Holidays & Entertaining Entertaining A Professional Outdoor Party-Planner Shares Tips for a Successful Bash Throw the perfect backyard bash with Kelly Revels’s five-step planning guide on how to be prepared from the first arrival to the last man standing. By Katy Kiick Condon Katy Kiick Condon Instagram Katy Kiick Condon is a home and lifestyle editor for Better Homes & Gardens focused on interior design, cleaning, DIY projects and crafts, and all-things holiday and entertaining. Katy has hundreds of hours invested in testing cleaning equipment and products (just ask, and she'll introduce you to your perfect robot-vac match). She has hands-on DIY experience, including wood working, outdoor gardening and building projects, crafts, and painting. Katy has edited publications detailing high-end interior design including "Country Home," "Décor," "Elegant Homes," "Country French," and "Tuscan Style." She has contributed works to The Magazine ANTIQUES, MODERN Magazine, Art in America, and the book "Utopian Images and Narratives in Advertising: Dreams For Sale."Katy Kiick Condon started her career as a historian, earning her M.A. in the history of design from New York's Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and The New School. She's never lost touch with her background as an intense researcher and is the self-proclaimed Better Homes & Gardens historian. Between stories on interior design trends and holiday crafts, she can be found flipping through her favorite archival issues: The WWII-era magazines when BH&G exhaustively covered ways to do more with less (wash your garden tools, people!), and attending numerous trade shows and houseware launch events to stay up to date on what's new and next. Katy holds a B.F.A. in the history of art from Syracuse University, along with a minor in English and Textual Studies. She earned her M.A. in the history of design and curatorial studies from Parsons School of Design and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, writing her thesis on "'The good life' in post-war America." Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on November 25, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Kelly Revels is a co-owner of The Vine garden market on St. Simons Island in Georgia and an indoor and outdoor party planner by trade. She orchestrates elaborate gatherings for a living, so when she entertains at home, she aims for a minimum of fuss. Her 5-step party planning guide will help you plan the ultimate backyard gathering—without the stress! 1. Ambiance "Music makes everyone feel at ease and creates an instant vibe," Revels says. "For Sunday BBQs, we love My Girl Radio on Pandora. For Saturday nights, we may kick it up a little." Pair the casual playlist with breezy decorations to set the atmosphere of your gathering. Revels pairs simple touches (like a blanket over the back of a chair to combat a cool after-dinner breeze) with more elaborate place settings to create a gorgeous party set-up that doesn't take hours to create. Host an Easy and Fun Outdoor Party on the Deck This Summer 2. Drinks Paul Costello Prepare a DIY drink station with everything guests need to make a drink. “I premake one big batch of a specific cocktail and make sure all the garnishes, ice, and glasses are ready to go,” Revels says. “It’s a nice way to get guests involved and busy.” Instead of planning for several different drinks, pick a signature cocktail for the party and set up a tray of mix-ins to go with it. Things like sliced fruit or tasty herbs will allow guests to customize their drinks all night long without adding anything to your pre-party to-do list. Kelly Revels I feel like I’ve hosted a successful dinner when everyone is still sitting at the table an hour after the meal. — Kelly Revels 3. Starters Identify pain points, and outsource them. Revels saves time and money by ordering a premade meat and cheese board from her favorite restaurant and styling it with clippings from her herb garden. If you do decide to make your starters, simplicity is key! Make-ahead recipes will save you time and energy on the day of the gathering; look for recipes you can make the day before and pull out of the fridge five minutes before guests arrive. 14 Make-Ahead Appetizers to Freeze for Easy Entertaining 4. Dinner Menu Revels steers clear of complicated recipes. “I feel like my guests are here to visit and not to watch me stress.” To pull it off: Make sure the grill is on before guests arrive, and go for meats and veggies that cook at the same temperature. Choose sides that don’t need constant attention and a salad you can assemble early. Even if you’re still grilling when guests arrive, you’ll be perfectly placed to mingle while the food cooks instead of stuck inside next to the stove. Fire Up the Grill for an Outdoor Brunch Party This Summer 5. For the Kids “As I do for grown-ups, I have a little bar of snacks the kids can access themselves,” Revels says. For dinner, keep it simple and serve kids first so they can get back to playing. Explain any house rules. These are Revels’s: Outside toys are for outside; in the playroom, anything you can see is fair game. Make things easy on yourself and “put up what you don’t want to clean up!” Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit