“Let’s hang up some glassware. Let’s get some signage. Let’s make texture and color. Festoons, for an outdoor party — well — those are just a given,” laughs Fresh Johnson, a New Orleans-based event and wedding planner, who loves throwing a shindig outside.
Johnson got her early start in professional, full-time event planning in 2009, somewhat by accident, when her closest friend insisted she plan her wedding.
“I was just young enough and just crazy enough to agree to be both a maid-of-honor and the wedding planner,” she recalls. Her career — that really took shape by 2017 — and résumé includes presenting at the United Nations and hosting Essence Festival. You can also hear this media maven on station 102.9. On Saturday and Sunday evenings, she has her own radio show.
This summer, Johnson advises you to ditch the mundane, cast off the common and really flex those creative muscles for entertaining al fresco.
Twist the Traditional
“Unusual can mean expensive,” she says. “I would begin with the budget first. Then, consider what traditional elements you want to keep.”
For outdoor events, festoon lights are celebratory, and they functionally, romantically light a space. For Johnson, a pro tip is shopping after-Christmas sales to pick up half-price lighting elements, like tree lights, which she loves placing strategically through gaps in fences.
“I like paying as much attention to outdoor tables as I would indoor ones,” she says. “Really get those beautiful, candlelit, big centerpiece, photo op moments.”
Focus on the Bar
“For an outdoor event, we definitely have to make the bar more of an experience,” she says. “I feel like the elements outside feed into this.”
She suggests marrying greenery moments, from beautiful garnishes to florals atop a bar, hanging or displaying glassware in unique ways to create texture, and also be aware of potential pitfalls.
“Double up on your ice,” she says. “And, be super intentional about what can attract bugs. Some ingredients need to be kept in a jar, to avoid flies and bees. Even though you are thinking outside-the-box, logistics are still important.”
Creative Tips
“Last year, we did a party at a mansion on St. Charles and we scattered games and playing cards around on each table. I had another wedding where they wanted it set up like a music festival, so we added a lot of DIY elements. We had food vendor stations, parasols guests could grab for shade and festival-styled signage.”
For a real impact, combine musical acts. “Consider hiring a live band and a DJ, to play together,” she says. “Picture a live band playing Stevie Wonder, and then the DJ begins scratching the same song in. It’s a moment, to be sure.”
Focus on the Bar
“For an outdoor event, we definitely have to make the bar more of an experience,” she says. “I feel like the elements outside feed into this.”
She suggests marrying greenery moments, from beautiful garnishes to florals atop a bar, hanging or displaying glassware in unique ways to create texture, and also be aware of potential pitfalls.