PLANNING A PARTY? WORRIED ABOUT THE WEATHER?

Even when the sun is not shining down quite so brightly on us,  this doesn’t mean you can’t have a fabulous tipi garden party.

Our tipis are absolutely perfect for a stylish garden party all year round but especially during the winter and spring months when the weather is likely to be chilly or wet.

The sand coloured canvas glows warmly against the light and our fire pits are perfect to sit around with marsh mellow and mulled wine when you are resting your dancing shoes.

You might think that you are mad to have an outdoor party in the winter but you couldn’t be more wrong. The tipis come with heating to keep you all lovely and toasty and they are completely weather proof – remember they were made for the Sami people in Scandinavia originally so have to stand up to harsh climate. They also come with cosy reindeer hides to have on the floor for the little ones to cuddle up or placed on the benches around your fire, creating your very own fun après atmosphere.

But you don’t stop there to create an even warmer mood to the celebrations. You can have twinkling fairy lights wrapped all around the tall timber poles, candles on the tables and lanterns lighting the matted walkway. You can create your very own winter wonderland in your own back garden, Oh what a magnificent sight it would be!!!

The festive season will soon be upon us and we English love nothing more than gathering with friends and family to celebrate. Unfortunately for some it is not always possible to hold such a gathering in your home whether because we don’t have the space or sometimes it is just a little bit overwhelming turning our house into party central when the Christmas tree is still in its place. So at Elite Tents HQ we have put our heads together and come up with the Perfect Winter and Spring Tipi Party Plan to help you on your way to being the host and hostesses with the mostest ….

Our Guide to the Tipi Winter/ Spring Party Pack!

Firstly you need to check the size of your garden is big enough for the tipi. You can hire a small or large tipi to suit your garden or venue size.

Once you know it fits, it’s time to plan your number of guests. Our smaller Kata tipi can hold up to 40 guests and our larger single Kata tipi can hold up to 72 standing. Don’t forget though, if you add furniture, a DJ or a bar this gives you a little bit less space to play with. We have some fabulous ways to make you set up that little bit bigger, all you have to do is ask.

Once you have your guests list finalised it is time to think about feeding and watering your guests.

Let the festive wines flow…….

If you want to take a simple relaxed route with your drinks, you can set up your own make shift bar for guests to help themselves, or you can call in your nearest and dearest over 18 nieces and nephews to man the bar and keep on top of the glass collecting, trust me they will love earning some extra holiday pocket money.

Also when you are planning your own bar, make sure you contact your local Majestic or Sainsbury’s, where they have their own glass renting service, making your life very easy.

If you would like to take on less responsibility you can always hire in a bar company who will look after everything for you. You can dry hire a bar service if you want to supply the drinks yourself so they are free to your guests and you ca also just hire serving staff for the evening at a very reasonable price.

Here are a couple of companies we would recommend

• Elite Bars (no relation!)
• Baileys mobile bar hire

It has to be said that it is the season for buffet tables everywhere, but personally I like to do something a little bit different.

A great idea for a more intimate party is to plan a menu and ask each of your guests to make and bring a dish with them, this will save you a lot of time and money and is always a great way for guests to mingle and praise each other on their fabulous creations.

If your numbers are slightly larger a great idea for the cooler evenings is a big roaring BBQ. You might think I am mad but bear with me!

Imagine lots of lovely sausages and festively marinated meats or joints sizzling away on the hot coals, accompanied with big fluffy jacket potatoes layered with spicy chilli and cheese. Mmm mmm mmmmmm….. This is making my mouth water…

If the thought of taking on all of the cooking is putting you off, then do not worry as there are some fantastic caterers who can do it all for you, who we are happy to recommend.

Now it is time to party…..

With most homes owning a iPhone or iPad these days it is pretty easy to put together a great playlist of your own. If you are going for a more relaxed gathering where guests can catch up then this is perfect and a household stereo will do just the job inside the tipi.

If however you are planning on making some moves on the dance floor and grooving into the early hours of the morning then hiring a DJ would be a great way to go.

Most DJs of them bring everything with them from, music, to speaker and fantastic lighting. You will also find that most DJs will give you the option to choose your own playlist or create you a bespoke one suited to your very own taste.

If you are planning on having a dance floor remember to make sure there is enough space, if there isn’t do not worry as our tipi matting is perfect to make some moves on, just on its own.

Here are a few final bits of advice that we would like to share with you before you start to plan your party of the year. So good luck and enjoy every minute of it….

–          Don’t forget to think about power. If you are in your garden a long external extension lead should be absolutely fine to power the light and DJ equipment.

–          Rubbish, don’t forget to bring you big bins around to the back garden so that you can clear up throughout the evening and don’t have to keep going inside the house. You can even create a funky fairy light lit area with your recycling boxes where your guests can put empty bottles and cans.

–          Toilets, if you have the spare cash to hire a small toilet trailer and pop it on the drive, these are great so that people aren’t coming in and out of the house. Another idea is to use clear decorating floor film (very similar to cling film but a bigger role) on your carpets and make sure you have a big rug by the door for people to wipe their feel.

–          Blankets – Ask your friends to bring a blanket with them. I think there is nothing nicer than having a blanket wrapped around your shoulders or over your knees while you are sitting around a fire pit.

–          Umbrellas – Have a few standing in a bucket in the house and in the tipi and people can use them when they are going back and forth, just in case the heavens open.

If all this sounds really tempting and you’re now in the party mood drop us an email or leave a comment below and we will send you our special Winter and Spring Party Package which includes everything you need for a fantastic night with family and friends. Call the team with your details today on 0121 663 1133 or drop an email to enquiries@elitetents.co.uk – hopefully it is exactly what you have been looking for!