With the arrival of balmy weather, summer-party season is in full swing; and there’s no better way to spend a sunny afternoon than socialising outside with family and friends. Part of the point of a garden party is that it should be relaxed and informal, giving the hosts more time to enjoy it. But while a laid-back affair can be short on fuss, it needn’t be short on style. The question is how to add that wow factor to turn a simple party into a memorable occasion, without spending hours on party prep.
The television presenter and entrepreneur Laura Jackson is a master of the art of throwing a good party, having written a book on the subject, The Art of Hosting, and recently launched a how-to series on Instagram of the same name, where she shares her hosting tips and recipe ideas.
With her own homeware company, Glassette, to run, and three small children at home, Jackson doesn’t have the time or the bandwidth to spend days planning for a party; yet the weekend lunches and barbecues she hosts and posts on her feed, @iamlaurajackson, look effortlessly stylish and perfectly put together. “There’s so much in life that passes us by and we don’t really pause; I do like to celebrate the little things, and create moments,” she says. Here’s how she does it.
Start with a theme
“I think there always has to be some intent or purpose to what you’re doing, whether it’s just a casual summer barbecue to see friends, or a birthday or special occasion,” says Jackson. “One way to do that is to have a theme; I do think there’s something a bit fun about that. I’m not a big fancy dress person so I guess this is my way of theming an occasion.”