Tips for Planning a Beautiful Gathering

It has been a bit of a whirlwind the past couple of weeks getting ready for all the gathering fun, birthday party fun and book release fun. Did I mention the word Fun? Oh good. Because it is all fun and even when you are working on things and it feels a bit overwhelming, once you get to the event and get to sit back and enjoy and see everyone having a good time- well, you know how good that feels. So when it comes to planning a gathering – there is a whole lot that goes into it but it is so worth it.

I got a lot of messages and comments about the gathering and how to plan something like that after the peeks I shared and thought maybe I would start a little mini-series on some tips for doing just that. Today, it is all in the planning and the main things I consider when dreaming up any kind of a soiree.

Planning a Gathering

What is the first thing you think of when planning a gathering? I bet you can guess what the first thing I think of is… the mood. The ambiance. The overall and backdrop. How the magic will be created with the layers of lighting and loveliest of blooms. It is something that I put at the tippy top of the list. So here is a quick rundown of what I consider:

The Where – Where in the house or garden will the gathering be? What spot has the best background – like flowers, trees, field, etc.

The Light- Wherever you land on your location- I always consider the sun and where the lighting (and heat) comes in. I like to see the path of the sun as it sets if an evening party. And if a day time party- know if there is shade or shade structures will be needed.

The Setting- A table and chairs? A grouping of comfy furniture to sit? A vintage settee with a crate table? There are so many possibilities and so, depending on what you are looking for with your event- a dinner party or lounge party for example- you need to consider the terrain and how conducive it is to what you are planning.

I will delver further into those elements in the next post.

The Lighting

I am BIG on lighting. Big on ambiance and magic. So for me, it is all about the layers. On the table, on the backdrop, in the trees, overhead, you name it. I like to think of the lighting as setting the mood. Do you want bright and beautiful or more moody and magical? I like to do both but have found that when it is a little more moody that works best. Especially if adding a lot of layers- like string lights in the background, lanterns filled with candles and such- the more ‘mood’ the more ‘magic’.

The Blooms

Well, you know me and the flowers. So yep, that is always on the making magic list. What kind of flowers are in season, or what kind of faux flowers do you need. Make a list of how many bouquets your table needs, the areas around the table and also- a big one for me? The rooms in the house- like the dining room, kitchen and bathroom definitely need a bit of flower love for a party so when guests come inside, the magic continues.

Weather and Bug Considerations

Almost every time I share a table or gathering out under the stars, someone comments about the bugs. To be honest, we do have mosquitos here but one benefit of being in California is that there are not near the amount of bird sized mosquitos and other bugs that some places have. Having been in some of those locations in summer, I do understand the concern. But most of the time, a few citronella candles or essential oil sprays and the bugs will leave you alone here. So when hosting an outdoor evening event – we will set out the essential oil sprays and light some citronella candles if we are in mosquito hatching season. You can also set up a mesh tent or similar to set your table inside as well and proved plenty of blankets for guests to wrap up in as needed for bug barriers.

The Food

Okay, I know. Should be one of the first details but honestly, I am all about the setting and ambiance and less focused on the food. We have a lot of different eaters and allergies to foods in our family, so we always have vegan and vegetarian options as well as gluten and egg free options and meat options for those who eat meat. So for a pasta filled dinner- it might be pasta with 2 sauce options, a couple types of bread, etc. Plan the menu to fit your guests and what your theme is.

The Food Timing

Back to the note about the bugs and sunset light-when planning your party timing -considering those details will help you narrow down what time to have guests arrive, what time to serve horsdeurves & drinks and have dinner arriving on the table by. Which also helps you in planning what you need to have ready when. To make it easier- keep the menu on the simple side and make ahead as much as you can and set aside.

Get the bread sliced, the olive oil and balsamic poured in dishes and make the salads ahead of time. If you are making lasagne or a hot dish- get it ready ahead of time to put into the oven when you need to, and of course, anything that needs to be served hot and cannot be cooked ahead that you can tackle -can be prepped and ready to cook when you are ready.

Parking

The parking situation is often an issue and you know what- is it one that a lot of folks overlook when planning. If you live somewhere that people can park on the street- that is great and you should be okay with that. If you are somewhere like us- we have a small country road and if we parked a lot of cars on it, our neighbors might have trouble getting by. Thankfully, we have a couple neighbors with big driveway parking areas who don’t mind hosting a dozen cars if needed. If you are planning something even bigger- you could look into doing some kind of a shuttle or uber to shuffle guests to and fro.

Phew- those are just a few of the considerations I start with when I start planning- and there is so much more. I will jump into more details in the next post and if you have any specific questions- leave them in the comments!

For more about our weekend gathering- you can check out this post HERE

And guess what tomorrow is? FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE IN BLOOM Book Birthday! I will see you back here tomorrow with a bit about the book and my heart on my sleeve. Happy Monday friends.