The summer garden party season is once again upon us. It’s all very well putting on a no frills BBQ, but how can you create something special on a shoestring budget that will really impress your guests?

Here are 7 steps to help you make the most of the fine weather and fine friends.

1. Land

First of all, you’ll need space for congregating. The most cost effective option is to use your own garden. If you can’t use your own garden, try hiring a sports field such as a cricket or rugby pitch. There are many charity run sports facilities across the UK, so this could be achieved at a fairly inexpensive rate. Some sports facilities will let you use their land for free if you agree to purchase drinks from their bar. If you wanted to take your own drinks, expect to pay between £150 to £500 for the hire of the field. Most venues will usually be happy to help out in terms of staffing. Hiring a venue is also great for amenities such as toilets. However, if you do rent a venue, remember to check licensing requirements!

2. Music

Be your own DJ. Cut out the expense of hiring a DJ by spending time building playlists with your friends. Gather with your friends one evening, break out the wine and choose the tracks that everyone will enjoy. You could use a tablet, iPad or laptop to find the music that will get everyone partying or the tunes that really mean something to you and your friends.

You could use music streaming services such as Spotify to create playlists, but YouTube is also a great way to find the tracks you love. You could even use online tools for mixing music such as Tubedisco or YouDJ for a seamless continuous mix.

3. Power supply

Some people might want to use a generator for outside power but there is really no need. If you want to get by cheaply, just use the mains electricity from the house or building where you are hosting your party. All you will need is a good quality, outdoor extension cable (sometimes known as Arctic Cable), and the relevant fly leads to convert your 13amp to 16amp and vice versa.  Please do bear in mind health and safety! Make sure any wires are not causing a trip hazard and also take care to protect electrical equipment from the weather. If in doubt, research IP66 regulations about outdoor extensions. You could also hire outdoor cables from plant and machinery hire businesses such as HSS hire, which will be a good length for outdoor parties.

4. Food

This is easy enough. Ask your friends to bring something along. This will also cater for everyone’s tastes and needs, as people will bring what they want to eat. You could also make food preparation part of the party – have fun making kebabs, preparing salads, making sandwiches or even baking. If you decide to have a BBQ, ask your guests to bring something that they want to be grilled. Alternatively, task everyone with bringing something specific, so that nothing is left out and you don’t end up with everyone bringing crisps, dips and potato salad!

5. Alcohol and Drinks

Take a trip with your friends to the local supermarket and get the drinks you will all enjoy. Perhaps ask your guests to bring something particular and coordinate a cocktail making session before the main event. If you or someone you know has a business account at a cash and carry, stock up on alcoholic beverages and other drinks in bulk. If not, you could try Majestic Wines party service. They will deliver your booze and you can event return what you don’t drink.

6. Lighting

Lighting makes your party come alive at night. Outdoor Festoon lighting can be draped over trees, across seating areas and along the edges of buildings. You could also invest in battery or solar powered fairy lights and have your outdoor venue positively twinkling.

7. Extras – Furniture, decorations and invites

Make sure there are plenty of places for your guests to sit and relax. Lay out picnic blankets, cushions and bean bags or drape throws over garden chairs for when the night gets cool. As for extra furniture, you could buy hay bales from your local farmer, who may be willing to sell them to you and then buy them back at a reduced price. Alternatively, pallets are multifunctional as they can be used for outdoors for tables and chairs.

Decorate the party area with hand painted wooden signs, jam jars of posies and candles (take care not to create a fire hazard!).

If you want to go old school and send out paper invites, fair enough, but you could also take advantage of social media as a free way of letting your guests know about the party, but be careful about making it private!

If you want more tips on how to create and host a party that people will remember, download Danny Savage’s FREE Party Planners Handbook here.