Hosting a party in your backyard can be a great way to accommodate a lot of friends and family – and keep costs down.
It’s a healthy choice being outside, too, especially with the ebb and flow of Covid.
If you have a family celebration coming up this season, let’s talk about throwing an outdoor party in your yard – with our food.
Jacquie Bols of Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering suggests you plan around what you already have. Have a deck? Deck it out in style. Have gorgeous flowering planters? Make them part of the décor. Pool? Consider having a pool party. Lots of trees? String lights all over and have your party at dusk.
Set the tone with a fun theme. Get creative and go for color. Drape tables with colorful tablecloths (rent or buy) and find out what flowers will be blooming then to use as centerpieces. Let your theme guide choices on everything from drinks to entrees, signage to tableware.
Consider where your guests will park and make sure to alert your neighbors to the date and time of the party. You want support, not complaints. Since there’s no way to control the weather when you’re planning in advance, we highly recommend renting a tent. It keeps the rain – and intense sun – off your guests. It also adds to the festive feel of the party.
Ahhh… food! We enjoy working with our clients to figure out the best food choices for every occasion. Outside lends itself to Tex-Mex, or light appetizers and finger foods. Chicken skewers do well. So do barbeque foods like braised short ribs or Mojo pork. Asian fusion is very popular. So are pasta stations. Go light or go fancy. And our favorite summer idea? An ice cream bar – with all kinds of toppings to keep everyone happy. We have no shortage of ideas when it comes to menu planning!
Warmer months mean thirsty guests. Make sure you have plenty of non-alcoholic beverages on hand in addition to whatever you want to serve in the way of adult beverages. You can theme your bar with your menu and create specialty named beverages, or margaritas or lagers and IPAs. Keep it light and refreshing!
Send out invites and reminders, and let us help you with the food and drink -- even tent and linen rentals. We love it when you have a great party that your guests talk about for years to come!