Treat the event as if it is a swanky party at a luxury hotel, grand estate or ritzy private club.
Even though it's only in your backyard, think grand and think luxury. Don't get stuck in the small and simple mentality. Take your outdoor space and turn it into a luxurious environment. This means specialty lighting, rental furniture, sumptuous table linens, dining room-type chairs, lush floral and top-notch food, service and entertainment. Just because you are in your backyard doesn't mean you can't have a backyard party that pulls out all the stops. Change your mindset and go big. Your guest will be talking about it for years to come.
Have valet greet guests by opening up doors and extending an arm for the ladies to take as they arrive to your backyard party. Greeters take coats and hats, place a drink in your guest's hands and lead them to the party, making them feel welcome every step of the way.
Don't think typical barbecue, think gourmet.
What might've been burgers is now Mediterranean-grilled kebabs kebabs or flame-grilled Fillet Mignon for guests to enjoy. A backyard party favorite, watermelon can be served wrapped in Prosciutto or drizzled with balsamic and topped with goat cheese for an elegant tasty bite. Offer lobster salad or roasted corn with chili powder, Cotija cheese and cilantro.
Consider fabric-covered tents scattered through the yard to create great ambiance with small, intimate lounging areas with personality. Use throw rugs, sofas, pillows, tapestries and coffee tables, and accessorize just as you would inside your home. Decorate with floral garland and hanging lampshades through the trees as well as sculptures created from greens and florals to continue the sophisticated indoor/outdoor look throughout your garden party.
Specialty lighting can really create a dramatic look and can totally transform your backyard. Hang crystal chandeliers from the trees or bring indoor lamp fixtures to the outside. Washes of colored light, monograms, patterns and textures can be projected on the perimeter walls of your home that surround, on the grass, hedges, concrete pavement or even the trees. This is the same theatrical equipment that is used for a grand performance at the theater or inside the ballroom of a luxury hotel, and can be set up and taken down by an event production company for one night's usage.
The newest form of high-tech lighting is video projection mapping. This technology can turn almost any surface into a dynamic video display. Specialized software is used to warp and mask the projected image to make it fit perfectly on irregularly shaped backgrounds. When done properly, the end result is a dynamic moving projection that far surpasses ordinary video projection. Ignited fireworks, swimming fish, running horses, waving crowds, cascading waterfalls or any other moving image can be projected within a swimming pool, a pond, upon foliage, buildings, the ground, or any other surface for a visually stunning look. With a little imagination and the right production company your guests will we wowed by this impactful high-tech look, and your backyard party will be the talk of the neighborhood.
Large blocks of ice can be sculpted into buffet tables, bars and even seating areas. For a small lovely ice detail, edible flowers or other edible items can be frozen in your ice cubes. This is a simple thing to do but really looks beautiful when placed in a drink. Choose organically grown roses, geraniums, marigolds, violets or slices or colorful fruits such as kiwis, peaches, figs or berries to brighten up you cocktail cubes. Sometimes it's the small yet beautiful details that guests remember long after they've gone home.
Make it a Catered Affair.
Hire a team of professional chefs and servers to entertain in fine-dining experience. Skip the food stations and buffet-style way of serving and treat your guests to the chef's table. In fact, have the chefs come to the tables during dinner service as each course is being served to describe the tantalizing dishes that they have prepared. Sommeliers may also be hired to pour and describe the wines served with dinner, as well as allowing guests to have a new wine selection with each new course. This is sure to leave a memorable impression on not just upon your foodies and wine connoisseurs alike, but even upon your guests who less discerning palettes. Pampering your guests in this manner allows them to fully relax and be able to spend more time mingling and conversing with one another.
Cirque du Soleil-style performers can entertain from above performing aerial acrobatics such as contorting their bodies gracefully upon a special fabric rope, swinging from a trapeze, or walking the tight-rope. For another unusual option, living sculptures are always a big hit. Seemingly "stone" sculptures or "garden bushes" come to life and bewilder guests as they move ever-so gracefully and then retreat back to their still position, until they emerge again from their perfectly-still state. If your home has a swimming pool, a living fountain is a huge treat and always delightfully mesmerizes guests. Likewise. name talent can really get a party going. Check with national talent agencies to get rates on your favorite artists to really bring your backyard party to life.
Think Luxury, Even with the Port-a-Potty.
Portable executive restrooms these days are as luxurious in the outdoors as you would expect indoors. They are clean and modern on the inside and can be surrounded with potted plants or a decorative facade to dress up this less-than sightly necessity for any large gathering. Restroom attendants are an excellent idea to maintain the cleanliness throughout the evening.