5 Ways to Up Your Outdoor Event Game

Outdoor events have come a long way from a few tables, folding chairs and a gazebo just in case it rains.

From summer brand activations and corporate parties to weddings, festivals and private celebrations, outdoor spaces are increasingly being treated in exactly the same way as indoor venues: styled, layered and designed to create an atmosphere.

The secret? Think beyond the essential furniture.

Lamps, plants, soft seating, rugs and carefully considered accessories can transform an empty lawn, terrace or courtyard into somewhere guests actually want to spend time.

Here are five ways to seriously up your outdoor events game this summer.

One of our favourite outdoor event trends is simple: style your outdoor space like you would an indoor room.

Rather than automatically reaching for traditional garden furniture, think sofas, armchairs, coffee tables, side tables and lamps. Creating small lounge-style areas instantly makes a large outdoor venue feel warmer and more inviting.

It also gives your event different zones. Guests can move between dining tables, bars, dance floors and more relaxed seating areas rather than spending the whole event in one space.

For weddings and private parties, create little outdoor living rooms where guests can escape the dance floor and catch up. For corporate events and brand activations, these spaces work brilliantly for informal meetings and networking.

Our event furniture hire collection includes pieces that make it easy to create this residential feel without having to completely furnish your venue from scratch.

Lighting completely changes a space – and we’re not just talking about festoon lights.

One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing in outdoor event styling is the use of decorative lighting you’d traditionally expect to find indoors.

Think floor lamps positioned alongside lounge furniture, table lamps on bars and side tables, and warm pools of light creating intimate areas once the sun starts to disappear.

During the day, lamps work as styling pieces in their own right. As your event moves into the evening, they help create a much softer and more atmospheric space.

They’re particularly effective when you’re trying to make temporary event furniture feel permanent. Add a lamp next to an armchair and side table and suddenly you’ve created a considered seating area rather than simply placing some chairs on a lawn.

Top tip: don’t wait until it gets dark to think about your lighting. Include it in your event design from the very beginning.

You might already be outdoors, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need more greenery.

Plants are one of the easiest ways to add height, texture and structure to an event space, particularly when you’re working with a large open area.

Use statement plants to frame an entrance, soften the edges of a temporary bar or create separation between different areas of your event. Smaller plants can be incorporated around lounge furniture and tables to make seating areas feel much more established.

They’re also brilliant for disguising some of the less glamorous necessities that come with outdoor events.

For brand activations and corporate events, plants can help soften heavily branded spaces, while at weddings and private events they work beautifully alongside rattan, neutral furniture and natural materials.

The result is less furniture placed in a field, more outdoor members’ club.

Rows of identical chairs have their place, but your entire outdoor event doesn’t need to look the same.

Mixing different styles and heights of seating helps create a much more interesting space while also giving guests options.

Combine traditional dining tables and chairs with rattan armchairs, benches, sofas and occasional seating. Add poseur tables around the bar for guests who want to stand and chat, then create softer lounge areas for anyone settling in for the afternoon.

Rattan in particular has been a huge trend this summer. It’s an obvious choice for outdoor events, but its popularity within interior design means it feels equally at home at a premium wedding or beautifully styled brand event.

Our Iria rattan furniture, for example, works indoors and outdoors, so you can carry the same design language throughout different areas of your venue.

This approach is also practical. Not every guest wants to sit around a formal table, and giving people different spaces to eat, drink, chat and relax can completely change how they interact with your event.

Once you’ve chosen the big pieces, don’t stop.

It’s often the smaller styling details that make an outdoor event feel finished.

Add lamps to side tables. Place plants around seating areas. Introduce rugs beneath lounge furniture to visually define a space. Use cushions to bring in colour or reflect your brand palette. Add coffee tables and occasional tables so seating areas are genuinely useful rather than purely decorative.

For branded events, think about how these details can work alongside your wider creative. A pop of colour through an accent chair or lamp can subtly pick up a brand colour without covering every available surface in logos.

For weddings, layering different textures and materials can make even a large open space feel intimate and considered.

The aim is to create the feeling that everything is there for a reason.

Outdoor Event Furniture Hire That Goes Beyond Tables and Chairs

The best outdoor events don’t feel temporary.

Whether you’re transforming a London rooftop, styling a summer wedding, creating an outdoor corporate event or building a pop-up brand experience, the right furniture and accessories can turn an empty space into a destination.

At Hire It, our outdoor event furniture hire collection goes far beyond the basics. From chairs, sofas, benches and tables to lamps, plants and styling pieces, you can create a complete event look from one place.

And if the British weather has other ideas? Many of our pieces work just as beautifully indoors, making it easier to create a cohesive look even when Plan B becomes Plan A.

Planning an outdoor event? Explore Hire It’s event furniture and styling collection and start building a space your guests won’t want to leave.