Garden Party Ideas for Celebrating the Season in Style
Dress for the Occasion
We all love a casual gathering, but sometimes, dressing up is just the thing we need to lift the mood.
Garden Party Veggie Pots
Stuff sliced cucumbers, small broccoli florets, and tiny tomatoes into terracotta pots so that guests can grab their own individual serving of veggies for the dip station.
Signature Cocktail Station
Avoid playing bartender with a big-batch cocktail station. Mix up a simple signature cocktail that's easy enough to recreate when the pitcher or decanter starts to get low.
Spring Salad with Berries and Bacon
Recipe: Spring Salad with Berries and Bacon
Serve this light, colorful salad as a starter at your garden party. Pass the bowl family style or make individual plates for each guest.
Monogramed Napkins
If you're hosting a super-special garden party (perhaps a bridal shower), monogramed napkins are an elegant tabletop accessory and perfect party favor.
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Recipe: Egg Salad Sandwiches
The texture of this egg salad is perfect for sandwiching between two thin slices of white bread. The recipe makes 44 finger sandwiches, which is plenty for a your al fresco affair.
Spring Butter Bar
Recipe: Spring Compound Butters
Bring out a loaf of crusty bread and these butters need no other companion. Orange-Tarragon, Honey-Mustard-Chive, and Herbed Chèvre Butters are offered here, but feel free to mix in your own preferred herbs and condiments.
Elderflower Champagne Cocktail
Recipe: Elderflower Champagne Cocktail
Make it a garden cocktail party with this fun, fizzy Elderflower Champagne Cocktail. Substitute for Prosecco if you don't love rosé, but don't skip on the floral ice cubes.
Down the Rabbit Hole
If you want to do a themed garden party, there's no better example than Alice in Wonderland. Pick up different dish ware that feature illustrations of Lewis Carroll's beloved book—and perhaps take a page or two from the sets of the movies, Tim Burton, cartoon, and otherwise.
Raspberry White Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Recipe: Raspberry White Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Throwing a springtime garden party? You need to serve these rose-shaped cookies, which double as a decorative and tasty addition to your table.
Stock the Bar
When it comes to decorating, don't forget your bar. A few color coordinated serving pieces, garnishes, and bubbles can go a long way.
Floral Place Cards
Keep in with the floral theme and find cute, watercolor place cards that display the blooms of the season. It'll be a cute memento for guests to take home.
Garlic Butter Shrimp Cocktail
Recipe: Garlic Butter Shrimp Cocktail
Now this is a fancy pass-around that couldn't be easier. Set it out on the buffet spread and watch it disappear—Garlic Butter gives the shrimp a boost of flavor, and the homemade cocktail sauce takes it over the top.
Olive Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe: Olive Cheese Sandwiches
This is a grown-up version of a beloved childhood treat, the grilled cheese sandwich. Cut into dainty squares, they make great finger food.
Herb Centerpieces
Who said flowers must be the centerpiece of a garden party? Try herbs instead—they'll lend a delicate perfume to the tablescape.
Cherry Blossom Cocktail
Recipe: Cherry Blossom Cocktail
Spring always announces its arrival with an explosion of cherry blossoms. Make this the signature cocktail of your event and have some cherry blossoms on hand as a garnish.
Tomato Tea Sandwiches
Recipe: Tomato Tea Sandwiches
Our Test Kitchen declares that the classic tomato sandwich belongs at every gathering, and the garden party is no exception. Crunchy toasted bread, punchy red onions, and cream cheese make these super-simple sandwiches something special.
Dainty Place Cards
Don't have your guests scrambling for a seat. With a dainty place card, they'll know exactly where to sit.
Floating Arrangements
Garden party floral arrangements don't need to be elaborate to wow. Here, we used orange tulips and a large pink peony to add a modern feel to an arrangement that is otherwise quite simple.
Spring Vegetable Frittata
Recipe: Spring Vegetable Frittata
If you're worried about juggling one too many dishes at the garden party, let the Spring Vegetable Frittata swoop in and save the day. It's so pretty it practically plates itself, and you can serve it in the baking dish.
Heirloom Linens
There's nothing like a personal touch at a party, and heirloom linens are hard to beat. The older, the better. Bonus points if you have the family crest or monogram on the napkins.
Mini Tomato Sandwiches with Bacon Mayonnaise
Recipe: Mini Tomato Sandwiches with Bacon Mayonnaise
The BLT gets gussied up to become a barely-recognizable, fanciful finger food. Be sure to choose top-notch tomatoes, because if you don't, even the Bacon Mayonnaise won't save them.
Strawberry Fields Cocktail
Recipe: Strawberry Fields Cocktail
Gin and tonic plus fresh strawberry syrup make for a summery cocktail your guests can't get enough of.
Grilled Shrimp-and-Squash Pasta with Summer Herbs
Recipe: Grilled Shrimp-and-Squash Pasta with Summer Herbs
This elegant dish will wow at a summer dinner party. It features two types of summer squash, succulent shrimp, and plenty of fresh herbs that ring in the start of the season.
Summer Cobbler Cocktail
Recipe: Summer Cobbler Cocktail
If you're sitting on a pile of fresh blackberries, this cocktail will be a no-brainer. Grand Marnier, white whiskey, and fresh lime juice pair with blackberry preserves for a sweet drink reminiscent of Grandma's cobbler.
Double Duty Place Cards
Looking for a party favor? Turn place cards into personalized paper weights.
