fbpx

7 simple steps for planning a BBQ Party

Disclosure: NovemberSunflower.com is a small business. In order to survive, there's a need to make money. I love a lot of things, I share those things, and if I can make a little commission here, and there, I'm 100 percent going for it. Why should the brands I love be the only ones making money, right? Please, use my affiliate links within this post when placing your orders with the brand, or joining up with the brand. Your support is beyond appreciated!

Summer is coming. It’ll be here before you know it, and that means a whole season of BBQ Party fun! If you’ve never been to a BBQ party, you’re missing out. If you’ve never thrown a BBQ party, well allow me to share 7 simple steps for planning a BBQ Party!!!!

7 simple steps for planning a BBQ Party #bbqparty #summerfun #ad

7 simple steps for planning a BBQ Party

1. Figure out a theme.

When throwing a killer BBQ Party, you’ve got to have a theme! It can be something basic like an All-American theme with your standard macaroni salad, or more tropical with Hawaiian leis, grass skirts and a roasted pig! Not sure how to even start to think about a theme, no problem. Here are four party themes I’m fond of, start here and let your imagination go wild!

  • All-American with burgers, hot dogs and great beer.
  • Surf & Turf with lots of steaks, shrimp, lobster, fish and crab.
  • Luau with lots of tropical, fruity drinks and amazing Hawaiian flavors.
  • Southern BBQ with a variety of southern style bbq sauces.
  • Disney Avengers BBQ party with guests arriving as their favorite Avenger characters, or if guests prefer, color-schemed outfits of their favorite Avengers.

2. Once the theme is set, choose invitations.

Do you want to do a regular invite, sent through the mail, or just do emailed versions?

  • Standard mailed invites you can design, and send out. I’m a fan of Shutterfly invitations, as well as Tiny Prints invitations. VistaPrint is also a great one to turn to for these kinds of invite situations.
  • Email invites are great, and save on stamps! Places like evite.com, and punchbowl.com are great for designing invites for any party. Then you just email them to your guest list. Everyone can RSVP through the invite, and no calls have to be answered! Super simple, and very organized.

3. After the invites are chosen, think about a menu.

People remember two things from every party they attend: the music and THE FOOD. Make sure you’re serving up amazing BBQ at your BBQ Party. Head to the internet, and find recipes that’ll impress your guests.

4. Now that the menu is set, you can plan out party activities.

Activities aren’t necessary for all parties, but if you’re going to be outside, why not have some fun! Especially if kids are going to be attending the BBQ party, you’ve got to have some fun stuff to do.

  • Base the games around your theme. If it’s an All-American BBQ, perhaps a game of catch? You’d just have to put some kind of spin on it, to make it a bit of a challenge….perhaps you’ve got to hold a beer in one hand, and catch with your free hand. If kids are involved, perhaps throwing and catching with your less dominate hand would be fun?
  • Don’t be all nuts with the games. Just find a couple of things to do, and make it very casual. Plus, it’s a good idea to wait until everyone’s had some time to relax, and get into party mode, before trying to get them to play!
  • When it doubt, and you’ve got a pool, just start picking people up and throwing them in. Just make sure they know how to swim!

5. Party activities are fun, but now you’ve got to think about “the look” of the party – decorations, colors, tablescapes and all that jazz.

If you’ve decided on a Luau theme, there’s got to be grass skirts around the tables, and fun Hawaiian Hula girls! Head to PartyCity.com, or OrientalTrading.com for inspiration on great decorations for your BBQ Party. You’ve got to jazz up the party, so people get into the festive mood! It’s all about setting the tone of the party with just the right decorations. However, don’t go nuts. It’s not like you’re a millionaire!

6. Speaking of jazz, you’ll have to plot out your music selections.

Get your Rhapsody.com downloaded with lots of great music, and separate it out into playlists for the whole day. Start off with quieter music as the guests arrive, and have it fit the theme of the party.

  • Going with Southern BBQ theme? Perhaps a few country music ballads to welcome the party guests.
  • Once guests have arrived, hit them with the more fun, lively country music. Dolly Parton, she’s always got some good ones! Then hit them with the Reba stuff!
  • After the party has been jumping for a bit, mix it up with all kinds of genres, just to keep everyone happy. Country Music isn’t for everyone, even if this is a Southern BBQ themed party. Add the pop, rock, and hip hop into the playlist.
  • Finally, wind down the party with some slower tunes. Give the guests the “it’s almost time to go” music. Get yourselves sobered up, so you can drive yourselves home….

7. Kicking the guests out at the end of the BBQ Party.

  • Make sure everyone is sober before you start playing the “get the hell out of my house” song playlist.
  • Send everyone home with a gift. Perhaps a copy of the music played during the party, so they’ll have great memories of the fun had by all. Or send them home with nothing but a hug, smile and a handshake as your parting gift.
  • Double check no one has left anything behind at your house, because then you’re stuck calling people the next couple of days to ask “did you happen to leave your sunglasses at my house last night?” or something worse, “did you leave your ‘party animal’ boxers in my bathroom last night?” Avoid these awkward moments, and do a quick check throughout the house for other people’s crap.
  • Obviously, stop playing music and start shutting off lights. They’ll get the point. Well, most of the guests will. There’s always one that just doesn’t want to leave….. so good luck with that one!

Now it’s time to get ready for your BBQ Party!!!! Get those invites ordered, and get the party started. Summer’s almost here.

Rhapsody Free Trial

Shutterfly 376x150

Send some love sale - save 25% sitewide!

 

By | 2016-08-30T21:25:00-04:00 May 20, 2015|Featured, Food|1 Comment

About the Author:

Staci loves to write, and loves to share her "take" on everything thrown her way. Movies, entertainment, food, fashion, shopping, money, travel and family. There's nothing off limits at NovemberSunflower.com, and Staci's always telling it like it is: good, bad, and all that lies in between!

One Comment

  1. Bilal Tahir khan May 21, 2015 at 2:22 pm

    Hi,
    yummy Party Time.very helpful and informative posts
    Thanks for sharing with us keep up it
    Have a nice week ahead.

Comments are closed.