Lucy Riles: Outings to the movies can get expensive -- so bring the drama to your own backyard!

With the weather finally nice enough to spend the evenings outdoors, this is a great chance for you to host your next birthday party, sleepover, ladies' night, or a romantic date night under the stars with your special someone -- and the silver screen!

Movie Décor: Send out invitations designed as movie tickets to your guests. Rent a projection screen and a projector that is DVD compatible. You can rent these at a local photography store. If you are having trouble finding them, look up a local wedding DJ -- they will either have the equipment or will know who does. If your house has a white outer wall or a white garage door, you can use that in lieu of the projection screen. And if you want to get even thriftier, hang a big white sheet from a clothesline or wall to act as the screen.

Comfy Seating: Lay out blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, and lawn chairs so your guests can be comfortable for the screening. If it's a ladies' night or a romantic date with your hubby, light candles and scatter rose petals to set the mood. If it's a kid's party, place a bunch of beanbag chairs for them to lounge on.

Movie Treats: Serve up popcorn, pop, and make up a sweet-tooth station stocked with Snow Caps, Milk Duds, Reese's Pieces, Twizzlers ... all the items that one might find at a movie theater. As a party favor, give each of your guests a separate popcorn box so they are able to help themselves to the sweet-tooth station.

It's Showtime!: Make sure to wait until it gets dark to show the movie, then turn off the backyard lights to add that extra element of drama and let the movie roll. It's important to have the sound high enough so that everyone can hear and it doesn't get upstaged by planes, trains, and automobiles.

Movie Suggestions:  
For a Kid's Birthday Party: "Mary Poppins," "Annie," "The Goonies," "Transformers," "Harry Potter," or "Twilight"
For a Ladies' Night: "He's Just Not That Into You," "Bridget Jones's Diary," "Sex and the City," "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Mamma Mia," or "Shag"
For a Romantic Date Night: "Casablanca," "Say Anything," "Something About Mary," "50 First Dates," "Sleepless in Seattle," or "Gone with the Wind"

What movies do you suggest?

Lucy Riles is a party planner and has been since she was a little girl. Being the youngest of 12 children, Lucy and her Mom were always coming up with new, exciting ways to throw a great party on a budget. To this day, Lucy loves planning and hosting parties for others. She is also a newlywed and lives in LA with her husband, Tommy, and dog, Mr. BoJangles.