There’s nothing quite like hosting a get-together at the cabin with your closest friends and family during the warm spring months. Inviting people to the cabin gives you and your guests a way to escape the hustle and bustle of life and relax while surrounded by nature. The beauty of a springtime celebration is that there are various ways to entertain and have a good time. This guide will provide some inspiration, including ideas for what to do, food and drink suggestions and tips to make hosting a bit easier.
Setting Up the Space
Before inviting everyone, it’s good to have a plan to set up the space and prepare the food, fun and beverages. This is especially important if you’re also traveling to the cabin just for the event. A good hosting tip is to make a list of everything you need to bring, from coffee to desserts to the necessary toiletries, so you don’t forget anything.
You may be tempted to make this a huge gathering of everyone you know so they can see your cabin, but it’s essential that you not take on too much, especially if you’re limited on square footage. If the guests are coming up for a few days, you should verify that you have enough room for sleeping and space for entertaining. Limiting the guests is also important so you don’t spend all your time hosting and not enough time enjoying yourself.
It’s also a good idea to set up expectations for your guests. If you have only one bathroom, let them know so they can plan accordingly. Finally, though you may be tempted to set up various activities and create a strict schedule, remember that you’re trying to have fun and relax, so know that it’s okay to be flexible.
Ideas For Memorable Gatherings
To plan the details, you need to think about the type of gathering you want to have. The good news is there are several options for spring-themed get-togethers, and you can try more than one of them throughout the weekend. Ask your guests to bring their favorite dish, and during the day, you can have a potluck and share meals. This may also be a good time to swap recipes.
A similar idea is to have a garden brunch where you cook a simple meal, refreshing drinks and hang around the yard. Find flowers and plants from the surrounding nature and set up lovely centerpieces to create a warmer vibe.
Outdoor eating and gathering ideas require a nice seating area so everyone has a place to sit and be comfortable. You can put out chairs or use logs as seats. If there isn’t enough shade, set up a canopy with space underneath to sit. If you plan to continue sitting outside at night, hang string lights and put out a few battery-powered lights so you can see each other and stay safe.
If you don’t have one, consider building or buying a firepit. A bonfire is a great way to keep the party going and bond under the stars. Bring enough skewers to the cabin so everyone can enjoy roasting hot dogs or marshmallows. Encourage people to think of fun stories or to play a few songs on the guitar if someone knows how to play.
Springtime Food and Drink
When hosting picnics, potlucks and other food-related celebrations, consider what you’ll prepare or ask guests to bring. As the weather gets warmer, you’ll likely want to consider light and refreshing dishes. If you’re serving appetizers, try tasty dishes like Greek feta dip or strawberry balsamic bruschetta. Salads, fusilli dishes or seafood may fit the bill for the meal.
You’ll also want to serve drinks to wash down the delicious food. Provide several options or tell the guests to bring their favorite beverages. You’ll want to have enough water on hand, especially on the hotter spring days, to keep everyone cool and avoid dehydration. You can also serve and provide alcohol if your guests like, but ensure they drink responsibly.
Another idea is to make the beverages part of the gathering, and one way to do that is to throw a backyard wine tasting. You can buy or ask guests to bring different wine to sample the drinks and have a great time.
While you’re planning, determine the proper wine glasses for your event. You can choose different glasses based on the wine you’ll be enjoying. If you’re having red wine, a Bordeaux glass is often best because it has a wider rim that allows more oxygen to enter, which makes for a smoother taste. For white wine, Chardonnay glasses will do the trick because they have a larger opening that gets the wine to your lips faster so you can enjoy the flavor.
Plan Your Party
The spring season is a great time to invite the people you enjoy down to the cabin. Whether they’re coming up for the day or the weekend, be sure to plan accordingly so you can also have fun and relax during the festivities.