Source: Gades Photography on Unsplash
Do you know how to light up your backyard for smalls events, parties, and family gatherings to get the most out of the holiday season?
We have a few ideas for you that will be sure to give your yard a truly intimate feel.
First of all, you need to decide on the theme of your party because not all of the tips match with every theme.
I mean, we ain’t gonna be using candles if we have a kids party, or Christmas lights if we’re hosting a Halloween party, right?
So, once you have decided on that, you’ll have to choose the type of lights.
How to choose the right lighting
My favorites are always going to be the outdoor string lights.
Why?
Because you can use them almost anywhere and they are the most versatile...
Plus, they are very easy to install. All you need is where to roll them up, or some tape to attach them to the walls or surfaces.
My second choice is always a laser light because you can give a whole "party environment" to any room or outdoor space. It doesn't matter the size of the area, you can simply plug in a laser light and it'll be amazing, I can assure you that.
If none of these matches, the strobe light is a great option. I would actually go for a strobe light rather than a laser light if I'm hosting a party in my backyard. The laser can "spread" and you can kind of lose it if it is an open space, but on the other hand, the light of the strobe is stronger, so you can appreciate it better even if it is an open space.
One thing kids completely love is an LED Disco Ball. They are super colorful and the rhythm of the light is always changing, that's why the little ones love it so much.
But, if you're going for a really romantic, chic, hipster, intimate setting... then you are going to want to think about using candles or gas/kerosene lamps.
This is because they light up with a flame so the light will be a warmer color, giving you a truly intimate environment.
Ok, now we know some of the basics of matching lighting with different party themes, how can you set up your lighting choice for your event? Let's see how can we use each of them:
String Lights
As I told you before, these are my absolute favorite because they can be used in so many ways.
The best option for these (especially to light up an open space) is to buy a Solar Outdoor String Lights. They charge with the sunlight so won't affect your electricity bill and you don't have to worry about extension cables.
Depending on the type of gathering you're hosting, you want to be creative about how to set them up.
Here are some examples:
- Thread them around a tree: This is a very beautiful way to use string lights. They'll look amazing although it can sometimes be hard work to reach up or around the tree (if the tree is too high or too thick).
Source: Roberto Nickson on Unsplash
This set up would be perfect for weddings, Sweet 16 or Quinceañera Party, Engagement Party, Christmas and New Year Eve.
- Use them over trees or bushes: A variation of the application above, instead of around the trunk or branches of a tree place the string lights over or along the leaves or branches of the tree or bush. This looks amazing on Christmas, and during the entire Holiday season.
You can use string lights like this on your Christmas tree, on the trees of your front and backyard and whatever another tree you come across.
- Let them fall off the sky: If you hang the string lights from the ceiling, it is going to look like the stars are falling from above. It'll look very romantic.
This would also be perfect for weddings, Sweet 16 or Quinceañera Party, Engagement Party, Christmas and New Year Eve.
NOTE: If you dye the light bulbs in red, you can also use it for Halloween parties.
- Use them for Halloween: There are some options of these lights with a different style of bulb. String Lights with Skulls, String Lights with Evil Pumpkins, String Lights with Ghosts, or String Lights with Eye Balls
- Decor a picture wall: Nowadays it is very common to decorate a wall where people can go and take selfies. These backgrounds need to be AMAZING. And a great way to do it is with some of these lights...
Picture a wall of pallets, with some flowers and green plants all over and these little dancing lights. That would be something people won't forget easily and everybody will leave wanting it for their own party.
Again, perfect for weddings, Sweet 16 or Quinceañera Party, Engagement Party, any girls/woman birthday party, Christmas and New Year Eve.
- Attach them anywhere! Ok, why do I say everywhere? Because you can literally can!
If you're a musician and you want to make it 'rock' or 'rock n roll' themed party, you can attach them to the instruments, the floor, the walls, and it'll look amazing.
Or perhaps you can just put some string light on your headboard for your bed at home and you'll have a magical environment all the time.
Laser Light
Ok, laser lights are awesome when you want to host a frat party, a summer party or any party that you put on some danceable music.
It goes incredibly well with techno and EDM, but you can surely use it with almost any type of music.
Source: Maxime Bhm on Unsplash
Also, if you are a DJ and you have to play and control the lighting at the same time, this can be one of your best choices. The other option would be a Strobe Light.
Although these are the most common applications of string lights, you can obviously be creative and use it in any way you like. Maybe it would be good for your kids' party or perhaps a photo shoot.
Strobe Light
So, as I mentioned above, this is a great choice if you're the DJ of a party or if you're simply in charge of the music for a party.
However, these lights are also very useful for you if you're hosting a backyard party or just a gathering. You can select the "steady" mode and it will just light up the whole place.
I think one of the best options is actually the outdoors environment. They work very well there. You can even point it up to the sky and use it to light up the sky like Batman! 🏴
Source: Paul Carmona on Unsplash
LED Disco Ball
This one's for the children. I mean, how many kids don't like bright colorful light displays?
This is why we always recommend having one of this at home if you have kids.
You can use for...
- Kid's birthday party
- PJ's parties
- Movie night
- As a night light (if they want to see colors upon their heads)
- On backyard's camping nights
These are just a few options, but you can totally get crazy and use a LED Disco Ball all the time!
Just keep in mind that just because an LED Disco Ball is great for kids, it's not only for children. Teenagers, college students, and even adults can enjoy the colorful patterns of the LED Disco Ball.
Source: Tiko Giorgadze on Unsplash
Candles and gas/kerosene lamps
With gas/kerosene lamps, there's not a lot that you can do besides light it up and place it somewhere flat.
Now, when it comes to candles, you can be a bit more creative.
One cool idea is to put them into an empty seashell. This can add a rustic look to your theme.
Another great idea is to put them into mason jars. But for the most part, any jar, of any size, would help you add an extra personality to the atmosphere.
You can also put candles into little empty bowls or float them in bowls of water and you'll have an amazing centerpiece.
Your options are endless when it comes to using candles. But, keep in mind that you need to put a very big candle if you want it to last all night and have some extras around in case some of them end up consumed.
I hope you find this article useful and I hope I have given you tons of ideas about how you can take to the next level any kind of party, gathering or meeting you host.