To start, you need to choose the day and time - select the game you think would be best watched as a large gathering. With eighteen courts to choose from on BBC iPlayer, you will certainly be able to find a game that is sure to deliver the wow factor.
Once you've sent out the invitations your thoughts will no doubt turn to preparing your home to host such a prestigious event. Any Wimbledon-themed party will require careful planning, the right layout, furniture choices, decorations, television position and of course, catering!
Layout
When you hold a tennis-themed party in your garden, you could choose to make it as formal or informal as you like. You could set up a mini tennis court for your guests to take turns emulating their tennis heroes - this is definitely the height of informal, but sometimes prioritising fun is a great way of guaranteeing that everyone enjoys themselves and that your party is remembered for all the right reasons. If you don't have enough room for a proper game of tennis, then swingball or table tennis are perfectly adequate alternatives which will still deliver on the fun factor.If you decide to go for a fun afternoon of games in the garden, you will need to very carefully plan where to situate the television to ensure that it won't get damaged. If you are short of space, you will need to decide how best to lay out the adjoining rooms to enable a natural flow through your home as guests will need to navigate to the kitchen and living room to fetch food, drinks and to sit in comfort while they aren't taking turns on your tennis court.
If however, you would prefer a more formal affair, you can set up your television in a prominent position in your garden or in a room adjoining the garden where it can easily be seen from outside. As each tennis match is likely to last at least ninety minutes, you will want to prioritise comfort.
When debating layout options, it is important to remember what food you will be serving and at what point. If you are sticking to canapes then you can go wild with your layout as there will be no need for everyone to congregate for food and instead they can pick whilst talking or watching the game unfold. If however, you are planning a barbecue or other formal sit-down eating arrangement, then you will need to ensure that there is a safe and clear passage from where the food will be cooked to where it will be served, and also that there is sufficient seating for all of your guests to comfortably sit down to eat.
Furniture
Our range of outdoor sofas are ideal for Wimbledon garden parties, providing incredibly stylish seating for any occasion at any time of the year. If you're on a budget then the Gallery Outdoor Montril Outdoor two seater sofa will deliver on charm, style, elegance and comfort without breaking the bank.
If, however, you subscribe to the motto of "You only live once", why not go all out with a Maze Oxford Dining Set which comes complete with an ice bucket set into its rising table. This beautiful rattan set is available in grey or light grey and consists of a large corner sofa, three additional seats and a matching adjustable height table with a glass top and a clever incorporated ice bucket which is guaranteed to keep your drinks chilled to perfection. We also stock a parasol which is compatible with this table, perfect for keeping the sun off your guests on a hot day, or if the great British weather fails you, it will equally provide some shelter from the rain.
If you are planning on inviting more guests than you have formal seating, or children are likely to accompany their parents to your event, garden floor cushions provide excellent ad hoc seating. They are available in a range of bright and colourful patterns and styles and are easily stored or displayed inside as sofa or daybed cushions afterwards which makes them a truly versatile choice.
For a summer daytime event, you are unlikely to require additional lighting but if you choose to run the party on into the evening, you will make an incredible impression with our exquisite range of outdoor lighting options. Stringing stunning festoon-style lights around the perimeter of your garden will deliver a fairytale setting with just enough light to provide the right ambience. For additional spotlighting or to highlight a specific aspect of your Wimbledon party, why not add a lantern or two. Brilliantly practical with no wires to catch on and classic styling, they are ideal for any occasion and are sure to be brought out year after year.
For parties which will carry on into the evening, a fire pit will provide further ambient light as well as a lovely warmth and we stock a super collection from the basic Bushbeck Ifan steel fire pit right through to the sleek and modern Maze Rattan fire pit coffee table which is suitable for indoor and outdoor use and available in three colours (charcoal, white and grey).
Decorations and Ambience
Whether you choose a tennis theme or provide a more subtle link back to the purpose of your Wimbledon garden party, your decorations should flow through the home and garden from the moment your guests arrive. You may opt for an obvious selection of tennis ball and tennis racquet emblazoned bunting and tablecloths or for a more obscure reference, why not lean towards red and cream, symbolising the traditional Wimbledon catering of strawberries and cream?
It is important to add enough decorations to remind your guests that they are at a party but don't go overboard - you are, after all, hosting a party for adults. Mix it up a bit with Wimbledon references in the toilets and kitchen to keep your guests entertained.
If you decide against overt tennis references, then you cannot go wrong with classic florals. Whether they be real or artificial, tasteful flower arrangements placed throughout the home always catch the eye and provide a fresh feeling. In the garden, seasonal plants should hopefully be in full bloom. It doesn't matter whether your preferences lean towards planters, flower pots or hanging baskets, the main aim of displaying flowers is to inject some natural colour.
The television will be running for the majority, if not all of your tennis-themed party but you may choose to have soft background music playing throughout as well. If you do, it should not detract from the reason for the gathering or be loud enough to compete with the tennis commentary coming from the television.
Remembering that your guests will not want to be outdoors for the full duration of the party (toilet breaks are a necessity), it is vital to make your home feel warm and welcoming, even when it is empty as you will be outdoors hosting. Don't close any more doors than you absolutely must and make the bathroom very obvious. Decide beforehand whether you wish for your guests to fetch themselves more drinks or whether you will cater for them, either by yourself or by hiring in a catering company or waiting staff to deliver food and drinks throughout the day.
