With the festive season right around the corner, what better time to start planning your New Year’s Eve soiree than right now? Whether you’re looking to create a lighthearted, family-friendly atmosphere, or you’re wanting to welcome 2019 well into the early hours of the morning with your friends, pulling off a successful New Year’s Eve do is crucial for creating an unforgettable introduction to the year ahead.

To ensure the success of your evening celebrations, turn your summer garden into a party-ready winter wonderland and welcome in the new year in true seasonal style. Not only will an outdoor event help all your guests get in the festive mood, but it will save you the indoor cleanup duties the following day. From outdoor heaters to warm up your guests to festive decorations to place around your garden, in today’s post, we’re looking at the many ways you can transform your garden into a practical and pretty party destination this year.

new years eve party

Prepare in advance

When it comes to planning your New Year’s Eve party, preparation is key. Because of the time of year that you’ll be hosting your winter bash, it’s safe to expect a frosty bite to come hand in hand with your outdoor occasion. In your invites, prepare your friends and family to dress warmly and don’t be afraid to ask them to contribute a dish of food and a celebratory new year’s tipple to the friendly festivities – it’s a great way to get everybody involved and save money at the same time.

Once you’ve picked a time and sent over your invites, it’s time to let your neighbours know what to expect on the night – unless, of course, you’ve chosen to invite them to celebrate with you. Also, consider preserving your carpeted floor during your mid-winter soiree by providing everyone with a cheap and cheerful pair of flip-flops or sliders on entry to your home to ensure your floor remains clean no matter how messy your party gets.

Create your space

When hosting a winter garden do, it’s crucial to make your cold outdoor space as inviting as possible in spite of the elements. A practical way to protect guests from snow and rain is to prop up a pop-up gazebo under which they can dance and chat comfortably beneath an array of decorative fairy lights.

Additionally, for those unfazed by any light rain that may fall on the night, it’s probably worth opting for outdoors heaters that your guests can gather around – but why stop there? While you can’t always accurately predict the weather on the day, you can assume that there’ll be a wintery chill. Therefore, a great idea to keep your friends and family cosy is to keep blankets at hand for the various seating areas around your garden. Top it all off by handing out festive mulled wine to help your guests stay both merry and warm.

Set a theme

Arguably the most entertaining part of the night occurs as a result of a party theme and equivalent dress code. For those who are likely to quiver in their boots at the prospect of a themed party, why not pick a broad idea that provides a plethora of possible party outfits? An ‘out with the old and in with the new (year)’ theme, for example, will get your guests into the party mood and allow you to decorate your home and garden accordingly while giving them a wide variety of playful outfit choices to choose from.

A fun way to incorporate an old-to-new decorative theme into your space is a simple, cheap and easy upcycling technique. Let your creative juices flow and take pleasure in decorating your garden with upcycled antique items – which you can find easily at an auction house in the UK – or by reinventing your own dusty items by turning them into new, contemporary pieces. Not only is this beautiful styling technique perfect for getting the family involved, but you’ll be left with gorgeous garden pieces that will last you well into the new year.

celebrating in garden

While initially a chilly night huddled around in a back garden might fill your friends and family with apprehension, when planned and executed properly it has the potential to be an unforgettable experience for everyone. Make use of your outdoor space and decorate your garden with fairy lights, outdoor heating systems and warm blankets – and watch as you and your guests welcome in the new year with fits of laughter and a bag full of memories.

Alex Jones is a content creator at Featonby’s, a specialist antiques and collectibles auctioneers based in North Tyneside, England.