BBQ, hot dog machine rentals, popcorn machine rentals and other food service supplies. Using Just 4 Fun Party Rentals for your rental tables, linens and food service items eliminates your for heavy clean up.
5. Bathroom & Cleaning — Designate a bathroom close to the door to the backyard as the party bathroom and turn the lights off in your house to deter people from adjourning inside without your permission. Put out extra TP, hand soap and paper towels so that people don’t have to share one hand towel. Likewise, put extra hand soap and paper towels by the kitchen sink and put out hand sanitizer near the food service table. Renting serving spoons and tongs for items like chips, nuts and snacks and food that people would share to eliminate “double dipping” and contamination.
6. Emergency — Have an ice pack at the ready and some band aids, burn gel or a first aid kit just in case someone gets hurt. Other useful items for a backyard party are citronella candles, bug spray with deet and outdoor lighting or candles. Move your fire extinguisher outside if you are grilling and drinking or if you are using a fire pit rental.
7. Entertainment — Outdoor movie screen rentals are great fun. Sit and watch a movie with your guests outdoors under the stars. Outdoor movie screen rentals are especially cozy with a few lounge chairs, blankets and concession equipment rental — like a popcorn machine, cotton candy machine rental or an snow cone machine. Another idea is an open fire pit rental. Open fire pits are perfect for making s’mores and nothing says outdoor party fun more than gathering around a fire to share stories and secrets with friends.
8. Decorations — Some quick ideas for backyard party decor:
- Namaste: Prayer Flags, String Lights, Floating Candles
- Fiesta: Colorful Table Runners, Mexican Hats, Balloons & Limes
- 4th of July: American Flags, Apples, Red Globe Lights & Stars
- Sukkah Style: White Fabrics, Palm Fronds, Klezmer Music & Rugs
- Moroccan Style: Hookahs, Rugs & Pillows Inside a Tent
- Festival: Colored Event Lights, Psychedelic Projections, Herbal Elixirs
- Kids: Faeries, Butterflies, Unicorns, Water Balloons, Games, Tent & Animals
9. Music — Put together your party playlists in advance using spotify or pandora. Start with a happy mellow playlist which will be inviting to people as they arrive and set the tone of good vibes all around. Switch the playlist to upbeat dance music to get people dancing and end with a chill playlist which will signal to people that the party is winding down. When you are
ready to end the party stop the music and start turning the lights off one by one. Your guests will get the message. Just 4 Fun Party Rentals rents easy to use speaker rentals.
10. Neighbors — the best way to not be worried about your neighbors calling the cops on your backyard party is to invite them to join the party! If that is not an option then have your party during the afternoon hours instead of in the evening going into the night. Do a quick google search for sound ordinances in your city to see what time you need to turn down the volume if you prefer to stay outside. Generally, on the weekends the times are later than the week days. Another option is to move the party inside after 11pm once the crowd thins out.
Overall we want you to have a fun and stress-free event with easy to use rental products from Just 4 Fun Party Rentals.
