Outdoor Cocktail Hour

knottie6a29dd79a8a30d70

Hi all! Our cocktail hour will be outside on a patio. We will have the tall tables you stand at, and there will be table cloths over them. There is not a lot of outside lighting, and the patio faces the mountains. I want to light up the tables from underneath so they're sort of glowing. Do I just put lanterns under the tables? Is there a cheap way to do this? Preferably battery operated. Thanks!

sparklepants41

knottie6a29dd79a8a30d70 said:

Hi all! Our cocktail hour will be outside on a patio. We will have the tall tables you stand at, and there will be table cloths over them. There is not a lot of outside lighting, and the patio faces the mountains. I want to light up the tables from underneath so they're sort of glowing. Do I just put lanterns under the tables? Is there a cheap way to do this? Preferably battery operated. Thanks!

Can you get battery-operated LED lights? Amazon sells ones that are strung together like Christmas lights. 

Is the patio covered? Do you have a contingency plan for excessively hot or rainy weather? Also, are there options for seating so that older folks/people who have difficulties standing for longer periods can be comfortable during your cocktail hour? 

missJeanLouise

Are the table cloths long or short? Will there be lights on top of the tables or just below? Is there a reason you want to keep the lights on the floor? Is there any additional light or just from under the tables? I am just having trouble envisioning this. Do you have an inspiration picture you can share? 

maine7mob

I am also having trouble envisioning this. It seems that the tablecloth would really block any light from coming through, unless the under table lights are very very bright. Before you invest any money in this, why not try borrowing a battery powered lantern and putting it under a table with a cloth over it to see if you like the effect. This should give you some idea as to the wattage you need and whether it is possible to achieve it with battery powered lights.