Who loves a good outdoor party?
You all know by now how much I love summertime. One thing I really missed doing last year though was the end of summer BBQ that we had held annually for several years. Things just didn’t quite work out right for it to happen and we ended up not having anyone over to celebrate the end of summer with us. It was sad and I don’t want that to happen again!
One of the things that I love most about outdoor summer parties is the memories and traditions that it creates for everyone. The food, family, atmosphere – it’s a day where everyone gathers together to celebrate.
The first way to create a new outdoor party tradition is to just start. Yes, it can be stressful hosting a party, yes it costs money and can be slightly overwhelming. But is the look on everyone’s faces when they get together and share an amazing evening together worth it? You bet it is.
Once you’ve established your outdoor party tradition, do something a little different every year. One year I held a pie contest – where everyone brought a homemade pie and then we all stuffed ourselves tasting each one and voted on the best one. Another year we had a bunch of games for everyone to play. Once I held a dinner party on the night of a Blue Moon, so I created a Blue Moon themed party. Whatever you decided to do, changing things up year to year will make for lots of memories – and conversations the next year.
Create some killer food.
I know this definitely is a matter of opinion on what food tastes the best here, but whatever menu I put together, I always try and do this: have an appetizer or a dish that makes some guests step out of their usual food comfort zones. My friends and family for the most part are pretty conservative when it comes to food and they have teased me about my creations over the years, but you know what? They actually end up liking some of it and would have never tried it had I not given them the opportunity.
Of course, I always make sure there’s lots of food and drinks that everyone likes, lots of sweet tea being one of them. Nothing sings summer like sweet tea – Gold Peak Sweet Tea is one of my favorites. It’s made with real sugar, no preservatives, and tastes like homemade. Sometimes we’ll serve it right from the bottle, or if I feel like fancying it up a bit, I’ll pour it into a beverage container with ice and some fresh blueberries.
Extra added touches to make your summer party memorable could also include fun invitations, blankets to keep guests warm when the sun goes down, ample lighting to create a homey atmosphere, games available to play, and even a pack of conversation starter cards.
Hopefully, in a couple of months, I will have more fun photos to share with you, because the best ways to have a fun and memorable evening is to just spend time with people you love.
