Hosting an outdoor movie night is pretty high up on my summer bucket list! I love taking advantage of our outdoor space as much as I can. Scroll down to see how we transformed our backyard to host an outdoor movie night. Sometimes a cozy lounge area, spritz bar, and a sheet are all you need for a great time!

A girl with blue pants drinking an aperol spritz drink and eating a bowl of popcorn.

Holding a tray of aperol spritz outside.

A classic popcorn maker popping popcorn.

 

 

Pick your film!

My girlfriend Sabrina is a MEGA movie buff so I left picking the movie up to her! I did, however, provide her with a theme, 80’s night!

I felt like in general people really adore 80’s classics like The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day off. She ended up choosing 3 different 80’s movies to go with. Once guests got there we ventured off into teams and played a round of 80’s movie trivia. The winning team got to choose between the three movie lineups.

Dirty Dancing was the winner!
Two girls in a lounge area with a golden retriever at an outdoor movie night party. An aperol spritz and beer station for an outdoor movie night. A bowl of colorful MnM's in a pink bowl on a wooden table. Two girls laughing throwing popcorn at each other at a backyard movie night.

A Cozy Set Up!

We are lucky enough to have a great patio lounge set up so we occupied that area with blankets and pillows and took extra seating down to floor level (literally!). If you’re going to host an outdoor movie night, use your resources!

I pulled out my collection of rugs, blankets, and pillows for some extra cushion and comfort. I tried to keep the colors and aesthetic funky and with some ’80s charm to match the film theme of the evening. Instead of hauling out actual furniture pieces I just flipped some light baskets over to act as ‘dining tables’ for snacks and drinks.

We have a JUMBO white brick wall in our backyard that doubles as a projector screen but feel free to just hang a white sheet from the trees for the same effect! If you adore this type of party you called also invest in a projector set up like this. 
A tray filled with multiple packs of red vines. A cozy lounge area with a tray of aperol spritz's for a movie night. A text board filled with different 80's movies.

Food & Drinks!

No movie night is complete without a delicious drink and buttery popcorn!

I planted a huge self serve buffet station in the corner of the yard so my friends could pick and choose what they wanted. We had a popcorn area set up with this Cuisinart Pop Corn Maker that gave the whole night an authentic feel! Be sure to layer up your snack stash with TONS of candy!

We had everything from chocolate covered raisins to sour patch kids! I always like to survey my guests with a quick text and ask them what their favorite munchies are! Last but not least, tons of beer and Aperol spritz! These are 2 quintessential summer drinks and keep your cocktail menu easy!

Get this party look!

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The recipe developer, photographer, cookbook author, and home party enthusiast behind Everyday Elizabeth. Here you’ll find my favorite recipes, DIY home projects, and inspiration for throwing unforgettable gatherings.

Elizabeth, author of Everyday Elizabeth, drinking at a gathering.

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