Your Outdoor Party Checklist

It’s party time. You’re holding an alfresco event, where everyone will be out in the garden enjoying good company, food and drinks. Obviously you want it all to go smoothly, a party to remember, something the people you love will remember and talk about with a smile for years to come. How do you achieve the magic without the stress? You need an outdoor party checklist to tick off!

Luckily there’s no need to start from scratch. Here’s an alfresco party list for you, with everything you might need taken into account.

Outdoor party checklist – Tick off the things you’ve done

• Check your chiminea – make sure it’s clean, free from dust and undamaged
• Check you’ve got enough fuel, and that there’s a safe place to store the fuel where people won’t fall over it, away from the chiminea or fire pit
• Check your chiminea cover is handy for later on, after the party’s over
• Check the chiminea is far enough away from your plants so they don’t get singed or burned
• Put aside a way to light the fire – two lighters are always better than one, just in case one goes awol!
• The chiminea accessories you need – a BBQ grill, fire tools, BBQ tools, a cast iron cooking pot, we have it all in stock for you
• Chimineas are so much safer than an open fire, free from escaping sparks, the heat contained within the chim body. But it’s still sensible to tick off the safety aspects of having an outdoor fire – fire blanket, bucket of sand, a water supply nearby
• Enough chairs, stools, and seating for everyone
• You can use weatherproof cushions, bean bags or floor cushions as well as chairs and stools
• Is your outdoor furniture clean and ready for use?
• Supplies of ice
• Soft drinks and booze – and enough space to keep it all cool in the fridge or a bath full of ice
• The food you want to cook, and the recipes you’re going to follow…
• … or a list of foods/dishes for your guests to bring along if it’s a ‘bring your own and share’ sort of event
• Crockery, cutlery, glassware or plastic glasses, napkins / paper towels
• Solar lights or tea lights in holders to decorate the outdoors and show people the way after dark
• A pile of cosy blankets for people to wrap around themselves if they want to
• A way to play music, and the music you want to play
• Party games
• Does anyone need a taxi home afterwards? Arrange it in advance so you can relax
• A first aid kit – it’s always a good idea to have one at home just in case
• Your camera or phone, to record the fun for posterity
• Rubbish bins and ashtrays
• A place ready for your guests to leave their coats and bags
• Enough loo roll!
• Are your pets safe and happy?
• How about goodie bags to give to people afterwards?