Want to treat your guests this summer to get togethers that are alfresco awesome?  Just check out the following ten elements for entertaining outdoors with style.

The ideas, designs, styles and constructions can be endless and even overwhelming. Here is a selection of ten must haves; all available today and built for creating outdoor fun. Use these as a starting point to infuse summertime social-time with your own unique personality and preferences.

  1. Grills to Outdoor Kitchens… can be the centerpiece of outdoor entertaining. As the source of all the deliciousness associated with any outdoor gathering, having a place to cook is a must. Check out the many styles and fuels available for outdoor cooking including gas and charcoal grills, smokers, range tops and fire pits for smores! Select what works best for your space or the taste palates of family and friends.
  1. Dining Seating… Comfy seating is a top priority for outdoor entertaining, and more so when dining is involved. A precarious perch on a cooler or deck railing won’t welcome your guests to stay and socialize. Quaint bistro tables to elegant tables for ten, whatever the gathering size, there are dining tables ready for your guests with a variety of frame constructions and seat styles.
  1. Shade products… Whether to protect from the rays of the sun or to define an outdoor space, shade products have multiple uses in outdoor gatherings. From market umbrellas to cantilever giants, there are shade products today to fit every outdoor room and to keep the party going even in the hottest summer sun.
  1. Cool Coolers… What gathering is complete without liquid refreshments served icy cold? Whether chests or tubs, keeping beverages cool when entertaining can also serve as a decorative feature for the gathering.  If anyone wants to bring something… just say ice!
  1. Lounging … If your gathering is all about leisure and relaxed conversation, having a seat is a requirement. Lounge seating for outdoor spaces can be configured in sectionals to crescent.  Casual to luxury, seating choices will set the stage for your guests to sit a spell and enjoy your hospitality in comfort.
  1. Lighting… is the one way to truly add ambiance and brighten up an outdoor party. Say goodbye to the glaring and unflattering glow of exterior flood lights! With personal inspiration, you can make lighting choices that match your style. Many designs are now built to shine on into the night.
  1. Fire… Nothing adds more warmth and ambiance to an alfresco gathering than the element of fire. Today there are fire pits to fire tables, fire features and fire torches that will fire up the fun at your outdoor gathering.
  1. Electronics… Pump up the volume on your outdoor soiree through the use of audio and video equipment now durably produced for use in the out of doors. Enjoy dancing under the stars, watching an outdoor movie to complete a birthday gathering, or catching the NFL or Stanley cup finals. Football or Frozen anyone?
  1. Bar… Outdoor furnishings today can extend beyond dining or lounging into festive areas… luxury bars. Having the area to provide guests with the ability to belly-up to an outdoor bar can add another gathering option to your outdoor space. Why not turn your outdoor space into your friends’ and family’s hippest new watering hole?
  1. The Food and Fare… Last, but most definitely not the least, is the alfresco feast you provide that can create the perfect gathering in the out of doors. Use your imagination and the inspiration of the great out of doors to concoct fun and flavorful fare from sizzling steaks to sangrias for all.

Outdoor Yum.