Having friends over sounds a bit bizarre in this coronavirus age. However, the lockdown was lifted in some countries. Safety measures have been put in place to ensure we maintain social connections.
Entertaining guests outdoors is the way to go, don't you think? So here are a few ways you can decorate your garden to impress and entertain guests, keeping in mind the safety regulations regarding such social occasions.
The Life of the Party
Let's start with the "wild-ones," those who wish to go to Ibiza or attend a music festival and party away. There is a way you could bring Ibiza to you. All you need is:
A table(DJ Booth), Extra tables for the "festival attendees.", Neon strip lights, A life-sized DIY cardboard cutout of your favorite DJ, Your favorite DJ's music. You can stream this from SoundCloud, iTunes or any other streaming platform
Steps to create:
- Setup the DJ cardboard and DJ booth
- Align neon strip lights around the "DJ" area.
- Sound set-up. Use wireless headphones not to attract the neighbors' attention
- Evenly space the other tables
A Night of Jazz
Maybe a club isn't just your thing. You enjoy cool and poetic vibes. Perhaps you'd like a glass of wine, jazz, and chill. There's something for you too.
What you'll need;
A picnic set-up, Wine, LED strip lights, Jazz music. Stream on your favorite platform, Food
Entertain as many guests as your garden allows without forgetting to;
- Evenly space the guests
- Hang the lights across the trees, or place them around the setup to ensure proper lighting
- Ensure no sharing of items, such as wine glasses or plates, occurs
- Have fun and socialize more safely.
Walk the Park in the Dark
If you are proud of the garden and wish to showcase the work you have been up to with the plants, here's a great idea. Envision your garden became your favorite park to visit-a place where you'd have a picnic with friends and family. Let's try it out, shall we?
Create a trail of lights, and let your guest visualize how you would design a whole park by yourself.
Things you need; LED rope lights, Picnic mats, Food, And a garden that you're proud of working on.
Steps to create;
- Run rope lights across the plants as if to create a path across them.
- In between the plants, carefully place picnic set-ups, ensuring more than 2 meters of space between each set-up.
- Ensure the number of guests you invite does not exceed the number of set-ups in the garden.
Movie Night
Idea: (a projector and popcorn)
Going to the movies sounds like a good idea, but it's also terrifying. You would like to watch a family-rated film with a few friends, wouldn't you? How about bringing the movie theatre to you? Here's how.
What you'll need;
A projector,
A plain white cloth,
A surface/frame to hold the cloth
Quality sound
Picnic mats or floor pillows
Lot's of popcorn(should not be shared), LED strip lights
The setup;
- Suspend the plain white fabric on the frame, ensuring it is stable.
- Run dimmable strip lights through the whole garden
- Strategically place your projector to avoid distractions
- Stream movies from your preferred platform
- Evenly space the guests and place popcorns
Let's Play a Game, Shall We?
A fun way to entertain guests is by having them engage in games. Some games may not be encouraged due to their nature, but you could try being creative and silly with your selection of games.
Game rules;
- Proper spacing
- No direct contact with one another
- Proper sanitizing of hands and gaming apparatus before, during and after playing
Have fun carefully.
Romance Getaway? A little love never hurt nobody
You would like to invite a couple over for a double date, wouldn't you? How about making your garden a duplicate of your favorite garden restaurant?
What you'll need: A wide dinner table, Table cloth, A garden, Rope Lights, Food and drinks
The set-up;
- Lay the table cloth on the dinner table
- Carefully suspend the rope lights on the trees surrounding the setup
- Ensure proper spacing of all parties
- Set up music that'll set the mood
- Dim the lights
- Serve the food and drinks
Creativity Assignment-ish
Combine a number of these ideas to come up with something unique. A good example would be having the movie night set-up combined with the romantic dinner or designing the "walk in the park" idea to lead to the garden party. Creativity is encouraged here. You are creative, and if you don't think so, there's a life-hack for it. DIY!
Play around with ideas till you find the perfect set-up for you.
Conclusion
While the set-ups for garden decor discussed above are impressive, there are several essential items that should not miss from your DIY lists;
- Coronavirus checkpoint - Before each guest accesses the premises, you should ensure they do not have any of the virus's symptoms. Temperature checks and covid-19 free certificates might come in handy for this one.
- Adequate sanitizers to ensure contact during games do not lead to viral infections
- Social distancing - Please ensure these set-ups cater to the essential spacing of guests.
- Guests - However tempting it might be, confirm the number of guests you invite does not exceed the number of people you planned to invite for the engagement
- LED strip lights for decoration - To ensure that all lighting needs are catered for, visit www.elstarled.com to get high-quality lighting for your terrific get-together.
Ultimately, while the restrictions might limit enjoyment, ensure you enjoy yourself as much as you can. That is the essence of beautiful decor.