Outdoorfall dining with By the Yard

‘tis the season for all things pumpkin!

By the Yard is headquartered in Minnesota and come mid-September, we’ve got a definite chill in the air.  We at By the Yard don’t want to let this deter you from taking your fall dining opportunities outside!  I hope this post provides some inspiration on how to host an outdoor fall get-together and extend your outdoor dining season!

1. Choose a theme

Whether you are entertaining your immediate family or a group of extended friends and family, a theme helps create a little excitement and makes the dinner feel that much more special.  For my most recent dinner party, I decided on a fall-meets-nature theme.  I repurposed a table runner I had, randomly scattered some white pumpkins and pinecones on the tabletop, and then added some candles.  All of this was done on a very low budget!

I searched Pinterest for fall tablescapes to inspire me.  I was able to get the few things I needed to complete my vision at Target.  I regularly keep tabs on their dollar spot – the white pumpkins shown in the photos are from there.

Don’t forget about flowers! I had a local florist, Haute House Studios, fill my planters for me this fall.  Our tapered planter boxes have a handy little insert inside of them making it easy to transition their looks with the seasons.  I have the 30”, 24” and the 14” on my deck and it was the first thing my guests commented on!

2. Choose your menu

I love dessert.  I often want to skip the entire meal and go straight to dessert so hosting a dessert-only dinner party was a no-brainer for me.  I picked up all the pies at a local bakery, bought the caramel apples, and in keeping with my fall theme, I set up an apple cider bar on one of my favorite pieces of By the Yard furniture – our portable bar.   I love the portable bar for so many reasons.  It’s great to have a drink station off to the side and extra-storage space to put food and dishes when entertaining.  I honestly use this piece as much as I do my table and chairs!

3. Lighting & timing

When planning your outdoor soiree, think about what time you are hosting.  It gets dark a lot faster in the fall which means you may need a few more sources of light.  Outdoor patio lights strung overhead are a great option!  Candles on the tables, lanterns, and porch lights work great too.  We had our fire going in the background.  Fall is also a great time to light up those fire tables!

If you are looking for extra warmth, I strongly recommend buying a patio heater and doing it soon.  I’ve heard that they are already selling fast.  These things kick out a fair amount of heat and will extend your hours of useable patio time!  Another trick is to stash a bunch of blankets in a basket nearby and when it gets chilly, offer them to your guests.  A blanket just adds to the fall coziness.

4. Photos

Don’t forget to take a few pictures of you and your guests having fun and tag us! We love to see how you are using your By the Yard furniture!