An outdoor party has plenty of decorative elements, but one thing that gets it hopping is fun outdoor activities. Besides offering plenty of food and drinks to keep the guests comfortable and cool, we suggest you look into setting up a station for water activities.
Sounds daunting, right? If you want to have a stress-free dock party without people complaining about mosquitos, you need to keep them occupied.
Here are a few tips on how to set up your dock party:
The Invite – Build Anticipation
Besides the activities, guests want to know when you will serve the food. This can sometimes backfire when you get a lot of latecomers. So, remember to mention in the invite a window when food will be served.
Get people excited by telling them about the attire. A few fun options include a sundress for women and shorts for men. At the bottom, write: Swimsuits are a must!
Keep the Booze Flowing
Count the number of people you are inviting. A guest will most probably have two drinks. If you are hosting 25 guests, get at least 3 gallons of booze. Instead of handing out beer bottles or cans, make a cocktail in a large glass container, and fill it with ice cubes and fruits. Keep the ingredients to a minimum, or you will spend most of your budget on the alcohol.
Seating
Get every piece of indoor furniture outdoors, from sofas to stools and chairs. Rent a couple of folding tables and provide a cover with umbrellas. If the guest list gets out of hand, spread quilts on the dock for picnic-style seating.
Our suggestion: Renting is a cheap option. Moreover, damage is inevitable, and you don’t want guests spilling drinks or wiping dirty food hands on your sofas.
Plan the Playlist
At a dock party, the music is more of a background noise. Most guests are there to enjoy cannonballing into the water. So, go with a playlist of classic party tracks. Ensure you have the audio equipment that plays the music loud enough for all guests to enjoy.
Light It Up
There will be some guests who will stay until the sun goes down and leave at midnight. So, don’t forget about the lighting. Outdoor string lights are the best option. You can add a few globe string lights for a warm glow.
You will probably have extension cords running out from your home to the dock for power. They can be a falling hazard, so remember to secure them to the dock with clips.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start designing your invitation card. Shoot a message to your close friends and tell them to keep it down low.
Love the idea of throwing a dock party at your lake house? Then, contact EZ Dock Texas to get your boat dock. The company is well-known in the area for offering quality dock construction. They even provide boat lifts and other dock accessories that allow you to make the platform fully safe and secure. For more information, call (800) 654-8168.
