An Outdoor Movie Party

Grab a blanket, some popcorn, and your best pals for an outdoor movie party! If you're feeling nostalgic for the big screen excitement of a drive-in theater, a backyard movie night under the stars is just the ticket!

Outdoor Movie Party Invitations

Sending great invitations can make your guests feel special before the party even starts. You can either send pre-made cards or create an online invitation, such as this one from Evite.com.

Here are some fun movie night party invitations available at Birthday in a Box:

Setting Up for an Outdoor Movie Party

When planning your party, the most important things to consider are where and how to show the movie. Here's what you will need:

A MOVIE SCREEN (Here are some options:)

• You can make your own outdoor movie screen by nailing strips of plywood to the top and bottom edges of a king size white bedsheet and hanging it from the back of your house.

• You can purchase an inflatable movie screen or a pull down screen relatively inexpensively.

• You can call an outdoor movie rental service such as Fun Flicks that will come, set up a screen and all the projection equipment you need, and help you with all the technical elements of the party.

A MOVIE PLAYER, PROJECTOR, and SPEAKERS

• To show your movie, download your favorite flick onto your laptop and hook it into a video projector to display.

• Projection systems are also usually available for rental at your local party supply or AV rental shop.

A GREAT MOVIE!

Since you will be broadcasting this movie into the neighborhood, it should be a family friendly option. Consider your audience... Classics such as Star Wars or The Wizard of Oz are good multi-age choices. If you have a younger crowd, Disney has a huge variety of hits to choose from.

Outdoor Movie Party Decorations

• SEATING -- Be sure to set up your screen in a place that allows enough space for people to be seated and watch comfortably. You can create the effect of stadium style seating by setting up blankets with throw pillows closest to the screen, bean bags and low sand chairs in the middle, and lawn chairs in the rear. (**If you are having a large crowd, you might consider asking your guests to provide their own blankets and chairs.)

• LIGHTING -- You want things to be as dark as possible so that your movie will show up clearly; however, be sure to provide enough illumination so that guests can find their way to a bathroom or food area. Twinkle lights and tiki torches can be fun party additions that give off just enough light to set the mood.

• CONCESSIONS -- Setting up a table or booth to look like a movie concession stand is a great idea for an outdoor movie night. You can include brown bags of popcorn, assorted candies, and personal sized containers of water, juice or pop. If you want to go all out, you might consider renting or buying an old fashioned popcorn cart.

• BUG CONTROL -- Don't let pesky mosquitoes ruin your evening. Consider setting out a few citronella candles or baskets containing bottles of insect repellent for your guests to use.

• TRASH -- If you are offering snacks, you will probably have some trash. Putting out a few strategically placed trash cans throughout your party area can be a big help when it's time to clean up.

Other Ideas for an Outdoor Movie Night

• Host an Intermission Raffle -- Take a break from the action to raffle off some fun mementos from the evening. Some ideas could include:

  • Jumbo sized candy bars
  • Funny tee shirts from the party or with the movie logo
  • 2 free passes to your local movie theater
  • DVDs

• Set up a Photo Booth -- Create a photo backdrop area, set out some fun props and let your guests transform themselves into stars on film! You could either have someone take photos or set out a basket of disposable cameras. Send these photos to your friends later as a memory of the night.

• Make the Party Last all Night -- Since movie parties usually tend to go fairly late into the evening, why not set up a few tents and turn your event into a campout!

• Dive-In Movie -- Do you have a pool in your yard? A great way to host an outdoor movie night is by floating some inner tubes in the pool and letting your guests watch the film while leisurely floating around.

An outdoor movie party is a great option to gather the gang on a warm summer night. Hope you found some helpful backyard movie party ideas on this page. Have fun!

If you enjoyed these outdoor movie party ideas, you might also enjoy these parties:

Hollywood Party

Backyard Barbecue Party

Pool Party