5 Essentials For Outdoor Entertaining

Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family and you want to make sure your back yard is ready for hosting the best party, dinner, or barbecue.

To be entertainment-ready, you need some essentials to give everyone from children to adults a fantastic outdoor entertainment experience. 

Here are our top five essentials for outdoor entertaining. 

Outdoor kitchen 

An outdoor kitchen is a great accessory for your outdoor hosting experience. We recommend setting up your outdoor kitchen with a barbecue grill, a pizza oven, a wine cooler, or a griddle. 

Comfortable furniture

While you and your guests enjoy a meal, conversation, or play games, you should all sit comfortably on great furniture. 

You can choose from a variety of options including hammocks, chairs, tables, and stools. 

The material of the furniture is also important. Materials like teak, steel, powder-coated metal, and resin wicker are durable for different kinds of weather. Add some throw blankets and cushions in there for extra comfort. 

Lighting 

The right lights will make the space cozy and allow you and your loved ones to unwind and relax. 

You can use accent lights, step lights, path lighting, lanterns, tiki torches, or classic globe lights. You can add these lights on the fence or yard for a nighttime glow but additionally, the lighting will add security. 

Shade 

The best way to beat the sun is to stay in the shade.

You can use trees, pergolas, and umbrellas made of different materials with different durability. These include wood, fiberglass, and vinyl. 

Your shade choice will also depend on whether you want a permanent structure or a temporary one. A temporary shade is more flexible if you need to move it from area to area. 

Outdoor activities

An outdoor space is incomplete without activities. Adding lawn games – like volleyball, bocce ball, horseshoe, cornhole, and even, a putting area – will add to the fun. You could also add popular board games and a projector for movie nights. 

The right essentials – including outdoor activities, lighting, furniture, shade, and a kitchen – will create the best outdoor space for great memories with your family and friends.


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Ed Ball Landscape Architecture (EBLA) is a full-service landscape architecture and construction company based in Northern Virginia. Featuring more than 20 years of expertise, EBLA specializes in creative landscape design—from pools, spas, and pavilions to outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, and entertainment spaces. We are dedicated to creating outdoor living spaces that our clients can enjoy throughout the year. At EBLA, our goal is to translate your ideas into outdoor realities that will truly transform how you feel about your home, and how your home makes you feel about life. Want to learn more? Call us at (703) 443-1863.