Outdoor Entertaining Essentials: Seven Must Have Items!

One of my absolute favorite parts of summer is dining outdoors, so today I’m sharing seven of my favorite outdoor entertaining essentials. These are my “must-haves” that make for easy (and stylish) summer entertaining!

If you’ve been a reader for awhile now then you know how much I love entertaining, and probably my favorite form of entertaining is outdoors! There’s just something about summer nights spent lingering on the patio that feel special. And because we do it so often, I’ve got it down to a science.

And today I’m sharing my absolute, favorite, must-haves that I use when I’m entertaining outdoors! I’ve listed my top seven, but to be honest, there were even a few more so I’ve included those at the bottom of the post.

Here’s to summer…. 🙂

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Acrylic Wine Glasses 

Would you believe that I never had outdoor wine glasses until last year?! With all the entertaining we do outside, we had quite a few mishaps so last year I finally bought some. I can’t believe it took me this long!

If you buy high quality acrylic, you can’t go wrong. They’re much more attractive and realistic looking than plastic. In fact, from a few feet away, you literally can’t tell the difference between the two!

I have these glasses for both red and white as my husband is pretty particular about glasses, but you could definitely get by with just one basic shape.

 

 

Lanterns

They’re so versatile! We use them by the fire pit, and on the front porch, as well as on the dining table. 

Any outdoor lantern will add lots of rustic charm to your space, and it’s fun to mix and match them, too!

 

I can’t imagine entertaining without them!

 

Flameless Candles

This is another thing that I find to be absolutely essential to outdoor entertaining. I used to use regular candles in my lanterns, and then they would melt all over my PB lanterns. Which are wood. Not good. 🙁

Now there are also beautiful, realistic looking flameless candles that have real wax on the outside. But let me give you a piece of advice so you don’t screw up like I did – don’t use those outside either! Because they’re made of real wax, they still melt! I purchased some of those last year and they melted all over my pretty wood lanterns. 

Not only was it a mess to clean up, but it ended up being a huge waste of money. So now, I’ve invested in these outdoor flameless candles (make sure they specify outdoor) and they’ve been great. I also have some from Pottery Barn and I like those, too.

 

Bluetooth Speaker 

 

 

I’ve spoken about this bluetooth speaker before – it’s even been in my Christmas Gift Guide – and I’m telling you it’s fabulous! It makes listening to music outdoors so easy.

And this little speaker is a powerhouse! It has amazing sound, especially for its size. And the battery runs for a really long time.

You run it through your cell phone (or any other bluetooth device) and it can play any music that you have on your phone, or it can connect to Pandora or Spotify. It’s a real game changer for outdoor music – not to mention you can take it camping or to the beach with you as well!

 

Extra Chairs

I love to have some extra chairs around. We used to have some cheap plastic ones, but I finally decided to spring for something a little more attractive. I love the look of bistro chairs, so we bought a 3-piece bistro set consisting of two chairs and a small table.

And this summer I’m going to buy two more chairs just so we have some extras – they really come in handy when we’re having more people over.

On other nights, I use the table for serving and storing food that may not fit on the dining table. And the chairs and the table all fold up so they are easily stored. Win/win!

 

String Lights 

String lights are so adorable, and they add so much charm to any outdoor space! I especially love the ‘Edison’ style bulb versions, but to be honest, any twinkling, white light is welcome on a summer evening.

I just recently purchased these and I can’t believe how much ambiance they add to the patio! To me, they make any night feel more special. We have one of the 24′ and one of the 48′ strung together across the patio and I absolutely love them!

 

Glass Water Bottles 

This one is super simple and inexpensive, but for me, it’s a definite outdoor entertaining essential. These glass water bottles are something I always have on the table when we’re entertaining, and even more so in the summer. I fill them and keep them in the refrigerator and then when we have friends over we have cold, filtered water ready to keep everyone hydrated. 

I like to put two on the table, one on each end. That way everyone can help themselves when they’re thirsty. 

 

There are a few other items that I love for summer entertaining as well. Maybe not essentials, but definitely favorites!

Lightweight but warm throw blankets to keep outside for when the evenings cool down.
High-quality marshmallow roasting sticks (they make such a difference!)
A large tray for serving and bringing things back and forth from inside is so helpful.
Pretty wicker glasses make everything taste better! 😉
And if its in your budget, definitely think about adding a portable heater! We bought this one last year and it’s a game changer!

 

Shop Outdoor Entertaining Essentials

 

Happy Summer!

Sheila
xo

 

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out more summer inspiration below!

How to Host a Summer Wine & Cheese Party

6 Ideas for Casual Chic Summer Entertaining

Simple & Pretty Summer Outdoor Patio Refresh

Cheerful & Colorful Summer Table Setting