Host an Outdoor Movie Night!

This last Friday we had a few friends over to enjoy an outdoor movie night!  Surprisingly easy to organize, and so fun, this party was a huge success! We borrowed the equipment from my mom for the night but you can also rent one from the library, a local AV company, or even find one on your neighborhood list serve.  Take a white sheet from your bed and a movie night is made!

In preparation for the party we let the party goers pick their favorite movie! Guests were given four options and asked to RSVP with their top choice.  After a close race, Top Gun ultimately beat out Footloose, Goonies, and Dirty Dancing.  Now that the necessities were taken care of, we focused on the details.  

Hosting an outdoor party can be tricky.  It's important to consider the elements and have a back up plan in case of inclement weather.  A few days prior to the party we sprayed the yard for insects to cut down on pesky guests joining in on the fun.  Planning to be outside all night we provided mosquito spray for everyone's comfort as well.

We brought the inside out to provide ample seating.  The chairs from my cocktail porch, camp chairs, the garden bench, and blankets provided the perfect set up.  We asked guests to BYOBlanket.  Just in case.  We wanted the food to be just as casual as the evening and decided to serve boxed dinners.  They provided the perfect casual easy meal for people to eat as they waited for the show. Many restaurants offer boxed lunches on their catering menu.  When starting your search focus on sandwich shops, barbecue joints, or local caterers.  For those local to Nashville, we used Alexander's Catering upon recommendation from a friend who uses them for corporate functions.  I cannot say enough good things about working with them! 

At dusk we poured our cocktails and settled in for the show.  We surprised guests with a tray of movie treats to enjoy with the movie.  Guests chose from popcorn, sour patch kids, and various other goodies! It was such an easy get together with hardly any fuss but provided the perfect summer activity for friends and family to get together!