French 75
Recipe: French 75
Your garden party can be the soirée of the season if you serve the classy French 75. For the newcomers, it's gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and just a dash of champagne. Santé!
Summer Tortellini Salad
Recipe: Summer Tortellini Salad
If you plan on devoting most of your energy to beautiful desserts, cocktails, and décor, plan on serving this Summer Tortellini Salad as the main dish. Pre-made pasta ensures that everything's a breeze: You only need 10 minutes of active time.
Lemonade Bar
For the non-cocktail crowd, set up a lemonade bar with tea and lemonade, plus garnishes, for guests to mix and match.
Kale-Citrus Salad with Bacony Pecans
Recipe: Kale-Citrus Salad with Bacony Pecans
Say what you want, but kale is delicious, and with the addition of pecans, which we toasted in bacon drippings, we might elevate its status to divine.
Grapefruit Gin Slush Cocktail
Recipe: Grapefruit Gin Slush Cocktail
On the hottest summer days, nothing sounds better (to the grown-ups, at least) than a slush. Puckering grapefruit meets gin in this rendition.
An Egg-Cellent Touch
An Easter garden party wouldn't be complete without the ubiquitous egg. Fill cleaned shells with candy and flowers before nesting them on antique silver for an elegant (but easy!) touch.
Honeysuckle Lemonade Cocktail
Recipe: Honeysuckle Lemonade Cocktail
This summer sipper featuring honeysuckle vodka absolutely belongs at a garden party. Plus, it's easy to make a double or triple batch to serve a crowd.
Sunflower Cupcakes
Recipe: Sunflower Cupcakes
Few flowers elicit the same joy and reaction as the sunflower. These cupcakes are guaranteed to light up the party.
Lemon-Tarragon Potato Salad
Recipe: Lemon-Tarragon Potato Salad
Is it really a Southern gathering without some form of potato salad? No, it's not. And this one is bright and zesty, perfect for warmer weather.
Pineapple Flowers
Recipe: Pineapple Flowers
These edible flowers will dress up everything from the Bundt cake to your table setting, and add a little sunshine while they're at it.
Hang String Lights
If you're planning an all-day affair that will last into the evening, string lights are the back-pocket trick to adding a touch of romance to warm summer evening.
Lemon Naked Cake with Flower Crown
Recipe: Lemon Naked Cake with Flower Crown
Impress your guests with a seasonal cake that looks too pretty to eat. Don't be intimidated, the impressive results are all owed to a lemon cake mix and simple lemon buttercream.
Summer Orzo Salad
Recipe: Summer Orzo Salad
This summery pasta salad is packed with the season's best tomatoes, crunchy pistachios, and topped off with a zesty basil pesto and creamy feta. It feels fancy but will only take 20 minutes of active time.
Apple Rose Tart
Recipe: Apple Rose Tart
Sure, apples may be a year-round pantry staple, but they form beautiful flowers only worthy of spring.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Sun-dried tomatoes are a summer staple, so what better way to enjoy it than in a pasta salad? It's a fun addition to the table and a refresher from the usual (but still loved) sides.
Grapefruit Rosemary Mimosas
Recipe: Grapefruit Rosemary Mimosas
This pretty pink drink sure is a stunner. Make the rosemary simple syrup ahead of time so you have it on hand for the garden party.
Sunflower Centerpieces
The great thing about sunflowers is that even each individual bloom has a wow factor. Create simple centerpieces by choosing cute, disposable paper cups and topping each one with a sunflower head.
Strawberry Rosé Snack Cake
Recipe: Strawberry Rosé Snack Cake
Summer called, and it wants this cake. The rosé flavor comes through in a pleasant way that compliments the strawberries, which give the cake its dashingly pink hue.
Cucumber-Chickpea Salad with Feta-Mint Vinaigrette
Recipe: Cucumber-Chickpea Salad with Feta-Mint Vinaigrette
Cool, light, refreshing—meet the ultimate garden party salad. While plating the salad will make for a stunning presentation, don't be afraid to serve it family style, either.
Build a Charcuterie Board
Consider this the appetizer that will please everyone of all ages. Load it with the season's best fruit and an array of specialty cheeses and preserves to create something your guests won't stop raving about.
Monogramed Cocktail Bar
Celebrating a special someone at your garden party? Give them a nod with a monogramed cocktail bar.
White Cupcakes with Rose Petals
Recipe: White Cupcakes with Rose Petals
Ultimate elegance comes in the form of these petal-laden cupcakes. If you want a dessert that will impress without taking loads of effort, this is the one. All it takes is a little swirl of frosting and a petal on top.
Make It Pop With Poppies
Poppies are a harbinger of summer, so be sure to add a few to your floral centerpieces. They add a cheerful pop of color that endear them to all.
Bonfire
If you party will extend into the evening, finish it off with a bonfire, some chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. The adults might also appreciate a nightcap.
Whether we're planning an al fresco Easter luncheon, May Day gathering, Kentucky Derby watch party, or a summer soirée, the garden party is the epitome of elegant outdoor entertaining. Bring on the Derby attire, beautiful blooming centerpieces, and host of delicious party fare that'll have all your guests raving. These garden party ideas include everything from simple floral centerpieces to recipes for salads, sides, and plenty of cocktails to keep everyone refreshed. We also suggest easy touches that go a long way, like monogramed napkins and paperweight place cards, which double as party favors should your occasion require it. Pour yourself an Elderflower Champagne Cocktail, set out the Egg Salad Sandwiches, and get to celebrating the spring and summer season in style.