As the summer approaches the one thing that you'll be wanting more than anything else is time and space to see your friends. Inviting friends over for dinner is an exciting thing to do, but with the summer coming up you'll be able to host that dinner party in the garden. 

• Use your outdoor space. It doesn't matter if you have a tiny garden, you can still utilize the outdoor space and simply use the garden as an extension of your living space. As it's summer, throwing open the doors and allowing those summer evening breezes to come right through the house is a great way to enjoy yourself. Let your guest spill out to the deck, or use your outdoor space entirely to throw the party under the stars. You can use wall decor, a DIY fire pit or even planters to really update the space, just make sure that the planters have fairy lights in them to give that evening twinkle. You should also ensure that you have some outdoor seating for everybody, not just chairs, but giant outdoor pillows can really create an ambience in your seating.If you're looking for some adult entertainment, see what is around and if it's something you want to check out!

• Don't be bored with the menu. Shrimp in the summer? Absolutely. Charcuterie boards are always excellent appetizer choices and if you get some wooden serving platters, you can serve up some bite size finger foods so that people can grab and eat while they mill around and socialize. It's perfect for a dinner party where guests may not know each other, because nobody wants to be sat around the table eating a full meal with basically strangers. You can build your own charcuterie boards, or you could choose to layer the table with some paper tablecloths and serve the food directly onto it. By having it as a central peace in the garden, people can go to all sides of the table to serve themselves.

• Cook according to the season. You're not likely to serve soup at a summer dinner party, but chicken and Peach pesto pizza? That can be delicious. You can make sure that your dessert is with locally sourced and seasonal fruit, and you should feature as many salad options that are also local. Take a stroll around the farmers market so that you can understand what's in season, and when you shop this way you can also ensure that you are buying cheaper fruits and vegetables but not stamping on the produce quality.

• Make it magical. Summer is a magical time of the year, encourage your guests to recapture that magic from their own childhoods by making sure that you're not just there for dinner. Outdoor games such as hopscotch or rounders, bursting out the sidewalk chalk and asking everybody to decorate the fences, or even making your own bubbles can have some excellent fun. Adults don't just have to dress pretty to have fun, especially not when there are options. You could even decide to hire an adult bouncy castle!

• Make sure you know who you're inviting. Do any of your guests have allergies? Are you dealing with people who are allergic to mosquito bites? Having citronella candles outside and serving food that avoids allergens can help here. Be sure that your elegant dinner party menu includes vegetarian or vegan options as well, and if you have lactose intolerant friends, make sure you have other options than pina coladas.

• Don't forget to decorate. Don't forget, this is a party so you do need to have decorations. You can make your own with homemade flower chandeliers or you can have colorful tablecloths to add that personal touch. You want to make your dinner party one that people keep talking about, and as you're already hosting outside it's going to be unique from day one.

Don't forget at the end of the day to hand out party favors. You can do anything from childish party bags to little reminders of the summer dinner party you just had. Get everybody to take a plate of leftovers home with them, too so that you're not left with all the food.