The Perfect Summer Party

by Susan Fowler, Events by Susan Lynne 

Summer is a great time to have a party and invite friends and family into your home for food and fun.  Create a party that will really encourage your guest by keeping it simple so that you are not stressed when they arrive. Here are some basic planning ideas for the perfect party!

Stay Home
Have the party at your house to reduce your costs and give you total creative control. Start setting up your party the day before so if you don’t like your original layout you can modify as you decorate. Decorate the parts of your home you want to use for your party inside and outside. This will allow for clear boundaries for your guests to only go where the party is happening. As you are decorating set up food and beverage stations in different locations. This will allow your guest to spread out and socialize. Have two beverage stations one for adults and one for the kiddos.

Set Up Stations 
The words “keep it simple” should be going through your mind at all times especially when it comes to food. Try to keep all the cooking outside if possible or cook inside the day before. Your oven and stove will make your home very warm.  You want your menu to be filled with food your guest can easily grab and go.  Set-up different food stations i.e. a main station with your main food items, a fruit and veggie station, a dessert station, and two beverage stations.  Have simple snacks set-up all over like peanuts or chips. For the beverage stations make punch and name it after something fun and personal to you. It can be your signature drink and your kids will love this almost as much as the adults. My personal favorite is mixing 2 two liters of ginger ale with one of the Welches frozen concentrate juices (mixed berry or orange pineapple apple flavors are the best).  
 

Use Easy Decorations
To decorate use bright summer colors in moderation. Yes it is possible to over decorate. Your food can work as décor, brightly colored veggies and fruits displayed on clear or white platters i.e. (watermelon, berries, grapes, orange bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, carrots, and sugar peas). These are all bright colors and can be set-up outside. Balloons are cheap and can be used in so many ways. Tie a ribbon around your balloons and hang from the ceiling with tape or a tack. This saves you from having to use helium balloons and adds a lot to the décor. Outside use pin wheels, beach balls, sand pails, and shovels.

Make it
“Look”Fancy
When decorating your food tables don’t just lay all the food out flat use different items around the house to add height like cake stands, glass, blocks, or books. Cover your table with one table cloth and take another table cloth and bunch it up and set a platter or beverage container on top to add more variety to your table.

Have Fun 
Entertaining your guests is the fun part! Most of them will know each other and will socialize with each other. You can provide games inside and outside like corn hole, giant jenga, badminton, ping pong, bocce ball, and croquet and  inside set-up a place for cards or board games. There are people that can’t be outside and this set-up accommodates all of your guests. Finally, have really great music playing in the background loud enough to be heard but not too loud that your guests can’t hear themselves talk.
Remember your guest are coming for you. So keep it simple and stay stress free so you can enjoy your party as much as your guest do.