As temperatures rise and everyone gets ready to spend time outside, what better way to celebrate the start of summer than with an eco-friendly party? From the invitations to the decorations, there are many ways to pull off an amazing celebration that also takes care of our environment. Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind when planning your next summer party.
Guests will get their first glimpse of your festivity from the invitations, so make them say “Wow!” and take advantage of technology to make a unique impression while saving paper. Use social media to create events, send out invites, and collect RSVPs quickly and easily while ensuring that partygoers are kept up to date on any changes. If social media is not your thing, there are other online options that can still achieve the same results. Party-planning websites can send out personalized invites and receive RSVPs without the bother of social media, so do use technology to save time and money.
Next on the list is décor. Instead of the usual paper decorations, opt for bringing in color through the food you eat! Displaying large party trays with colorful fruits and vegetables, baked goods, or even a candy bar in front of a neutral wall or background can add that pop of fun. Avoid letting food go to waste by using the leaves of vegetables as garnishes to decorate the trays. For some more intricate decorations that are easy to create, try your hand at carving a watermelon or melon. From bowls to ships, carvings are so versatile they can go with any party theme.
If decorating with food is not in your wheelhouse, you can always use mother nature. Take some fallen leaves from the ground and, with a hole puncher, punch holes and collect the leaf circles. After punching a few leaves, you can spread them along the food and tables. You can also place some in small bags for guests to throw around at the end of the party or keep as a party favor. Create an elegant affair by stringing up lights through the trees. Just remember to remove the lights from the trees later to avoid tangling and broken bulbs from foul wind and weather.
Once the invites are out and the décor has been set, it is time to plan what guests will eat. Avoid food waste and ensure everyone likes what is being served by hosting a potluck celebration. Potlucks let others pick the food they want to enjoy at the party, and guests can bring their items in reusable containers and then can take leftovers home, helping cut overall party costs. Make it fun by having guests name their dishes something that goes with the theme of the party or an award for the most liked dish. Here is a hint-the dish with no leftovers can be the winner.
This one seems like an easy decision to have a trash can outside for the party. However, we want to think eco-friendly, and we want it to be seamless for our guests to use, so providing waste, compost, and recycle bins in easy to access areas will achieve that. It can be as simple as getting some plastic bins, adding some cute labels that go with the theme of your party, and placing them in key areas such as near the entrance/exit, near the food table, or near the bathroom/home entry. Also, providing a list of things that can be recycled or composted from your party will also make it convenient for guests to ensure they are placing the materials in the correct bin.
One small treat that guests get to enjoy after the party are the favors sent home, so why not send them with something they are guaranteed to use over again? Bamboo or wooden cutlery can be used during the party and sent home with a little personalization, the date of the event, and/or the name of the event. If it is a smaller affair, the cutlery can be placed in a small bag on top of their plate at their table seat or if it is a larger event, cutlery can be used as decorations by being placed in glass jars with a cute label. This would be especially handy if the party were at a local park or another area away from the home.
If you got this far, you’re all set and ready to go. Besides, that Philly groundhog lied again this year and it’s already warming up. Now that you know what to do to create an Earth-friendly party, it’s time to send out those invites—your guests are waiting!
