Grilling season is here, which means there’s no better time to invite friends over for a backyard barbecue or summer soirée. As the days get longer and the evenings get warmer, planning parties outside is no longer just a daytime feat. We caught up with the event experts at Evite for a few party planning hacks to plan a great summer party with little mess and zero stress!
By Erika Rae Whitehead
Refresh Your Menu
While it’s great to enjoy staple dishes, switch it up and turn the tables on repetitive menus! Try using new recipes or changing your menu altogether. If you normally enjoy burgers, try incorporating a few new toppings like sautéed peppers, onions, and avocado spread. If you’re tired of burgers completely, opt for tequila lime chicken as a tasty twist. Keep your dishes fresh and keep bugs at bay by serving them in large glass serving jars with lids. Just leave out a few pairs of tongs and serving spoons and set up your table buffet style so guests can serve themselves, selecting which delicious bites they’d like to try.
A Twist on COCKTAILS
Summer may be the season for piña coladas and mai tais, but this year try a trendy new twist on seasonal summer flavors by making The Pink Flamingo, a colorful cocktail featuring guava, pineapple, and orange juice. Combine two parts rum, one part pineapple juice, one part guava juice, and one part orange juice in a cocktail shaker. Add a squeeze of lime and shake until combined. Pour over ice and garnish with sliced pineapple. Checkout the video below to try your own at home!
DIY Bug-Free Drink Hats
Warm summer weather means more outdoor parties and backyard BBQs, sometimes attracting bugs. Keep bugs out of your beverages by making this super simple DIY drink cover. All you need is a cupcake liner! Just make a small hole in the center of the liner, pop a straw through, cover your filled glass and sip away. It’s both fun and functional and you can even purchase liners in a color palette that matches your theme to pull the whole party together. Pro-tip: Use a hole punch to create a perfect circle and prevent the paper from tearing.
Time-Saving Sweets
Beat the summer heat at your next party by pre-scooping ice cream into muffin tins so you can easily offer guests single servings to please everyone’s sweet tooth. Scoop individual servings into cupcake liners before guests arrive, then keep them in the freezer until right before you’re ready to dish up dessert. Not only does it make serving and eating ice cream easier, it also helps minimize the mess and slows down melting. Pro-tip: Remove the carton from the freezer a few minutes before serving to let it soften slightly, then run your ice cream scooper under hot water before serving to prevent the ice cream from sticking to the scooper.
Use What You’ve Got
Do a sweep of your home to see what you already have that can be used for decorating. Placing small white tea candles inside of clear mason jars is not only inexpensive but beautiful. If you have empty wine bottles, save them! You can make table tiki torches out of them. For an all-natural way to get mosquitoes off the guest list at your outdoor gathering, try this simple mosquito repellent mason jar that uses rosemary, eucalyptus oil and lemon and lime slices. Just add all of the ingredients to mason jar filled with water, then float a tea light candle on top. Not only does it keep the bugs away, it looks great too!
Music Matters
Your music selection not only says a lot about you, but it sets the tone for the atmosphere surrounding your summer party. Finding great music starts with having an open mind. Pandora, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Tidal are all great sources for good music. Whether your music is upbeat and fun, or relaxing and mellow, try to make sure it fits your overall theme and keeps your guests feeling good!
Tokens of Appreciation
At the end of the night, give your guests a small token that they can take with them. Whether you choose to give them miniature bottles of Moet, cute individual recipe cards, or an Evite thank you card, your guests will enjoy the extra care you’ve taken to make them feel special. Keep it small, short, and simple. A little love goes a long way.
