When the weather isn’t too hot or too cold, there’s no better time to host a garden party. But it’s a bit different hosting a party during a pandemic. So, how do you easily navigate that type of planning? Simple, with five easy tips for hosting a garden party.
First, I bet you’re wondering, “what the heck is a garden party?” I got you boo. A garden party is an outdoor party that is usually in a garden. Now that we’ve covered our bases let’s get started.
The Guests
The guest list is always difficult to create. My host wanted to make sure everyone was vaccinated before attending the event, for safety reasons. You may have to think about what to do if you aren’t comfortable being around unvaccinated guests in your home. Once you have determined your strategy for vaccinated or not vaccinated guests, you’ll still want to keep your guest list small. A good round number like 8 or 10 people is the goal. Think of how your guests will get along. Do they all know each other? Will they be able to hold interesting conversations as you are hosting? Select people that enjoy trying new things as you’ll probably evolve their expectations with your decor and food options.
The Look
Aesthetic matters. You want the vibe of the party to look elegant but approachable. For your decor, consider incorporating a garden ambiance. You can use a mixture of fresh produce as your centerpiece to pull the garden theme together. For my party, I utilized a grass runner, LED candles, and faux flowers for a girly garden feel. Be sure to consider the height of items because you don’t want to block your guests from seeing each other as they are talking. Another thing to consider is bugs, flies, and other insects. There are candles that can help with this problem as well as insect repellents.
The Food
My goal with the food was to really incorporate the garden. Think of what a garden usually has like tomatoes, potatoes, leafy green and so on. My menu was loaded with garden items. I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor who gave me peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Due to COVID, I eliminated a buffet style and aimed towards individually wrapped items. I placed items like dip and gazpacho in small grab-and-go cups. I gave everyone a tray to easily carry their bites outside. I decided to serve each person by taking their order for the entree only and allowed the guest to load up their tray with small bites. I always did my best to make enough vegan-friendly items for myself and so my guest could try. I also put meat/fish on the side.
My menu included:
Apps/Small Plates
- “Crab“ Cakes
- Gazpacho
- Caramelized onion dip with veggies and pita
- Blooming tomatoes (can add bacon)
- Everything bagel salad (can add smoked salmon)
Entree
- Lentil Bolognese
- Pesto with chicken thighs
- French bread
Dessert
Wine
- Flavored water: citrus
- Wine
When planning your menu, it’s important to think of what your guests may like. It’s also essential, especially for me to open people’s palettes to new flavors. By incorporate tomatoes in a few of the small plates, picked straight from my neighbors garden, add a fresh and unique touch. One of my mistakes at the party was adding too much spice to the gazpacho. Be mindful of the spices and lean towards a little less.
As aforementioned, most small bites were placed in glass cups and other containers. I used recyclable plates for the blooming tomatoes and the crab cakes. Placing the smalls in these containers offered a unique look and really evolved the party.
Once the guests were seated and enjoying their small places, I took orders for the entree. They had a choice between chicken pesto pasta with ricotta cheese and lentil bolognese. ( I totally forgot to take a photo of those!) Most of my guests were meat eaters so they chose the chicken over the lentils. It’s always good to have options.
We ended the party with a splash of sparkling wine and the berry gallete
The Attire
My host suggested a Garden Party Chic look for our guests. This means florals outfits. My guests understood the assignment too! Having a dress code, especially during the pandemic allows people to get out of their loungewear and into something extra cute.
The Lessons
While planning this event, I learned that it’s quite difficult for meat-eaters to adapt a plant based meal. It’s important to have some meat options on the side for the guests to feel more comfortable. In my case, I had smoked salmon the side as well as offering roasted sunflower seeds instead of bacon.
I also learned to watch my heat. My gazpacho was just a little too spicy for most people. I may have added one to many jalapenos. It would have been better if it was a milder spice.
Having a fun game is also a good way to keep people involved and connected. My co-host had us play two fun games to keep the conversation going.
Lastly, less is more. I believe I had too many small plates. I probably could have served only small plate and not had entree. I notice women don’t usually eat as much as if it was a co-ed party. As a vegan household, we gave the meat items to family or asked people to take leftover. But sadly we did toss a lot of ice cream and smoked salmon. And there was quite a bit of just pesto pasta (which contains dairy) leftover.
The Final Verdict
Hosting a party is a little stressful. Do you best to have fun with your guests. You’ve worked hard to plan a beautiful event, enjoy it.
It was a great party!!! What are we doing next year????
Good question! You tell me!