With summer in full swing for a lot of households, throwing a BBQ might be your go-to move when wanting to meet up with friends and family.
With that being said, there are some helpful tips that will ensure your backyard BBQ party goes off without a hitch. Here’s everything you need to know about playing host for a BBQ
Plan your menu
A good way to make sure your backyard BBQ goes swimmingly is to plan out your menu. What do you hope to offer to your guests? From grilled vegetables to burgers and hotdogs, you want to throw in the crowd favorites and then a few wild cards that might not be liked by everyone.
You want the BBQ to be plentiful but not too overwhelming. However, having enough food leftover can be better than guests leaving, still feeling hungry.
Planning the menu out will help you navigate the shops and prep the food ahead of time. Don’t forget the side dishes, appetizers and condiments like the BBQ sauce.
Send out the invites
Whether it’s a quick text to your friend group or a Facebook event set up for all of your invitees, make sure to do this ahead of time.
You want to give everyone as much notice as possible, especially as this often happens over the summer when it gets busy for most people.
Sending invitations in advance that specify time, date, location, and any other specific requests will help to keep organized.
Prep food ahead
Ideally, it’s helpful to prep your food ahead of time, that way you make sure you’ve got everything ready so that it can straight onto the grill or to be further prepared ready to serve up to guests.
Marinate your meats, prep the salads and chop up anything that you might need, the day before so that you minimize the amount you’re doing on the actual day. The more you can prep for the party, the less you’ll have to think about greeting your guests all in a fluster.
Ensure plenty of seating
Seating is definitely an important one and something you want to think about when it comes to entertaining a multitude of guests, all from different aspects of your life. If you’re having a BBQ to celebrate your upcoming birthday for example, then you might have plenty of people coming.
Make sure there are enough seating options available, from benches to chairs and picnic baskets, so that guests can sit comfortably, whatever they find.
Keep guests entertained with music and drink
Keeping guests entertained is important, so setting up a drinks station with a variety of beverages is key. From water to lemonade, iced tea to alcohol options if desired. Plenty of ice and cups should also be readily available to keep everyone topped up.
Make sure to also consider what type of entertainment to have to, in order to keep your guests engaged and interested in staying for longer.
With these tips, you’ll be able to have a lot of fun hosting a backyard BBQ party with your friends and family this year.
