Everything You Need to Host an Outdoor Movie Night!

One of our favorite summer activities is watching movies outdoors! Hosting a summer movie night is such a rewarding and fun pastime. Here are some fun tips for hosting your own outdoor movie night!

red cocktail on a table with flowers and a tic-tac-toe board.

There’s something very nostalgic about it and it’s about the closest thing I can get to the classic drive-in I grew up going to.

For our movie night, we teamed up with our friends at Crate and Barrel, invested in an awesome projector and screen, and kicked off a new tradition creating incredible memories.

Outdoor movie screen with pillows, lights and flowers

We’ve now had countless outdoor movie nights, under the stars, all summer long. Kids and adults love this memorable activity!

How to Host an Outdoor Movie Night

The Best Projector

First step to creating a charming outdoor movie night is buying the right projector. We actually went through and tested 5 projects before we finally settled on the ViewSonic M1 Portable Projector with Harmon Kardon Speakers.

It’s really small and the speakers are full-room audio. The picture, size, and quality of the projector are incredible (the hubby is very particular about this stuff!).

Hook the Firestick into it and can play movies from that, making it really easy. I bought this screen which is great for outdoors. I hang it on the side of the house. A giant blank wall works just fine too!

Outdoor movie night with pillows and popcorn, table with cocktails and rose in coolers.

Decorations

Next, make sure you set the mood and create the most comfortable outdoor atmosphere!

Basket with knitted blanket, bowl of popcorn on a modern blue rug.

This is where Crate and Barrel come in… I had fun ordering charming decor items like pillows, poufs, blankets, plates, vases, outdoor side tables, gorgeous large teak lanterns, and battery-lit candles.

Also, trays and popcorn bowls, plates and napkins. They had everything I needed to create this entire outdoor movie party! Shopping guide below!

overhead picture of outdoor movie night with popcorn, pillows, games, tray of candy.

Lay a rug down and add cozy blankets and throw pillows to make it comfortable for guests.

overhead of teak lights with flowers and popcorn.

The large teak lanterns and candles made a huge difference in the overall ambience of the movie night.

There is nothing better than flickering candles under the stars. I highly recommend these ones from Crate.

I have them set on an automatic timer and they come on when the sun sets every evening. Truly the BEST!! We had so compliments on the lanterns and candles too.

For extra decor, I always add flower arrangements to any party I do.

You can do this by cutting foliage and flowers in your yard, putting together store-bought flowers or ordering from a local florist.

Flowers in white vase and yellow pillows.

White pillow pouf with gold tray and plates and water.

Using poufs with a large tray works as another side table for drinks and appetizers.

Candy and Popcorn

It’s not a movie night without candy and popcorn and one thing I love doing is mixing popcorn and candy together.

I placed out bowls of delicious candy and popcorn and guests could make their own concoctions. One of my favorite combos is Milk Duds, popcorn, and pretzels…so GOOD!

I also served fruit and a cheese plate.