7 Backyard Barbecue Party Tips

Find helpful tips on how to plan your BBQ backyard party.

02/10/2019

There’s no better time to hold a backyard barbecue party than summer. It doesn’t matter if it is a big family reunion, or you’re inviting just a few friends over for a mini party, a barbecue would be a delightful part of the plan. Keep reading to find helpful tips on how to plan your BBQ backyard party.

Tip #1: Choose a Perfect Day for the Party

Barbecue parties are more suitable outdoor, which is why you are making it a backyard party. You should skip windy, cold or rainy days when picking a day for the party. It’s best to have a great summer weather when you host a BBQ with family or friends.

Tip #2: Make a Guest List

Making a guest list is a great part of your backyard party plan. This would help you make the right budget for the party. For instance, your list may comprise of just close family members or both family and friends. In fact, before even making a budget for the party, you should first determine how many people you will invite to the party.

Tip #3: Choose Your Preferred Grill

Your choice of grill can help accentuate your barbecue flavor. For instance, if you are not concerned about really-flavorful BBQ, then you can go for a propane gas grill. This type of grill is the fastest and also the easiest when it comes to controlling the amount of heat.

But, if you are concerned about dazing your guests with flavorful barbecue, then you should stick to a charcoal grill. Besides, a charcoal grill heats up relatively faster, plus these grills are easy to use and less expensive. Your guests will definitely love the rich, smoky taste that a charcoal grill will add to the barbecue.

Tip #4: Choose a Location at Your Backyard

Choose a section of your backyard where the party would hold. It could be at the garden or patio. Where ever you choose, the important thing is to ensure there’s a sitting arrangement for your guests --- it could be camp mats/rugs laid out on the floor/grass, or benches. You may also want to rent chairs and tables. Then, use lanterns to decorate the party arena to make the evening magical, or you can just make the venue look nicely rustic.

Tip #5: Arrange for the Food and Drink

You should consider the special needs of some of your guest when planning for foods and drinks. For instance, are there going to be vegetarians in the party? In this case, you should ensure there’s something for such guests to eat. Generally, you should make varieties of foods and snacks --- popular food ideas for a party include kebabs, ribs, sausages and burgers.
And, for side dish ideas, you should consider watermelon, couscous, potato salad and more. These days, people are becoming enthusiastic about natural drinks such as just water! But generally, some drink ideas for your backyard barbecue party would include smoothies, beer, and lemonade.

Also, when you brainstorm on food ideas for your garden BBQ party, you should consider foods that can be easily grilled, bearing in mind that you will be barbecuing them. For side dishes such as salad, you can prepare them ahead of time so that you have less work to do.

Tip #6: Make it a Fun Party

You don’t plan to eat barbecue all day with your guests, do you? You should include some fun things to do on the d-day. So, you should brainstorm on fun activities and games that would be suitable for the day and will be delightful to most guests. It could be a game of rounders --- in this case, send your guests a reminder earlier, informing them to put on the right footwear. Consider planning a different fun activity for kids --- e.g. bubble wrap race and balloon bursts. Another great idea you can consider is an above-ground pool.

Tip #7: Station Someone to Monitor the Barbecue

You should assign someone to monitor the foods being barbecued. It is suggested that you get all the side dishes ready ahead of time, perhaps the night before or in the mooning of the BBQ party. You should go for a buffet arrangement, so that you can put out the foods on the table for guests to serve themselves.

You may have to plan the kids’ food and drinks differently, and how they should be served. Obviously, kids won’t be able to serve themselves in a buffet arrangement. So, someone should be responsible for their foods and entertainment.

Finally, when planning a backyard barbecue party, the fun activity should include a time of getting to know each other. This is where people get to move around to meet and talk with people they’ve probably not met before. This section adds more fun to your outdoor party. So, go ahead and catch great fun!