Garden party checklist: everything you need to host outdoors

Get together with friends and family in your own garden, and make sure everyone is well-catered for with this checklist from Event Supplies. We’ve included everything you need from glassware, plates, cutlery and more to make sure every guest is well attended.

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How much do you need per guest for a garden party?

These figures suit a 2-4 hour afternoon or early-evening garden party with drinks and a buffet or grazing table.

The full garden party checklist

Drinkware

Drinkware does the heavy lifting at a garden party. Plastic wine glasses and prosecco flutes give you the celebratory look without the breakage risk of glass on a hard patio or uneven lawn. Add tumblers for soft drinks, jugs of Pimm's and water, and remember guests put glasses down and lose track of them - so 2-3 per head is realistic. Plastic drinkware isn't affected by the single-use plastics ban.

• Wine glasses (red and white)

• Prosecco / champagne flutes

• Tumblers for soft drinks and cocktails

• Jugs and dispensers for Pimm's, water and punch

Tableware

Grazing tables and buffets mean guests come back for seconds, so count a little over one plate per head, plus small plates or bowls for cake and desserts. England's single-use plastics rules (in force since October 2023) ban single-use plastic plates supplied in the course of business, including compostable PLA, so choose bagasse or palm-leaf plates - they also look more in keeping with a smart garden setting.

Cutlery

Most garden-party food is fork-friendly grazing, so one to two cutlery sets per guest is plenty. Wooden cutlery suits the relaxed outdoor look and meets the plastics rules.

Napkins & styling

Pretty napkins in summery colours are the cheapest way to make a garden table look considered. Keep them weighted down or tucked under crockery so they don't blow away - a small detail that catches people out outdoors.

Serving & afternoon tea

Set out food on platters and tiered stands for canapés, sandwiches and cake. If it's an afternoon affair, add cups for tea and coffee and a hot-water station.

Outdoor extras

Plan for the things only outdoor hosting needs: plenty of ice and cool boxes for drinks, straws for cocktails and soft drinks, bin bags and clearly placed waste stations, and shade or cover in case the British summer does what it does.

Garden party FAQs

What do I need for a garden party?

The essentials are drinkware (wine and prosecco glasses plus tumblers), plates and bowls, cutlery, napkins, and serving platters, along with outdoor extras like ice, straws and bin bags. As a rule of thumb, plan for 2–3 glasses and 3 napkins per guest, and around one to two plates each.

How many glasses do I need per person for a garden party?

Allow 2-3 glasses per guest across the event. People set glasses down on tables and in the garden and lose track of them, so you'll get through more than one each - and it's worth having spares for top-ups and toasts.

Should I use plastic or glass glasses for a garden party?

Shatterproof plastic is the safer choice outdoors, where glass can break on patios, decking or hidden in a lawn. Premium plastic wine glasses and prosecco flutes look the part and aren't covered by the single-use plastics ban, which applies to plates and cutlery rather than drinkware.

What glasses are best for Pimm's and prosecco?

Serve Pimm's in tall tumblers or highball-style plastic glasses with room for fruit and ice, and prosecco in plastic flutes. For a self-serve garden party, jugs and drinks dispensers let guests top up their own Pimm's without queueing.