We've all been missing our favourite festivals and longing to be back in the fields anticipating the greatest line up of the year. Although you may have to wait to attend your favourite festival, by following our tips to create a festival theme garden party it will feel like you're at the real thing. Who needs Glastonbury, Parklife or BST Hyde Park when you can have your very own festival in your back garden with every one of your close friends?! And they don't even need to pay for a ticket (well, that one's up to you!).
We share our tips for planning an unforgorgettable festival themed party at home.
Give your festival a name
Although Glastonbury might be cancelled, and Coachella, and Tomorrowland too….. take this opportunity to make this festival uniquely yours. Depending on what festival you're missing and the reason for your festival party (e.g. Birthday or engagement), there are lots of ways to get creative. We've seen, organised, and attended some amazing festival themed garden parties over the years.
Rose-Chella, Ro-Fest and a Lily-Life are a couple of ideas just to name a few. If you're stuck for inspiration, try the Festival Name Generator Guide & Ideas (yes, it really does exist!)
Festival Lanyards & Wristbands
Lanyards are super easy to find and design from Etsy.com, Ebay.co.uk or Amazon.co.uk – The designers at the other end will take care of everything for you, and all you need to supply is the text.
If you want to get extra personal with your Lanyards, we have an in-house design team that will create these on a bespoke basis just for you. Rather than just adding the name and a few other lines, why not add a mini programme on to the back or list everything there is to do and see at your festival. You could even add an image if it's for a special occasion.
We will always offer multiple designs to our client personalised entirely around their festival and theme, gather their thoughts and continue tweaking the design until it's perfect for print.
Alternatively, festival wristbands are a lower cost option if you're trying to keep the budget low. As with lanyards, these can be ordered in bulk or as singular items. Although the wristbands are more restrictive in terms of personalisation, they are still key to adding to that festival vibe! And who says you can't do both!
Festival Party Lighting
You may already have some festoon lighting hanging at the back of your garden but if not picking some up from amazon.co.uk or your local homeware store will go a long way when setting the scene.
Although lighting is often underestimated, it is the key to creating that festival atmosphere. The stage or the infrastructure at a festival wouldn’t be complete without the lighting that goes with it. Hanging festoons from fence to fence will instantly fill the garden with light as well as set the scene.
If you want to make the most of lighting, create a chill-out area of the garden and use festoon to section it off. Add some festoon on stakes to create a walkway into your area and you’ll have the perfect scene that will have your guests snapping pictures.
Festival Seating
The chances are you already own some garden furniture - perhaps you have a sofa or a few small seaters. If you’re planning for larger numbers, you will need some additional seating dotted around.Additional matching furniture can be easily hired in and our team are experts in finding furniture that offers the perfect vibe for your party.
If you’re looking for something a little more boho, then why not hire some extra-large bean bags, floor cushions and low-level coffee tables to dot around the garden. These can be moved around and provide the flexibility for guests to chill in groups and makes for a more informal, relaxed feel.
If you live local to a farm, hay bales are the perfect lower-cost solution. Not only do they look super authentic, but they also create that amazing rustic festival feel. Cover your hay bales with throws and blankets and you’ll instantly have a garden that looks the part.
Garden Party Photo Opportunities
Festivals are brilliant for iconic group photos. Festivals planners purposely create vignettes to ensure attendees are able to get a good snap - it really is an art! You may not want to pay lots for a costly printed backdrop, but adding a balloon arch to a cute area in the garden will be a great substitute. Balloon art has really boomed in the last few years, from standard boring bunches to extravagant displays.
If you’re feeling crafty you can pick one of these up from Amazon or Ebay. They include everything you need to get it set up wherever you decide. If you would rather leave it to the professionals, our team specialise in showstopping balloon art, and we can set it up for you, so all you have to do is relax!
Festival Garden Party Food Ideas
Nothing goes down better at a festival than a nice burger or hot dog (especially after a few drinks!) Luckily, this couldn’t be easier to recreate at home! Crack on the BBQ and dedicate someone to take charge of the food; all your need to do is buy some buns and sauces and your guests will be in their element. Don’t forget to borrow a wheelbarrow if you don’t have one lying around already, and fill this will ice; your beers will sit perfectly chilled all afternoon and look cool too!
If you want to go a step further, (or you don’t trust your dedicated chef not to burn the sausages!) then you may want to hire a real authentic food van. Think VW van with burgers and portions of chips, or maybe something more unusual such as flatbreads, pizzas or a mac and cheese stand. Get them to park on the driveway or in the back garden if you have access.
Festival Party Glitter station
For some, festivals are the only place the OTT glitter and face gems are allowed. Google ‘Festival Glitter’ and you’ll be flooded with more glitter than you can imagine. Festival Glitter offer a huge range of amazing glitters, jewels and gems, paints, glues, powders etc, etc. Be warned, once you’ve set eyes on their amazing (and biodegradable) products, you’ll be ordering enough glitter to decorate your entire body. Sometimes they even have great deals such as 20% off.
Most importantly of all, make sure you supply plenty of cue-tips (recyclable, obviously!) for your festival-goers to use once and throw in the bin. There can be no double-dipping in a global pandemic, particularly if guests will be applying it to their faces. Add a little bin, a sealed pack of hand wipes and some sanitiser next to the station and be sure to wipe it down regularly to keep it clean and safe.
So, if you’re thinking about recreating your favourite festival by throwing your very own festival garden party, follow our tips to make sure it’s a success! There are plenty of things you can do to change it from a standard garden party to a real festival theme garden party. If you'd like a hand planning the event of the year, our team are experts in planning the perfect garden party and would love to help.
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