Warm weather means lots of fun afternoons and evenings entertaining friends. Our resident entertaining queen, Janette Ewen shares 10 suggestions to make your summer shindig one to remember!

1. Choose a theme.

Let the theme guide your décor, activity, food and beverage choices. This will help you focus when making decisions on elements for your party.

Palm Springs in the 1960s and a Gatsby-inspired garden party are two hot trends for summer! A few ideas for a Palm Springs theme: play croquet, decorate with a Pucci-inspired colour palette and serve retro-inspired drinks. If you’re going the Gatsby route, it’s all about Art Deco and Roaring Twenties-esque touches. Toast your fab friends with bubbly, naturally!

2. Welcome your guests with a signature cocktail.

For a great cocktail idea, fill large wine glasses with Prosecco and place a fruit-flavoured popsicle in each.

3. Use garden urns as ice buckets.

Fun tip: Create multiple drink stations by filling urns with ice and your favourite beverages. Display these throughout your space; this keeps guests from backlogging the bar or kitchen area and it looks great, too!

4. Pay attention to details.

Add a tropical summer flair to plain glass votive holders by wrapping the exterior with a large palm leaf, use a string of raffia to secure it.

For a centerpiece, incorporate a little rustic charm with wine crates and seasonal fruits.

For an evening centerpiece, place tall (clear) glass bottles with taper candles down the center of a table, keep the look casual and non static by staggering the bottles.

5. Instead of a typical potluck, think “festival” — a “Jazz Festival” or “Rib Festival” are two fun choices.

For a “Jazz Festival” go with a New Orleans vibe, invite friends to send you their top five jazz picks to add to a playlist. Each guest can also bring a Cajun-inspired dish and cocktail.

For a “Rib Festival” have friends prepare their own rack of ribs and have a cookout and taste test!

6. Take care of your guests.

Fill buckets or baskets with outdoor essentials: suntan lotion, sun glasses and bug spray. Have additional baskets with colourful and inexpensive wraps for cooler evenings. Your guests will thank you and won’t need to pester you throughout the day or evening.

7. Decorate your drinks.

Drop petals of edible flowers into the water in an ice tray, freeze and voila! You have beautiful ice for beverage displays.

8. Utilize rental services.

If you’re short on glasses, serving pieces or tableware consider using a rental service for all your party needs. Party rental companies have everything you need at a fraction of the cost of buying.

9. Activities make a summer party.

Have lots of fun activities planned: play croquet, horseshoes or screen a classic beach movie. Looking for something a little goofy? Set up a photo booth! Have various sizes of frames in baskets along with wacky accessories, hang a sheet as a backdrop and place a digital camera on a tripod. Use an affordable photo printer so guests can leave with a copy of their photo.

10. Don’t stress!

A summer party is all about relaxation and having a good time! Let everyone help – the best part about summer entertaining is that it is almost always informal.

For more summer entertaining ideas, watch the clip below!