Hosting an outdoor party is a lot of fun but can also be a big undertaking. So much thought is put into how you set your garden party apart from all the others and ensure that your guests have such a good time that it is still talked about in 5 years. With that in mind, let’s dive into some of the best DIY summer party themes for 2022.
Throw a Festival Themed Party
You can’t go wrong with an outdoor festival party. Whatever your cause to celebrate, this popular summer party theme is sure to be a winner. You might decide to opt for a muted colour palette and soft fabrics for a rustic wedding festival or pink and rose gold glitzy fabrics for a modern henfest. Whatever you decide, you will need some outdoor garden furniture to suit the occasion from folding chairs and trestle tables to deck chairs and floor cushions. Then pair your chosen outdoor furniture with some attractive festival garden party decorations such as flowers, paper lanterns, and festoon lights. For extra impact, arrange some wooden folding chairs around a firepit or purchase some personalised party decorations with wording such as ‘GeorgeStock’, ‘JillFest’, or simply ‘Wedfest 2022’. If your party is set to be bigger than the average backyard festival-themed garden party, consider hiring a field you can camp in that has a space for a campfire and get your friends to bring accommodation tents for a summer festival party that goes on into the wee morning hours. If you have the budget, fill the field with a central stretch tent and kit it out with some hanging paper decorations, outdoor fairy lights, bohemian throws, and poufs.
Host a Fun Sports Day Party
One outdoor party idea that is as competitive as it is fun, is hosting your own sports day. Sports day kits are easy to come by on Amazon and Ebay and include all the equipment needed for egg and spoon races, running relays, and sack races. You can divide your guests into teams and run sports day games for adults, kids, or mixed races throughout the day. You can pair your DIY sports day with popular garden games and award trophies or medals to the winners. To create your sports day event, set up a straight or circular track, depending on your space, and surround it with rows of benches or deck chairs for spectators. Add a sports themed garden bar to serve refreshments from as your guests are bound to get thirsty. For a bit of extra fun and friendly competition, you could arrange your outdoor seating so the teams sit together, even giving each area a designated colour or flag.
Aloha to a Tropical Hawaiian Themed Party
Don your best grass skirt, limber up for some limbo, and turn that garden bar into a beach themed tiki bar capable of serving the best tropical cocktails all day long. For a perfect beach-themed outdoor party, splash out on some ceramic luau tumblers and offer up a bright buffet of tropical fruit, barbecued meats, salad, and ice lollies. Complete your beach vibes with palm trees, tropical printed fabrics, flamingo decorations, deck chairs, and some Hawaiian lei for your guests.
Images: Festival Themed Party with Deck Chairs sourced from Canvas Events, Festival Bell Tent Party from Decked Out, Old School Sports Day Party Sack Race by Old School Sports Day, Tropical Party Drinks Table Inspiration from Martha Stewart, Deck Chair Cake Toppers as seen on My Tuesday Therapy.
Create Your Own Central Perk
Why not bring your sofa outside to create your own Friends party? This casual setting makes for a great afternoon tea style garden party with a twist. To recreate the TV show’s famous cafe, consider serving teas and coffees in coffee house style teacups and saucers along with sub sandwiches, cakes, and cookies from an outdoor bar styled as the cafe counter. Finish off your theme with everything 90’s from music to dress code.
Arabian Nights Themed Party
Whether you decide to do Aladdin fancy dress or not, this colourful theme is perfect for outdoor garden parties. With bright drapes, gold crockery, Moroccan lanterns, and Eid honeycomb decorations, you can easily create a feeling of middle eastern luxury. For the perfect party atmosphere, choose from Arabian pillows and poufs around a large low coffee table or, for more formal occasions, Chiavari chairs around rectangular dining tables. And as food is such a big part of this theme, think carefully about what middle eastern dishes to serve alongside your spiced tea. Personally, we like Moroccan lamb, zaatar chicken, and falafel, followed by pistachio baklava cake and ornate iced cookies. Finally, if you’re looking to impress, then round off your buffet table with a central pillow cake.
Time for a DIY Retro Music Festival Party
Whether you’re wanting to swing at a 60’s party, rock through a 70’s party, jam in an 80’s theme party, or dance a school disco at a 90’s theme party, everyone loves a music party focused on a decade or genre. Retro decorations such as cassette tapes for the 80’s are pretty easy to come by and you can pair these with typical colours and patterns of the decades from geometric patterns to neon brights. Encourage fancy dress, choose a good playlist and serve up some era classics like chicken kievs for the 80’s and stuffed crust pizza for the 90’s. Finally stock up your garden bar with nostalgic drinks like Cinzano, Sunny D, Hooch, and whatever else you can find.
