How to host the perfect jubilee garden party

The ins and outs of planning a Jubilee party

Selecting festivity-ready Jubilee garden furniture

Our gardens are both extensions of our homes and our sense of personal style. They allow us to create calming nooks of serenity that can also be used as lively socialising spots during special occasions. When you find the perfect set of garden furniture for your garden, it can instantly help you to create a welcoming, secluded and intimate environment that is versatile enough to suit laid back weekends, family occasions, and much larger celebrations.

From folding bistro sets such as this charming chalk toned collection from Garden Trading and this mid-century style set from Gallery all the way up to multi-person seating options including the Olivia's Robin outdoor corner sofa and the sweeping circular design of the Maze Rattan Chelsea lifestyle outdoor suite which comes complete with a rising glass table, there is an outdoor furniture set to suit all spaces.

You could also choose to create multiple seating options positioned in various locations around your outside space, each with different functions and atmospheres which will help you to ensure that every guest feels right at home as soon as they arrive. A contemporary two-seater dining set with a mid-century twist, such as the Olivia's Sienna set for example, and a selection of outdoor sofas and blankets would look wonderful positioned within easy reach of a barbecue bucket for intimate, memorable celebrations with your loved ones.

So, whether you're looking for jubilee garden furniture for a few guests or a much larger party, there are plenty of design pieces that will take your event from summer gathering to right royal celebration. Better still, each piece will continue to be a wonderful asset in your garden for many years to come.

Setting the scene

Whichever outdoor furniture set you decide is right for your space, choosing the perfect table settings and accessories will allow you to elevate the luxuriousness of your jubilee celebrations with ease.

We recommend resisting the temptation to purchase a selection of disposable tableware and cups in favour of using a beautiful set or even mis-matched pieces from different sets, even if you're hosting a particularly large celebration. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, but this is a very special occasion that should feel at least a little different from other events you may have planned for the rest of the summer.

If you're hosting a sophisticated sit-down evening meal al fresco, the Skyline LED Wine Cooler can add something extra special to your tablescape or outside bar area. This sleek and ultra-modern design piece is guaranteed to become a talking point around the table for all the right reasons.

Another option for a classy evening sit-down dining celebration is the Skyline LED oval table light, which can be used as an ambient contemporary centrepiece ideally suited to minimal table settings. This multi-functional piece also emits plenty of light, with 15 different colour settings to ensure you can always create just the right mood.

Creating charming alternative seating areas

Whether you're inviting a large number of guests or you would prefer not to centre your celebrations around a table, there are a variety of creative ways to create striking alternative seating areas within your garden. You could even use this as a clever design trick to create different zones within your garden, each of which has its own unique vibe and purpose.

For example, styling a selection of floor cushions outside a summer house or beneath a tree can be an easy way to create a picnic-style area that is certain to appeal to both children and adults alike. To keep the kids entertained, you could place some board and card games beside each floor cushion, or set up a chic outdoor bar cart beside the cushions to create a fun cocktail area for the grown-ups to enjoy whilst soaking in the sunshine.

Garden Trading floor cushions are perfectly suited to laid back entertaining, particularly as each piece has been crafted from high quality recycled woollen yarn and generously filled to offer maximum comfort. Complete this charming seating area with a few picnic blankets and you're good to go.

Adding a few jars of fairy lights or hurricanes containing candles can be a simple way to ensure this seating area can be used long into the evening as the sun starts to set. The Broste Copenhagen Bamboo stick candleholders are an excellent option for a boho chic style celebration, with the Olivia's Minnie hurricane candleholders perfect for a sophisticated and timeless evening celebration.

Garden rugs and alternative seating solutions can also be used to create different areas within your overall design scheme. For example, positioning this stylish Garden Trading grey outdoor rug beside or beneath the Gallery Direct Geneva outdoor dining table, which puts a modern twist on a charming picnic bench style table, is an excellent way to create a small buffet-style dining area on your patio or lawn.

Alternatively, your chosen outdoor rug can be used to lead to a laid back lounging area with a feature daybed such as the Maze Rattan Ark offering a chilled out seating solution that allows your guests to soak up the sunshine in maximum comfort.

Consider all weather possibilities

With ever-changeable weather conditions, it can be tricky to plan an outdoor celebration of any kind. However, Olivia's has a carefully curated selection of stylish outdoor design pieces that can offer both shade from the harsh midday sun and shelter from passing rain showers, should the need arise.

One of the classiest ways to complete your outside seating area is with a luxurious parasol. The Maze Rattan parasol is an ideal piece to complete four or six seater round dining furniture sets, with its crank handle and tilt mechanism that provides enough versatility for both bijou patios and large decked areas alike. This beautiful design piece also boasts a UV rated canopy, which offers additional protection from the sun's rays.

Olivia's also offers a selection of free-standing parasols, which can be positioned everywhere from patios and decks to outside summer houses and around swimming pools. The Cane-Line Hyde hanging parasol in this chic grey hue is a beautiful example of a modern garden furnishing. It has a timeless design and large canopy area that will suit a variety of terraces, offering plenty of shelter from the elements come rain or shine.

Another option is the Maze Rattan Zeus cantilever parasol, which comes in charcoal or taupe tones and with a round or square canopy design. Its design means it offers plenty of versatility as it can be placed on decking, patios or lawns with ease to create charming seating areas ideal for picnics, games, and socialising.

Don't forget the decorations

Additional decorations can provide the final finishing flourish to your jubilee celebrations and we all know how small details really can make all the difference.

There are a number of different avenues you could choose to go down here. You may, for example, choose to lean into the patriotic theme and scatter red, white and blue floral displays around your garden. Or as an alternative, you may instead prefer to go for a decidedly more royal colour palette and play with rich royal purple hues which is a shade that can be complemented with vibrant yellows for extra pops of eye-catching colour.

If you're planning on serving the official Jubilee pudding, which is a light yet decadent lemon and Swiss roll amaretti trifle that takes inspiration from the lemon posset that was served at the wedding of Her Majesty and Prince Philip in 1947, why not make a real feature of it by displaying it in a beautiful serving dish or placing it in pride of place in the centre of your table on a chic cake stand.

Continue the celebrations long into the night

We have already touched on how to use candles and hurricanes to extend the celebrations into the evening as darkness starts to fall, however, there are a variety of other ways to create an inviting evening ambience that your guests simply won't want to leave.

Outdoor festoon lights can be hung from fence panels, wrapped around trees and suspended from pergolas, but that is far from your only option. The Maze Rattan solar lights can be positioned around a pool or water feature, on the deck surrounding your outdoor dining table, or dotted throughout your garden to illuminate your favourite features. Solar-powered lights also have the added benefit of bursting into light automatically as soon as it starts to get dark.

Another way to bring some modern illumination to your garden space is through LED planters. The Skyline LED cone planter can be used to house small trees and shrubs, and comes with a remote-controlled LED system that can be programmed to illuminate with one of 15 fixed colours or cycle through the colour wheel. Skyline planters are available in a selection of different shapes and sizes, making gorgeous additions to a patio or decked area.

While early June days can be delightfully warm, a chill can start to set in as the sun sets and the moon rises. Ensuring that your guests don't feel the cold is simple with the help of a stylish and atmospheric fire pit. There are numerous different styles of fire pits, including contemporary designs such as the Gallery Direct Nero model, which boasts a sophisticated black powder-coated surface that will make the right impression in every modern outside space. For more traditional gardens, the Sarsden Chiminea from Garden Trading is a wonderful option as it takes inspiration from authentic Spanish designs and its long chimney clears the fire smoke with ease.

Plan, plan, and plan some more!