With the temperature cooling down, some people have a habit of hibernating for winter: not going out, keeping to themselves indoors, and basically shutting down their whole social scene for three months or so.
I am definitely not about that life! When it starts to get cold there’s even more of a reason for get-togethers: hey, we need to sip mulled wine to stay warm here, people! My backyard is always a go-to on cold nights to get the party started, or keep it going after hours.
So long as you’ve got a good group of friends, a roaring fire or heater outside, it can be a night full of many laughs, a lot of silliness, and some of us might even be lucky (or unlucky?) enough to see the sun come up, as we breathe fog out of our mouths and giggle at each other.
My tips for outdoor parties? Make sure your guests rug up and have some fun with some winter themes to keep you entertained. These are my picks of the bunch.
Winter Wonderland
“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening… A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight… Walking in a winter wonderland…”
The classic! A winter wonderland party is all about sparkles and snow – well at least an array of white accessories, for that snow theme. Get your guests to dress in white and sparkles like the gorgeous little snowflakes that they are, get the crystals out, and throw silver glitter over everything.
White and silver helium balloons go down a treat if you’re looking for something a little fancy, and you can actually hire your very own snow machine (which is actually little blobs of foam) to really set the winter wonderland mood.
Christmas in July
Unlike your winter wonderland party, Christmas in July isn’t about snow – we are in Australia after all! This is about putting on the full traditional Christmas spread in July. And you know what else it’s about? Your ugly Christmas sweater competition. This is the perfect time of year for an ugly sweater competition as they’ll be heavily discounted at retailers, too.
Get each guest to bring a Christmas dish – ham, turkey, Christmas pudding, etc., etc., grab yourselves some bonbons, dig out the Christmas tree, and do a secret Santa. It can even be more fun that your regular Christmas!
Ski party
Who needs to hit the slopes when you can sit around in your backyard in your ski gear and sip wine and pretend you’re in a decadent chalet up the mountain? And all without the ridiculously high cost of a lift ticket and accommodation?
If you or your mates often ski or snowboard, then you’ve probably got the gear already… So why not get them around and have a ski party so you can get some use of your clothes off the mountain? Keep toasty outside and regale yourselves of fun ski trips.
Fabulous in Fur
It’s all about how faaaabulous you are, daaaahhhhling! Whether it’s a fun girls night in fur, or you get the guys along, too, a fabulous in fur party can be super fun. You don’t need to purchase real fur for this one, either – faux works just as well too. Encourage guests to go op shopping for the biggest fur coats they can, or suggest sewing their own – fur pants, anyone?
Add pearls and silly accessories to your outfits and sit around drinking champagne because you’re just so devastatingly in vogue right now. Is it Milan? Is it Paris? No, it’s just your backyard in Newtown.
Whatever party theme you decide to go with you’ve got to make sure that your guests are warm. Have an outdoor heater, fire pit, wood fired pizza oven or another way to stay toasty. Make sure to set up an indoors area for your party as well for those that really feel the cold.
Have warm drinks on hand like the aforementioned mulled wine, as well as warming snacks such as pizzas and hot wings. With a little bit of planning you, too, can hold amazing outdoor parties in winter, and save money instead of heading out to bars and restaurants.
Make sure to tell your neighbours in advance if you think it might get a little rowdy – they always enjoy the heads up, and it can help you to meet the neighbourhood if you invite them around for your fabulous winter event.
