“Let’s take it outside.”

That’s the biggest trend in home entertaining that has so many people looking at their backyards, decks, patios and pool areas as extensions of their living rooms when it comes to the perfect place to entertain guests and hold parties. Creating an open-air entertainment zone is like adding a new ‘room’ to your house without the subcontractors, sheetrock, sawdust and shut-off water pipes.
 
It’s the perfect party zone that’s been hiding right in your backyard the whole time, and it’s easy to transform your yard or terrace into the perfect outdoor oasis. Here are the top concepts you can incorporate into your own space, adding items to your registry as you imagine your own outdoor oasis:

Take a Seat: A great patio table and chairs are essential, and you can dress up any set to be even more inviting. Look for:

•Tables large enough to seat at least 8, if not more
•Glass-topped tables with wrought iron scrolls and décor work
•For larger crowds, choose long oval or rectangular tables that seat twelve or more, or an 8-person round table on the deck with a second out by poolside.
•An upgraded patio umbrella for a larger, more sturdy design, or a change in color and theme graphics.
•Several outdoor mosaic tile tables for a splash of color and a great place to set candles, snack trays or drinks.
•A bar with a great mosaic top, plus high barstools with colorful cushion seats.

Extra Seating: Place extra chairs around the lawn, by poolside, under shade trees and by your garden for guests’ mingling and private time:

•Wooden or sturdy plastic Adirondack chairs (with matching footrests) Place a drink table between the chairs to hold citronella candles as well.
•Cloth folding chairs
•Colorful beanbag chairs, a comfy place for kids or adults to lounge out
•Garden benches to make the most of a stone wall or pretty border. Choose between wrought iron, painted wooden benches, or plain picnic benches.
•Swing benches
•All-weather rocking chairs
•Picnic blankets with pillows
•A comfy wide hammock with matching pillows for dual cuddling or a lazy day reading novels under the sun.

Table Tops: Impress your guests with a well-set table including plate and cup sets in a great range of coordinating colors and graphic designs. Among your options for added flair:

•Fiesta ware dishes and platters
•Acrylic drinkware and pitchers
•Highball glasses
•Pitchers for water, lemonade or sangria
•Fun margarita glass sets and pitchers, salt holders and mixers
•Martini glass sets and shakers
•Mojito sets with accessories
•Theme design ice buckets and tongs
•Theme design drink stirrers
•Themed placemats with matching napkin rings
•Color-coordinated lazy Susan to spin those condiments
•Oversized wine party tubs or beer and soda party tubs
•Drink mix sets
•Colorful vinyl tablecloths and napkins

Mixing Up Crowd Favorites: It’s what’s on the menu that makes the party, so look at crowd-pleasing drink and snack appliances with added appeal:

•Blenders and smoothie-makers
•Snow-cone machines
•Ice shavers for Italian ices

Where There’s Smoke:A top-notch barbecue grille is the centerpiece of your outdoor entertaining area (and your party menus!), so check out the newest and most advanced grille stations, plus safety covers and of course a great theme apron for the chef!

•Go gourmet with specialty grille items like enclosed shish-ke-bab holders and racks, fish and seafood ‘cages,’ stainless steel grill toppers and grilling sets, barbecue baskets, basting brushes, meat thermometers, barbecue forks, rotisserie attachments and of course great high-quality cutlery to make the most of those steaks.
•A separate smoker opens up menu options if you prefer smoked entrees rather than grilled.
•Fire is not allowed on your premises? Check out the new indoor/outdoor electric barbecue grilles.

The Perfect Lighting: Lighting sets the mood for the perfect party or private time. Create party-perfect lighting effects with the following:

•Outdoor floodlights and spotlights trained on the pool or deck.
•Solar lanterns that glow right past sunset and into the night.
•Pillar candles in protective glass hurricane lamps and citronella candles
•Theme stringed lights, such as lobsters, jalapeno peppers, tropical fish, and so on.
•Holiday-season-style fairy lights, (outdoor-use-specific) strung along the deck walls, or under the tops of patio umbrellas, or in the trees.
•Floating candles for in the pool, as a table centerpiece in a bowl of water or in water-filled martini glasses.

Water features: Backyard fountains and ponds are easy to install in your landscaping and add extra ambiance to your outdoor oasis. If installing one is too much of a hassle, fake it with a portable water fountain in a Zen style, sitting right on your bar or a side table. Or turn on a sound machine or CD of waterfall, rain or ocean surf sounds to set the mood.

Games People Play: A playful party zone gets guests choosing teams, so set up the following in your sport-friendly outdoor oasis: a volleyball net set, also used for badminton, bocce ball sets, horseshoe sets, croquet sets, wiffleball sets, and kids’ lawn  and pool games and toys.

Décor: Add in extra decorative touches to perfect your party zone. Some ideas:

•Wind chimes
•Garden stones with inspirational sayings or quotes on them
•Live plants in decorative stone planters
•Real or faux green garlands and floral arrangements
•Theme garden flags on flagpoles
•And don’t forget color-coordinated trash and recycling buckets to make party cleanup easy!

Sharon Naylor is the author of The Ultimate Wedding Registry Workbook, plus over 30 additional wedding books, www.sharonnaylor.net