How to Plan a Backyard Dinner Party – Part One

I love to plan parties. I created this backyard dinner party for my family and it was amazing. Today I am sharing how to plan a backyard dinner party at your own home.

I wanted to create a dinner party that was really special. My guests were the best ever … our family! This dinner was truly a magical evening and I used DIYs to make it all myself.

Today I am sharing how to plan this backyard dinner party. You can do this too!

Our family was all in town and I wanted to create a tablescape for an incredible dinner party. I came up with a magical dinner complete with decor, lighting, ambiance, good wine, and a home-cooked meal.

How to Create an Outdoor Dining Room

It took me a while to select the location for our dinner. While we have held quite a few parties in our backyard, I had never done anything poolside.

So I picked this area in front of our pool.

A few years ago I bought some old vintage porch posts. I used them to create an outdoor dining room and wanted to do it again.

I bought these porch posts at a vintage sale but you can find them on Facebook Marketplace. Just search for “porch posts”

Vintage porch posts have a hole in them so I figured out that I could pound stakes in the ground to partially support the posts.

I also used some 1″ x 2″ x 8′ lumber to secure the porch posts on top. You can get the idea from the photos below.

Next, I placed another board across the center top of the frame. I hung three strings of cafe lights which I bought a few years ago and have used so many times!

I decided I needed greenery across the top board and asked my husband if he could trim our tree. He gladly obliged and I placed the small branches all across the top. I secured them with green floral wire.

Setting the Table

I have a pretty big inventory of charges, tablecloths, and dinnerware. I decided it would be fun to use copper accents so I selected a burlap runner, woven placemats, and copper chargers.

I made the floral centerpieces and added my favorite copper candlesticks. You can get three of these copper candlesticks for only $21!

I absolutely love how the table came out. I made the place cards with my circuit machine. I promise to share how I made them in my next blog post!

As the evening progressed, the table became more beautiful as the sun set.

The lights were so unique and created a perfect ambiance poolside.

The table was simple but created the perfect gathering for our family.

I also shared more details about the table setting, how to make the place cards, and how to make flower arrangements with grocery store flowers in this blog post.  To find out how to make the paper lanterns go to this blog post.

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