Summer Party Idea: Take it to the Roof

Have a garden party without having to mow any lawns! Throw a party on the roof.

Living in an urban jungle doesn’t mean you can’t host a lawn party. If your building has a roof deck, take advantage of long summer nights and gorgeous views by taking your party outside. Here are a few ideas to make your summer party pop.

More than a Picnic

Dining on the roof doesn’t mean you have to rough it in the great outdoors. Use table linens to create a fresh look and feel.

…But also not Super Fancy

Schlepping everything up to your roof also shouldn’t break your back and you also don’t want to spend a ton of time cleaning up. Paper plates and plastic glasses have come a long way.  Grab some with a fun summer pattern. They are light to carry to the roof and cleanup is a cinch. It also makes developing your look and feel easy to do. Work around whatever pattern draws your eye and use it as a base.

Summer Festive

Most roof decks don’t have electrical outlets. Use it to your advantage. Pack a bag of tea light candles or votive candles and votive holders. Makes for a great look and ensures you’re not just seeing by the light of the moon.

Keeping it Cool

Use wine tubs to keep your beverages cool. Tubs can fit roughly 4-6 bottles of wine or 3 six-packs of beer. Carry a couple of bags of ice up and when or clean up just toss the water out.

Always have a Backup Plan

The weather may have called for sunny and dry when you invited all your friends over, but Mother Nature has a mind of her own. Have a backup plan. Can you bring a canopy to your roof? Or worst case, just make sure you vacuumed and the bathroom is clean…everyone might be hunkered down in your living room!

One More Note

It helps to make a list of what you need so you don’t have to keep running up and down the stairs (i.e. knives, serving wear, etc.) I actually keep a roof deck bag of supplies during the summer months. It includes the candles, candle holders, matches, bottle opener, paper/plastic wear and a couple of cheese knives.

Here are some photos of a recent roof deck party I hosted for the New York Junior League committee I am on. We did it potluck style.  A huge kudos to Punchbowl. I used them for my online invitation. They have a potluck feature you can use so attendees can sign up for what they want to bring.

Do you have additional roof deck party tips? Add them to our comments!

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