If you choose to deliver the drinks and food to your guests yourself, it is worth investing in a catering-style trolley which will allow you to transit safely without risks of spills and breaks. We offer a selection of appropriate trolleys but our favourite is always the Pomerol trolley. With its sixteen individual secure drinks holders and two shelves, it is the perfect method of transporting food and drink within the home and garden. It also proves useful when tidying up at the end of the party, reducing time spent transiting back and forth between the garden and kitchen area.
Television Position
We have touched on this already but now it's time to go into detail. The television is the most important part of any Wimbledon garden party so it's important to really show it off well. You could choose to wall mount it but of course, this will require drilling into the exterior of your home to fit a suitable bracket and this damage will then have to be repaired after the event.
A more practical choice would be to use a TV unit which will elevate your television to the required height whilst also allowing you a convenient storage space for cocktail mixers, snacks, plates, napkins and any other garden party necessities at ambient temperature until such time as they are needed. TV units tend to be inherently sturdy pieces of furniture so lend themselves well to outdoor use, in particular on a deck or patio area.
To deliver a real cinema effect, you may prefer to use a projector rather than a television, projecting your chosen Wimbledon tennis game directly onto the wall of your home to deliver a real cinema experience for your guests who are sure to enjoy watching the sporting greats on such a scale that it will almost feel as though they are on the court with them.
A projector can be set on any garden table, coffee table or stool but it is important if you choose to use one that all cabling is safely tucked away to avoid trips, falls and damage to the equipment.
Catering
Now on to the most important part of any party! The catering should be at the heart of your Wimbledon party ideas and no Wimbledon-themed party would be complete without strawberries and cream, Pimms and Prosecco.Don't limit yourself to simply handing out bowls of strawberries drizzled in double cream - this is lovely but you can do so much better! There is so much choice and if you are a dab hand in the kitchen (or don't mind outsourcing your baking requirements) there is nothing more show-stopping than a stunning three-layer strawberries and cream cake. Include chocolate-dipped strawberries on the top for a real touch of luxury.
On the topic of chocolate-dipped strawberries - this is your chance to hire or buy a chocolate fountain and allow your guests to swirl their strawberries within the cascading chocolate lava, creating their own perfect Wimbledon party dessert.
You could even push the boat out by serving stunning strawberries and cream cocktails! There are so many options for delivering an incredible strawberry kick but you can't really beat Baileys strawberries and cream mixed with vodka and ice for the perfect combination of simplicity and taste. Of course, these are more traditionally associated with evening events, but Wimbledon is only once a year so if you want to go all out, you absolutely have our approval!
If your guests are staying past dinnertime, you may want to consider firing up the barbecue and serving a main meal. Burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw and pasta salads may not be at the top of your Wimbledon party ideas catering list but they are suitable for any event and your tennis-themed party is no exception. Of course, even the simple barbecue can be elevated to new heights by barbecuing steak or fish and serving it with fresh vegetable skewers for a real taste of the exotic.
Pimms, as with strawberries and cream, is another quintessential Wimbledon favourite and you will want to do this well as plain old Pimms and lemonade is basically just bubbly squash. You will need a large, elegant jug with a sturdy handle and wide spout. Add a generous handful of ice cubes then as much Pimms as you feel is appropriate. Drop in roughly chopped strawberries, cucumber pieces and a good scattering of mint leaves before topping up with lemonade and stirring. Garnish the jug with slices of orange then serve immediately for a feel-good refreshing drink which will make everyone feel welcome and party-ready.
If any of your guests would prefer a non-alcoholic option, there is a wide choice of non-alcoholic cocktails that are easy to make using many of the same ingredients that you will already have to hand. You could make a stunning fruit punch using strawberries, oranges and mint topped up with lemonade, ginger ale or cranberry juice which is sure to be appreciated by the drivers in the party.
Party Games
Party games are absolutely not essential but can be a lot of fun. Especially if the game of tennis that you have chosen to watch is long, tense and you feel that your guests need a distraction. Even if you don't plan on playing games, it can be helpful to prepare some that you can whip out should they prove to be needed.A blindfold, printout of Andy Murray (or other tennis star of your choosing) and tennis racquet with a pin in it is all you need to play "Pin the racquet on the player". Especially after a few glasses of Pimms, this game is sure to provide much-needed entertainment.
"Who Am I" is another simple party game which is ideal for this sort of setting. Get all the guests to write the name of their favourite tennis player on a Post-It note, turn them face down in the middle of the table then let every guest choose someone else's Post-It and stick it to their forehead without looking at it. They then need to figure out who they are by asking a number of Yes/No questions. Take it in turns to ask a question and the first to guess who they are is the winner.
Finally, no games night is complete without a trophy. If you don't want to buy a trophy specifically for this event (although if you plan to make this an annual event, you could have it engraved as a really special keepsake) then you can even have your guests compete to make the best trophy out of tin foil!
Whatever you do at your Wimbledon-themed party, we hope you have a wonderful time!