Garden party

“When will the first guests arrive?” Clara excitedly calls out from the garden. She is busy preparing tables and chairs for today’s cosy garden party. Anna is on the patio, putting the final touches on the homemade decorations that will adorn the beautiful table. “Around noon, dear sister,” Anna replies.

The sisters adore celebrating life’s big and small events with those dear to them. “A garden party is such a wonderful way to create joy and togetherness,” Anna believes.

The sisters have compiled a wealth of inspiration and ideas to help you organise and host a cosy garden party with your loved ones. Find inspiration for decorations, table setting, entertainment, food and drink, and creative projects.

Sweet scents and warm breezes. Spend summer’s light evenings with close friends and family. “Gather the best of nature, and let your guests enjoy the colourful spectacle,” Clara says. "With views of the sky and open spaces, tranquillity can descend at the table, and deep conversations can arise," Anna adds.

The sisters enjoy gathering the family for a cosy garden party filled with fun games, delicious food, and a wonderful atmosphere. “Should we use the recyclable plastic tableware or the stoneware?” Anna asks from the kitchen. The sisters are busy setting up for a grand birthday party in the garden. “We better use the recyclable tableware, dear sister,” Clara responds. “Hopefully, nothing is broken then,” she chuckles.

Base the colour theme on natural elements like leaves, flowers, and fruits, and choose napkins, glasses, and candles in similar shades. Anna has brought out the beautiful fabric napkins for today’s occasion. “There is beauty in simplicity,” Anna says. “Tie a knot on the fabric napkin, or wrap a single flower in it,” she continues.

Let the invitations and decorations reflect the garden party’s overall theme, the sisters suggest. “It creates such a harmonious expression,” Anna believes. Find inspiration for the invitations in nature or the garden and feel free to use dried flowers and fine leaf prints. “This way, you can really set the mood,” Clara smiles.

The sisters enjoy decorating the table beautifully, so a cosy atmosphere can easily arise. “Make use of the nature around you and decorate the table in the finest manner,” Anna suggests. Explore nature and gather the most beautiful finds in vases of various sizes. “Flowers of any kind will grace summer tables,” Clara believes. “By gathering several vases, you achieve a very special effect,” Anna says. “Furthermore, it also makes more room for bowls and platters on the table,” Clara advises.

Anna recommends combining different flowers in the same colour palette on the table. It creates harmony without being monotonous. Combine your favourite flowers with wildflowers and a few flowering branches, achieving an unpretentious look that suits garden parties well.

From branch to branch, bunting in muted colours frames the festively laid table. “You can easily achieve an impressive look at the party by decorating above the table and not just on it,” Clara advises. “You could hang balloons, garlands, lanterns, or something entirely different,” Anna suggests. She herself has created a flower bunting of beads, a fabric bunting, and small fine papier-mâché lanterns.

Clara has meticulously arranged cosy fairy lights and outdoor lights, so the party can continue in the garden when darkness falls. The fairy lights are twined around the nearby trees and bushes in the sisters’ garden. “It creates such a cosy atmosphere,” Clara believes.

Invite friends and family to spontaneous and informal gatherings under the open sky in the comfort of your home. Anna and Clara enjoy filling the garden table with shareable dishes like pizza, pasta, and tapas. Wrapped in the garden’s greenery and nature’s tranquillity, they set the table for a summer evening in delightful company. Fill the table with various treats for your guests to enjoy over several hours in the summery surroundings.

If you are serving a larger lunch or dinner at your garden party, it is advisable to serve the food on a separate table as a buffet. Anna and Clara see several advantages to a buffet. It creates an informal atmosphere for the party, avoids crowding at the tables, allows for a flexible seating plan, enabling guests to mingle with different people during the event, and it is exciting to explore a buffet where everyone can assemble a plate with their favourites in just the right amount for their appetite. This can also reduce food waste compared to portioned meals.

Fresh berries and fruits should feature in any summer festivity, according to the sisters. Together, they have prepared to make delicious pancakes over a fire topped with fresh berries and a pavlova with berry and pistachio cream. In Søstrene Grene’s online universe, you can find a wealth of inspiration for your party’s recipes. “A good party is not complete without delicious food,” Anna believes.

Serve refreshing summer drinks for your guests in practical juice dispensers. The sisters have chosen to serve summery and fresh beverages for the occasion. Together, they have made iced tea with apple and lemon and rhubarb juice. “Use chalk markers to decorate with charming drawings and to inform your guests about the contents,” Anna suggests. Instead of ice cubes to cool your guests’ drinks, you can also cut small pieces of fruit and freeze them completely. “They look so pretty in the glass while adding delightful, summery flavours,” Clara says.

Children have a special ability to find fun opportunities in nature. Find inspiration to make outdoor life adventurous and create the perfect playground for the little ones. “Time to play is time to dream,” as Anna says.

“That’s splendid, Aunt Clara!” the nephew chuckles, as Clara topples one of the pawns in the homemade Kubb Game. With the sisters’ guidance, you can make your own Kubb Game, so you and your loved ones have a delightful game for the sunny days of the year.

“Invite your guests to a fun treasure hunt and let them discover lovely finds along the way,” Clara suggests. The sisters have made small lists of treasures for the guests to find in the garden. Let your guests hunt for flowers, stones, branches, feathers, or something completely different. “Attach the list to a gift bag, so they can store their beautiful treasures,” Anna suggests.

Similarly, you can bring laughter and joy to your outdoor areas with a fun egg race around the garden for an Easter celebration. Clara also likes to hide small Easter eggs around the bushes and flowerbeds in the garden before the guests arrive. “Then the little ones can go on a hunt for the hidden surprises,” she says with a smile.

The garden can be the perfect location for any type of party. Whether you are inviting guests to a grand wedding, confirmation, birthday, Easter celebration, or just a festive occasion to see your loved ones, the sisters have creative ideas for your preparations. Find inspiration for, among other things:

• Homemade invitations
• Place cards
• Menu cards
• Decorations
• Table setting

Thus, at Søstrene Grene, you can always find a wealth of inspiration for decorations, table setting, food and drink, and much more. Explore your local Søstrene Grene store or discover the selection in the sisters' online universe. “Life is a party,” as Anna and Clara often say.