With the 4th of July coming up and today being flag day, I wanted to share the 10 steps we follow when throwing a BBQ party! Caleb and I love to host BBQs. With the weather that comes with living in Minnesota, we have to enjoy the outdoors while we can! We have thrown many BBQ parties and have learned so much in the process! I figured I would share how we throw a BBQ party so that you can invite over your family, friends, and neighbors and do the same!
Pick a Date (& Maybe a Backup Date!)
First thing first, pick a date! Check out the extended forecast and make sure to either have a backup plan such as a garage, tent, or space inside in case the weather is awful. Or you can let people know that the date is weather dependent and possibly make note of a backup date when you invite people for if the weather doesn’t cooperate! Generally, we don’t invite very many people at once, so we could always easily move our party indoors if needed. We did host my brother and sister-in-law’s rehearsal dinner in our back yard with more people, and in that case we borrowed a couple of tents from a good friend. Good thing we did because right after we finished eating it started to pour!
Determine Your Guest List
Who do you want to invite? Do they have any food allergies or dietary restrictions? If so, be sure to keep this in mind when you plan your menu. Speaking of the menu, I like to determine how many people I will be inviting before determining my menu because of costs of food and drink. If you are inviting 20 people, steak might get pretty expensive so you may instead choose to make kabobs with steak or go with a less expensive meat option!
Send Out Invitations
Sending out invitations doesn’t have to be difficult! It can be as simple as a text or email. Or, if you really want to go all out you can send invitations in the mail! I have designed some free, printable 5X7in invitations for you to use! You can always create your own or order some online, too!
Nail Down a Menu
Food restrictions and number of guests in mind, start to consider what you want to serve. We have done grilled pizzas, burgers, and hotdogs in the past (at separate times). The grilled pizzas are best for small groups because they take some time and can’t be fully prepped in advance! My advice is a combo of burgers and hot dogs/ brats if you have a decent number of people attending. Then, I always like to have a pasta salad and a fruit or veggie tray. S’mores or a summer dessert is always an option for an after-meal treat! Maybe ice cream sundays? I have also done summer pies!
Start Thinking About Space & Decor
Do you have enough tables and chairs? Will you need to borrow some? Now is the time to reach out if you need anything for the party. Also consider if you would like table cloths or any type of centerpiece. I like to toss a mason jar with some fresh cut flowers on the table along with maybe a ketchup and mustard bottle. It can be a functional centerpiece! With the mosquitoes we have here sometimes we like to light a few citronella candles and some tiki torches to keep the bugs away.
Make a List of Tasks
So the basics are all planned at this point. Time to get a sheet of paper and a pencil or pen and write down everything that needs to be done before the BBQ. I like to include everything from mowing the lawn to prepping the food we are grilling. Maybe even add cleaning the bathroom to your list. It’s so much easier to get everything done and work with other members of the family to complete everything if you have a list!
Determine How to Serve Food
Family style (pass food around while everyone is seated)? Buffet style? Honestly, we really prefer buffet. We usually just set up a table or two near the grill and put everything on there then a cooler full of drinks at the end. It works well and people can grab what they want and easily come back for seconds. It also works well to get food directly from the grill to people’s plates!
Prep Everything Possible Ahead of Time
This is huge! Once people start to arrive, if you are still setting stuff up, they will likely kindly offer to help. It’s so handy if the salad is ready in a bowl and the fruit is all cut up so you can just move the trays and bowls outside. Stuff always seems to come up last minute too, so getting everything possible done early is super helpful!
Prep the Tables, Chairs, & Decorations
Set up all your stuff! Make sure there is plenty of space for people to get around without bumping into each other or having to stand up to let people through. Make it look all cute and stuff! 🙂 Then, you can start bringing out food and whatever possible and get ready for guests to arrive!
Light the Grill & Enjoy the Company!
I think this one is pretty self explanatory 🙂
Life on Lady Slipper Lane 