Are you wanting to host a summer garden party, but don’t know where to start? Good, you’re in the right place. Whether, you’re planning the ultimate girls night, your kiddos birthday, throwing a bridal shower or baby shower for your bestie, garden parties are the perfect party theme.

Our ultimate party guide has everything covered like ideas for a picnic party, high tea party, garden soiree, boho chic party and even whimsical kid’s tea party. From DIY flower crowns and creating fairy gardens,, to a Love Shack Fancy party theme for a magical setting, this post has everything you will need. Plus, thank to Amazon and Etsy, you can now throw any party on a budget with their cute party goods! From fancy tea sets and picnic tables to 5 ft tall decor flowers and stunning backdrops. You won’t want to miss this must-see party guide!

In addition, make sure to check out our extra special touches portion of this post. It’s filled with little details to make your party stand out. Also, if you need more inspo and want food and drink pairings for each check out this post.

First things first though…….. you need to select the style of garden party you want to host. Here are the different types, the occasion that goes best with each and overall aesthetics.

Garden Party Theme

• Picnic Party: Perfect for a fun girls get together or bridal shower, think fun pastels and more low-key decor. (Pro Tip: This is the easiest party theme to throw!)
• Boho Chic Party: Perfect for a baby shower and/or bridal shower, think dark purples and chic tepees.
• Whimsical Kid’s Party: Let your imagination go wild on this theme, think large flowers, butterflies and fairies.
• High Tea Party: The ultimate garden party theme, perfect if you’re feeling extra fancy and want to go all out.
• Garden Soiree: Perfect for a bridal shower, birthday, think natural elements mixed with pops of color throughout.

PRO TIP: The low picnic tables can be expensive, so if you’re wanting to do the party on a budget use wooden pallets as tables. Fully cover the crates with a table cloth, and no one will ever know that they aren’t actual picnic tables.

Extra Special Touches:

To make any party stand out and be memorable, make sure to pay attention to the small details. Here are some extra special party touches that I’m currently obsessed with:

• These flower sugar cubes are a must!
• Edible flowers to add on to desserts.
• Edible flower sugar rim
• Flower lollipops for party favors
• Mix and match teacups and saucers for party favors
• DIY hanging flower backdrop kit
• DIY ice cube flowers (Tutorial Here)
• DIY flower covered champagne bottles (Tutorial Here)
• Cute coquette bows to tie onto each teacup handle
• Butterfly wings on the back of chairs for a kid’s party favors
• Adding a chic chandelier to hang from the tree.
• DIY fairy garden for kid’s tea party
• DIY flower crowns

Now that we’ve selected our party style, let’s get to the fun stuff!

Garden Soiree

From simple and chic to a extravagant soiree, this party theme is so versatile as it mixes natural beauty with feminine details throughout.

This party is perfect for a bridal shower, baby shower, birthday or a girls night to remember.

For the table centerpieces, the best place to get pretty flowers without the high price tag is Trader Joes. Another option would be Hobby Lobby, a lot of their faux flowers are so realistic looking!

I would add a fancy flower bar as an activity for this party, where guests can create their own floral masterpieces to take home. The decorated champagne bottles would be a great added touch with flower ice cubes.

In addition, hanging flowers like this DIY tutorial as a backdrop, would be an amazing element to this event.

Love Shack Fancy Party

Get this Party Look:

Table Cloth | Plates | Candles | Candle Holders | Glassware | Table | Chairs

Pastel Dreams Garden Soiree by Une Table by Tania

Get this Party Look:

Table | Table Runner | Woven Seat Pads | Woven Fans | Glassware | Decor Umbrellas | Scalloped Plate | Chargers |Pink Napkin

Pink Bridal Shower Party by The Picnic Collective

The Picnic Collective

Get this Party Look:

Glassware | Candles | Plates | Table Runner | Table Cloth | Candle Holders | Teacups | Pink Plate Pink Napkin

Picnic Party

The picnic party style theme is perfect for the ultimate girls night or even a baby shower. From fun girly aesthetics, to subtle sophistication this party has a more relaxed laid back feel to it.

For this party make sure to find a nice shaded spot with plenty of green grass. Fun lawn games like bocce ball and Jenga, would be the perfect addition to this party. I will also make sure to have a cute backdrop for photos, something as simple as this arch with flowers taped to it.

Ladies That Lunch Picnic Party

Get this Party Look:

Table | Pillows | Placemats | Hats | Sunglasses | Plates |Glassware | Pink Napkin

Get this Party Look:

Balloons | Table | Pillows | Woven Chair | Cupcake Stand | Glassware | String Lights | Umbrellas| Table Runner| White Plates

High Tea Party

The high tea party is the perfect mix of vintage details with luxury elements throughout. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, fancy bridal shower or an elegant girls brunch, this party theme has something for everyone.

For this party theme, I would add hand tied bows to the handles of the tea cups and give mix and matched tea cups as party favors. If you’re feeling extra I would DIY the outside of the champagne bottles with a matching floral design and have ice cubes with flowers in it. The fancier the better for this party!

To get instagram-worthy pictures, I would add this DIY hanging flowers kit to use as a backdrop for photos.

Strawberry Luxe Tea Party by The Charming Picnic

Get this Party Look:

Chandelier | Umbrellas | Candles | Tea Set | Table | Faux Fur Pillows | Vases | Linens| Table Runner Placemats| Glassware| Table Cloth| Pink Napkin

Vintage High Tea Party by Pretty Sweet Deets

Get this Party Look:

Table Tea Set | Placemats | Table Cloth | Glassware | Candles | Large White Umbrella| Pink Plate

Whimsical High Tea by Pretty Sweet Deets

Get this Party Look:

Cupcake Stand | Pink Tea Cup Set | White Tea Cup Set| Placemats | Candles | Table Cloth

Whimsical Kid’s Party

The possibilities are endless for this tea party, from whimsical big flowers, cute confetti poppers and even a create your own fairy garden activity. Let your imagination run wild with this one!

I would do cute fairy or butterfly wings on the back of each kid’s chair. As a fun activity, I would do a fairy garden making station or DIY garden kits.

I would create the photo booth around the huge flowers to kind of look like an Alice in Wonderland setting. These adorable photo booth props that I linked below are also a must!

Floral Wonderland Party by It’s A Sweet Life By Kim

Get this Party Look:

Large Flowers | Balloons | Fairy Wings | Mini Fairy Garden Kits | Backdrop Arches| Plates

Secret Garden Party by Catch My Party

Get this Party Look:

Paper Goods or These | Confetti Popper | Seat Flower | Hanging Flowers | Moss Table Runner |Photo Booth Props| Table Cloth| Butterfly Table Runner | Flower Truss | DIY Garden Kits

Boho Chic Party by The Picnic Collective

This type of get together feels relaxed yet, styled. Where you can transform any space into a dreamy boho chic oasis. Perfect for birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers or a girls night. I would add fairy lights to the surround trees and bushes for a magical setting.

I would use the lace tepee as a chic backdrop for photos or hang flowers on strings to create an airy feel. Couple this with a DIY flower crown station and your party will be a true hit!

Get this Party Look:

Teepee | Table Runner | Table | Pillow | Glassware | Candles| Gold Butterflies | Candle Holders Plates

Final Thoughts: How-To Host A Dreamy Garden Party

A garden party is more than just an outdoor gathering it’s a chance to create an unforgettable experience. With the right mix of thoughtful details, whimsical decor and personal touches, your garden can transform into a magical escape. Whether you’re going for a fancy tea party, a boho picnic, or an elegant floral affair, the key is to embrace the season, enjoy the moment, and make your guests feel at home under the open sky.