Summer doesn’t last long in Canada, so you want to make the most of it as much as possible. On hot sunny days, you especially want to be outside with friends and family even more.
So, how can you be the host with the most during this BBQ season? Planning things and making sure that you stand out is more than just having the right decorations; it’s also about the food, drinks, music, and entertainment.
By looking at the top five ways to make your BBQ memorable, you will guarantee that people will want to come time and time again.
1. Establish a buffet
In the heat of summer, you don’t want to be doing more work than you need to. A buffet allows you to set out the food, and then let people serve themselves, taking what they want, when they want it. This will allow you and your guests to enjoy your backyard BBQ meals without always asking you for this or that item.
A buffet also means that you can cater to everyone’s tastes easily by serving a few options for salads and meats, and even providing vegetarian choices all at the same time.
Large bowls for the salad and paper plates and cutlery (with an almost endless supply of napkins) mean you don’t need to worry about washing up afterward. Strategically placed garbage bags keep the yard and table clear of trash, and make the clean-up easier at the end of the day.
2. Provide a beverage and dessert bar
Have a separate table for desserts and drinks. This will help to prevent overcrowding at the buffet table and allows your guests to see the variety of food on offer. It will also give you more space to showcase your main dishes and allows you to put mesh coverings over all the different foods so that you can keep the pesky bugs away.
A cooler of ice and extra drinks under the table keep your guests hydrated and cool without having to run inside all the time to grab more drinks that will warm up quickly in the sun.
We all know about the water cooler effect, too. People will tend to gravitate towards either food or drinks. So, to prevent large groups of people from crowding a space, separating the desserts and drinks from the main dishes will encourage your guests to spread out and socialize more.
3. Plan your BBQ menu
Planning your menu at least two weeks ahead of time will help to keep your spending under control and reduce the panic and stress of trying to do everything at the last minute.
This will help you to see what is available in stores so if there are any key ingredients missing, you still have time to plan a backup and source what you need from other places.
Knowing what you want to cook on the BBQ, including what salads you want to whip up in the kitchen, will help you plan when to marinade meats, chop fresh vegetables, and even when put things on the grill. This way, there will be a constant turn-around of fresh food that is all cooked to perfection.
You should also create a theme for your backyard BBQ. This will add to the fun and maybe inspire some of the foods you want to prepare and serve. Simple decorations like garden lights, streamers, and even balloons can transform your backyard without breaking your budget.
You can assign tasks to other people to help out, too. From helping with the decorations to bringing dishes so that you don’t have to do all the cooking, planning ahead gets everyone involved and leads to a better, stress-free gathering.
4. Make a playlist for backyard grilling
We have the technology to make a music playlist, set it, and forget it. This allows you more time to enjoy your guests and takes away the need to be constantly running inside to change the music.
Playlists allow you to play a wide variety of music, accommodating every party theme or personal taste of your guests at the touch of a button.
With Bluetooth, you can have outdoor speakers that easily connect to a phone or other music player. This way, you don’t have to crank the volume inside the house, deafening anyone who needs to run in to use the washroom.
You can make your selection as eclectic as you want, incorporating music for adults and children so that everyone can enjoy the party. By putting the playlist on shuffle, you never know what will be playing next, thus adding to the fun.
5. Play some outdoor games
While the sun is shining, make the most of being outside. Although some people will be happy to sit back and relax, enjoying good conversations with those that they may not have seen for a long time, others may get restless.
Provide outdoor games for the win. Choose games that are easy and quick to set up and take down. This way, you can play a variety, or set up tournaments involving rounds of different games to be played by small groups all at the same time. This allows people to do quick changes from one game to the next, thus keeping the flow going.
Ring toss, bean bag toss, and even flip cup or pin the tail on the donkey can get everyone up and playing, laughing, and having fun. For the smaller children, a kid’s pool filled with balls or other toys give them a safe space to play in.
Your Backyard BBQ Party, Your Way
Buffets and playlists will help you to put on the best backyard BBQ this season. Make sure to use the space you have wisely, as all backyards are not the same.
By choosing some simple decorations to put up, the music to play, and the food to serve, you can cater to everyone without having to do hours and hours of preparation and cooking.
You can thus have a stunning and memorable BBQ party this summer that everyone will enjoy.
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