With the summer comes racing season and mid-June, the Royal Ascot meet is a chance to enjoy the summer sun and to dress in your very finest threads. You can replicate this with your own Royal Ascot themed garden party but beware, it is unlike any other garden party you will host…
Theme it
The Royal Ascot meet is hundreds of years old and although the fashions may have changed, the dress code hasn’t. Everyone attending, from VIPs to race punters are expected to dress in their finest. It means flowing dresses, sharp suits and for the ladies, fantastic hats and fascinators.
You could emulate the same at your garden party this summer. It doesn’t have to be a black-tie event, just as you don’t have to insist on morning coats but you could suggest that ladies come in their finest hats and gentlemen in their finest but most outlandish shirts.
Games
Of course, you’ll need some horse racing inspired games for your garden party and there are plenty of ideas to choose from. You can hire plastic, sit-on horses which your guests race by bouncing along (a bit like the old space hopper) down predefined lanes painted onto your lawn. There are also winding horse races that are a lot of fun too in which guests furiously turns their handle to ‘pull’ their horse home. Take a look online for more inspiration.
Refreshments
After all this playing and chatting, your guests will rightly look for refreshments. And this is where your clever garden design eye will come in to play…
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Go formal with a sit-down meal
Your Royal Ascot themed garden party is the ideal time to ring the changes so ditch the informal, stand-and-eat BBQ in favour of a sit-down meal with a chic garden dining set. Just like you would dress the dining table in your home, make the most of your outdoor table with a pretty covering, polished cutlery and plenty of flowers and sparkling accessories. Keep the menu simple and classic, from ‘coronation chicken’ filled sandwiches (a dish with its own royal connections) to jacket potatoes and more. And don’t forget dessert.
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Keep the outdoor bar stocked up
The unpredictability of the great British summer weather means you could be sheltering from a downpour under the eaves of your gazebo with guests or basking in temperatures commonly seen in the Mediterranean.
Either way, you need to keep the garden bar well stocked. As garden furniture goes, along with ample outdoor seating, this is possibly one of the most important investments you can make. It will serve you well, time and time again.
Ample seating
Whether you have a handful of guests or a fair, few more, you need plenty of outdoor seating. A rattan sofa set comes into its own and can be used time and again for family and social occasions. A rattan garden lounger is also ideal because they can double as comfortable sofas for two or more people and with a low table too, cocktails won’t get knocked over.
A garden party is all about your guests’ enjoyment. What would you add to your Royal Ascot theme garden party?