Small gatherings of family and friends are not uncommon at our home.  My wife really likes to entertain guests.  However, inviting about 100 of our closest relatives during the heat of the day was a little bit of a stretch for our home, so I came up with a solution . . . overflow seating in the garage!

Here’s what happened:  A few weeks ago, we decided to celebrate the birth of our 2 month old baby girl.  We agreed to hold a casual party to celebrate this occasion with a few of our closest relatives.  After the invite list ballooned to around 100 people, I realized my wife’s definition of “a few” was much different than mine.  It wasn’t long before I realized the seating capacity of our home would not accommodate her expanding invite list. Due to time constraints, the only time the party could be held was in the middle of the afternoon. Since the temperature during that time of the day was in the mid 90's, hosting some of the guests on our back patio was not a viable option.

Fortunately, earlier in the summer I finished our two-car garage and it was still virtually clutter free and to a point where I felt comfortable seating people in our garage.
Overall, I think it worked out really well. After setting up four Lifetime 6-foot folding banquet tables and 28 Lifetime Folding Chairs, we were able to comfortably accommodate an additional 28 people.  Setting up our Lifetime Tables and chairs in the garage was a breeze. Because our garage door faces the northwest; the temperature in the garage was quite pleasant.  We were also able to leave the door open during the party, which created a feeling of openness. 

Although this solution may not be practical for everyone, it was a simple solution for our entertaining needs that day. We had a wonderful afternoon and enjoyed the company of 100 of our closest neighbors and family members.  My next goal . . . use a pulley system to drop a couch down from my garage ceiling then install a projection screen television so I can invite 100 of my closest buddies for the next big game . . .  hmmm.