Not all outdoor parties require you to break the bank before you can host them. It is normal to see beautiful decorations, and people partying happily, and assume an event like that must have cost an arm and a leg.
It is not always the case.
Having organized a couple of events myself, I know that if you apply a little creativity, you can host a good party on a tight budget. In this article, I will share five tips that can help you host a memorable and affordable outdoor party.
1. Choose a Free or Low-Cost Venue
In one of my parties, what I opted for was to go to Unity Park. It is a public park located at the center of my city.
The park is a free outdoor party venue. The only time they charge money is if you come with food. So in our case we had to pay approximately $50 for the food.
2. Affordable Decorations
You don’t need to be an expert decorator to make a place look aesthetically pleasing. With a little guidance, you can make a stale venue get lit up.
These three tips can help you:
i) DIY Decor
Use borrowed items like folding tables and chairs to set up the event like a picnic. You don’t need to buy new items to do this.
Instead, repurpose what you already have. Doing this will give your decoration a personal touch. If you don’t have all the items you need, you could borrow. Items like grills, coolers, tables and lawn chairs can be easily gotten from family or friends.
You can add color to the tables with balloons, candles, mason jars with different colors of straws, flowers, and ribbons.
Some household items like old sheets can be used as tablecloths. Then you can add extra color to the tables with balloons, candles, mason jars with different colors of straws, flowers, and ribbons.
Also, you can add string lights and other types of lighting around the venue for effect. This way you won’t need to pay an expensive event decorator.
ii) Use nature as part of the decor
The public park we used for my last affordable outdoor party had a small body of water. It also had some well kept trees, and sculpted stones and objects that added to the beaty.
If you don’t have such, you can get some flowers and place them in vases and add to your decoration.
iii) Visit the closest thrift stores
Visit any local thrift store and check for inexpensive decoration materials you can use. Some of these materials could be decoration materials, and you’d be getting them at very cheap prices.
Now that we have gotten the venue and decoration out of the way, the next thing to tackle is refreshments.
You can also read: 10+ Ideas for Family Reunion Decorations
3. Simple and Affordable Food Ideas
What is a great party without great food? Cutting costs doesn’t mean you have to remove food from the affordable outdoor party you are hosting.
Here are some suggestions that will help you get simple and affordable food.
i) Potluck-Style Party
Potluck suggestions to your guests and have them all bring a dish. If everyone comes for the party with food and drinks for someone else, there will be more than enough to go round.
Not only will this reduce your costs, but it will add a lot of variety to your affordable outdoor party.
ii) Budget-Friendly Menu
If you don’t want to go that route, you can create an “affordable outdoor party menu.” This is simply a menu of cheap outdoor party food. Starting from snacks, you can use low-cost snack options like popcorn, chips, small chops, and even homemade lemonade.
Aside from that, you can go for grilled veggies, salads, burgers, and hot dogs. Lastly, set up an affordable dessert bar with not-so-expensive treats like cookies and different flavors of cupcakes.
If you do these, you will have a variety of dishes for your party guests and you still won’t be breaking the bank.
4. Affordable Outdoor Party Entertainment
Hiring and setting up sound equipment for entertainment can easily eat up all your money. Here are a few affordable outdoor party entertainment for you to consider.
i) Affordable outdoor party games
Games like frisbee, or even a DIY obstacle course can provide entertainment for your guests without having you shoot up your budget.
ii) Create a music playlist for the party
You don’t need to hire a DJ for this. All you need is a free music app and a bluetooth speaker. Once the playlist is done, you can assign someone to handle the music to keep the vibe fun and lively.
iii) Outdoor Movie
Movies and karaoke can be part of your outdoor party activities. Depending on the type of outdoor party you are having, you can rent a projector and use a white sheet as a screen. Once set up, you can watch movies or do karaoke at your outdoor party.
However, if you do all these and you still find yourself overshooting your budget, then you may have to apply the final tip.
5. Keep the Guest List Small
Not only does reducing the size of your guests save you money, it can help make the party more intimate and enjoyable.
The fewer people you have, the less amount of food and drinks you have to make arrangements for. Doing this will also help you reduce what you will need spend on supplies like chairs, tables, and even cutleries.
Final Verdict
Hosting a great outdoor party doesn’t always mean you have to break the bank. If you put your thinking cap on and apply these affordable outdoor party tips, you can still pull it off with a shoestring budget.
This is your cue to host that low-cost outdoor party you have been putting off for a while. And always remember that it doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun and memorable.
