Are you hosting a backyard party this summer? If so, read on for some great tips from the experts!
Colin Cowie
Wedding and Event Planner
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West Elm has amazing outdoor pillows in all different sizes and patterns. Pick a color scheme and then get one or two umbrellas for shade. Then add some vertical gardens from
Design Within Reach—they’re really fun to use and look fabulous filled with vines and herbs.
-Tiki torches, lamps, hurricanes and battery-operated candles—use them and everyone looks like they’ve had a lot of work done.
-I like fruits and vegetables as a centerpiece. They’re big and colorful, and they won’t spoil in the heat. Take a big, gorgeous bowl, and fill it with different colors of organic tomatoes. Two days later, you’ve got a tomato salad. Three days later, it’s spaghetti sauce.
Elle Decor
Nathan Turner
Interior Designer and Event Planner
Elle Decor
-I like keeping it simple but I would never have a bare table. I’m a huge fan of beach grasses in an old ceramic vase. It has a great texture and shape—and you don’t have to worry about it wilting in the sun.
-I love the self-service element of outdoor entertaining. And a self-service bar looks really chic when it’s set-up with great pieces. Then your only job is to replenish it and make it look fresh.
-Elaborate on the theme you’ve set for the menu. If I’m doing Mexican food, I’ll use Mexican pottery, ceramic dishes, and bright-colored cloth. I don’t even buy tablecloths, I just go to a cheap fabric store and buy three yards of something like hot pink cotton and layer it with orange
Elle Decor