Images: Central Perk Sign as seen on Jillian Kaye Art, Bright Vintage Deck Chair by Decked Out, Arabian Nights Party Theme as seen on Kara’s Party Ideas, and 90s Party Decor Inspiration as seen on Home by Hillary.
Let’s Not Forget the Traditional English Garden Party
What better outdoor garden theme is there than a quintessentially British Afternoon Tea? Always a classic, an old-fashioned summer garden party is easy to achieve with just some vintage crockery, quality glassware, cake stands, pastel cloth bunting, and a white tablecloth over an outdoor dining set or picnic table. For extra elegance add floral centrepieces, candles, and outdoor lanterns to your high tea dining table before serving a traditional cream or sparkling cream tea (with prosecco). For ease, you can always have your afternoon tea delivered or switch up your garden party by offering some Wimbledon-inspired Pimms and strawberries instead.
Don’t Be Late for an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party
Speaking of having tea, Alice in Wonderland makes for a great outdoor party theme with its well-known phrases and kitsch party decorations. Think costumes, photo booths, ‘drink me’ tags, ‘eat me’ iced biscuits, ‘wrong way’ signs, and the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party event itself. To set the tone, fill your outdoor space with brightly-themed Alice in Wonderland party decorations from Etsy, and consider having one large central dining table with comfortable folding chairs and an outdoor garden bar to one side, perfectly set up as a tea, cake, and drinks station.
An Outdoor Theatre Event for Day or Night
With home cinema projectors being as affordable as they are, it has never been a better time to host a cinema screening of your favourite movie in your garden or outdoor space. Set up a screen and projector along with rows of comfy chairs, sofas, or deck chairs for the perfect outdoor cinema setup. Add a garden bar stocked with soft drinks, hotdogs, popcorn, and any other nibbles to keep your guests fed and watered throughout your open-air cinema show. Alternatively, you could host a live performance or two. Whether you have performers in the family, know of a local group or are considering hiring entertainers, hosting an open air theatre event could not be easier. All you need is a small stage area using a temporary wooden dancefloor and several folding chairs or floor cushions set up in an ampitheatre chair layout. Lastly, depending on the act on stage and the time of day, you might also require optional stage props, sound, or lighting equipment.
Images: Pretty Vintage Deck Chairs as seen on The Natural Wedding Company, Alice in Wonderland Party Decor as seen on Birthday In A Box, Outdoor Cinema Woodland Event by Decked Out, Outdoor Cinema Screening Close Up from Decked Out.
Alternative Outdoor Party Themes with Games
If you’re looking for something a bit different, why not consider planning an event based around party games, challenges, game shows, or sporting competitions? From traditional beetle drives, race nights, escape challenges, treasure hunts, and murder mystery nights to a Taskmaster-themed team challenge, there is a lot you can do for a unique garden party. For ease, look online for party kits or buy the boxed game of your choice and be sure to set up a gazebo in case of bad weather and plenty of chairs.
Under the Stars Outdoor Sleepover Party
For a party that will last all night and comes with accommodation laid out, consider hosting a camping or glamping style under the stars party. Guests can bring their own tents but for the best ambience consider hiring some sleepover teepes or bell tents. To pull off a night of stargazing, chat, and slumber you only require star and moon decorations, fairy lights, bunting, and of course, cushions and bedding, making it a great addition to any field wedding or a perfect way to host a kids sleepover party during the summer. If you did want to serve up a night-time feast, consider sweet treats, nibbles, or supper items like toast or milk and cookies. Alternatively, bring out some picnic blankets or deck chairs and set up a firepit for some campfire smores, stories, and singing.
Images: Outdoor Games Party Sign as seen on Turfman, People Enjoying an Outdoor Event from Decked Out, Under the Stars Party Decor as seen on Catch My Party, Glamping Bell Tent as seen on The Glamping Group, Sleepover Teepee Layout as seen on Sleepy Teepee.
So, there you have it. Our top summer garden party themes for 2022. We hope you’re feeling inspired. For further inspiration, check out our 15 Outdoor Seating Ideas blog or to enquire about deck chair hire, get in touch today. And, remember, whether you create one of our chosen themes or make up your own, feel free to share your 2022 party themes with us on Instagram using the hashtag #GetDeckedOut.
