Picture this: the sun is shining bright, and there is not a single cloud in the sky. Your uncle is flipping homemade burgers on the grill while your mom prepares a fruit salad. Your younger cousins are doing cannonballs into the pool and getting you all wet, but you don’t really mind. Constant chatter and laughter are going on, and overall, you feel happy. The 4th of July is an underrated holiday. It is a day filled with nothing but good company and better food. You get to see your friends and family and celebrate a great day in American history. There is nothing that says 4th of July quite like a quintessential barbecue with all your loved ones. If it is your job to plan the party this year, get ahead of the game with these five tips to plan a classic 4th of July barbecue.
Send Out Invites Early
To have a truly iconic 4th of July party, you need to start with the guest list. The summer is a very popular time for vacations, so make sure you send out your invites early, so your friends and family know not to take a trip around that time. You can send a simple text with the details, but if you want to go a step further, you can design your own invitations and send them through the mail.
Plan Out the Food Ahead of Time
The most important part of a 4th of July barbecue is undeniably the food, so be sure to plan that out ahead of time. Create a detailed list of everything you need when you go grocery shopping so you won’t forget anything. Also, do not be afraid to ask your friends and family to pitch in! You can supply the main course (hamburgers, hot dogs, the classics) but ask your guests to bring sides and dessert. This will relieve some of your party planning stress so you can focus on other things.
1. Create a Dress Code
I know a dress code for a 4th of July party might seem unnecessary, but there is just something so great about seeing all your guests dressed similarly. And the dress code doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Classic 4th of July outfits will do the trick. Tell your guests they have to show up in red, white, and blue, or else they can’t come inside (kidding). Just make sure you include it on the invites so they can prepare an appropriate outfit for the occasion ahead of time.
2. Make Sure You Have Activities Planned
Okay, so you have invited all your friends and family, perfected the menu, and created a dress code, but now comes the hard part, planning out activities so that your guests do not get bored. Food can only entertain people for so long, so you need to make sure you have fun outside activities planned to pass the time. Some fun ideas are face-painting—especially if you have a younger crew—a water balloon toss, and sparklers, of course. These fun activities will keep your guests entertained and in good spirits throughout the entire party.
3. Buy Decorations
A 4th of July party is not complete until you have the right decorations. I mean, decorating for this holiday is fairly simple. You just need to buy a bunch of red, white, and blue decor and go crazy. But if you want to keep things simple, just buy some 4th-of-July-themed tablecloths, plates and cups, and patriotic headbands for your guests. The right decorations can make or break a party.
Hosting the perfect party can be stressful, but these simple tips will make the process a little bit easier. Plan ahead of time so that by the end of your party, you can take a well-deserved sigh of relief knowing you hosted the best barbecue of the summer.
Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay