As important as it is to plan a wet weather contingency for your summer party, the greater concern – which often gets overlooked – is the wellbeing of your guests when the temperatures soar like this week! A torrential downpour might make a mess and leave people a bit fed up, but not protecting your summer party guests from the sun and very high heat could cause slightly more serious problems…
Shade
Trees and gazebos not only look great but are an ideal way to offer your summer party guests respite from the sun. The Terrace at No.4 Hamilton Place can have a stretch tent which covers approximately half the outside area. The curves and contours of the stylish canopy add a contemporary twist to the period architecture of our Mayfair townhouse, and of course a lovely, cool and shaded area for guests to escape the sun.
Drinks
Cold drinks are going to be on every organisers’ menus at their summer parties, but to stand out from the crowd it’s all about how imaginative you can get with it. Ice can be so much more than just a couple of cubes to cool down a drink – here are some of our caterer; Blue Strawberry’s favourite twists:
- Sculpted ice frozen into the bottom of your glasses
- Crushed ice/Slushies
- Flavoured or coloured ice
- Herbs and edible flowers frozen into ice cubes
- Alcoholic ice pops
Inside option
Every venue provides an inside option for summer party bookings – largely in case it rains – but make sure you book a venue where there’s an indoor area you can use whatever the weather, and that it offers your summer party guests free flow into your outside area. Guests who want to come inside to cool down don’t want to feel they are leaving the party, so a space on a different floor or set apart from the main outdoor event space is never going to work. At No.4 Hamilton Place, our Terrace adjoins the beautiful Argyll Room, both of which come as part of our summer party bookings.
Movement
Creating flow around your event is a great way to help guests cool down as it will take people in and out of the shade and give them a chance to walk through breezy spots in your event space. You can help move people around your party with music, entertainment and live cooking stations positioned at different points that will draw in the crowds.
Resting Spots
You might not want to fill your space with loads of tables and chairs as it could restrict the flow of guests, but it’s worth making sure you have poseur tables scattered throughout your party area so your attendees can put their food and drink down for a while.
Parasols & Sun Hats
Providing your guests with their own, personal provision of shade will give your attendees complete freedom to enjoy your outside space with no fear of sunburn or overheating. Hiring parasols and sun hats for your guests to use will not only help keep everyone cool, it could also look really pretty if you match them to your colour theme.
Lotion Up
There’s nothing worse than sitting in the sun and being distracted by the fear your skin is burning. Leave a couple of large baskets containing a range of suntan lotions at various points around your venue so guests can help themselves throughout your event.
Summer parties at No.4 Hamilton Place
We have a variety of summer party packages to suit a range of budgets. So, whether you want to hold a drinks reception with canapés or bowl food or a party with a fully-catered barbecue with desserts and teas and coffees, we’ll have a package to suit your requirements. Give our Venue Team a call to discuss your dates and menu options on 020 7670 4314 or email.
