Backyard Movie Night Party

ATS Rentals provided the projector for our backyard movie night party but all thoughts and opinions are my own.  This post also contains affiliate links which means I receive a percentage of the sale if you make a purchase.

Last weekend, my oldest daughter celebrated her birthday with a pile of friends and a backyard movie night party.  It was such a simple party to plan but the fun factor was huge … and it made me think that we should be having outdoor movie nights more often!

We hosted the party in my parents’ backyard.  It’s really large with a lush lawn and a brick wall positioned perfectly for movie viewing.  Our biggest concern was the weather.  January isn’t always the optimal time for outdoor parties, even in Texas, so we told guests to bring blankets or sleeping bags and we planned to create a big nest for the girls to huddle up in.  We ended up getting super lucky with the weather with seventy degree temperatures that day and the girls only needed blankets to sit on.

I used a small shelf to set up a concession stand on the patio and strung some lights around it to light it up once it got dark {which is super early since we’re still technically in the middle of winter}.  Some chalkboard art encouraged guests to help themselves …

… and we served boxes of candy, movie theater style …

… mini bags of popcorn and chips …

… and soda and water displayed in an old vintage coke crate …

… and a large ice-filled tub.

Whether guests use them or not, every party I host has to have patterned paper straws …

… and to add a little light and festivity, we also put out mason jars filled with glow sticks.

I created a movie screen from an old bed sheet duct taped to the brick wall and we projected the movie with a DVD projector from ATS Rentals.

The projector rental ended up being one of the easiest parts of the party.  While browsing online for rental companies in our area, I stumbled across ATS Rentals.  Even with shipping, their prices ended up being cheaper than any companies I found locally and the projector was sent via UPS straight to our door, saving me a drive across the metroplex.  The projector and speaker arrived the day before our party {exactly as ordered} and, when the party was over, I packaged the projector back in the same padded box, applied the UPS shipping label that came with it, taped the box up with packing tape that was also included and dropped it off at my local UPS store.  I was so impressed with how easy it all was.  {Plus, the package arrived with popcorn, paper popcorn boxes, and licorice … how fun is that?}

The girls sat on blankets and cushions, watched the movie, ate their snacks, and had such a great time.  The planning was simple, the party was a big success, and I can’t wait to do it again!  I’m thinking this summer we may have to have a poolside movie night!

For more teen and tween party ideas, be sure to check out our silver and gold metallic party …

… our burlap party …

… and our spa party!