Lifestyle

Your Ultimate Summer Outdoor Party Checklist

4 min read

In Muscle Shoals, we’re lucky enough to be able to have outdoor parties almost year-round. But everyone knows that the summer is the best time to gather friends and family together for a backyard barbecue!

Make sure your party goes off without a hitch with our outdoor summer party checklist.

Summer Party Checklist

A summer party can mean a lot of foot traffic in and around your home. Making sure your home is party-ready is key to having a great summer get-together! Think it may be time for giving your home a good sweep for areas that need addressing? Good places to start are giving your sliding door a tune-up and clearing open areas where people are likely to gather, moving furniture as needed to facilitate easy socializing.

1. Send Your Invites

One of the first things that you should do is send your invites to friends and family. That way, you can get a good headcount for attendance, people can set the date aside and you can get an idea of how much food prep will be necessary. Whether this is a formal paper or email invite or a quick, casual call or text to friends and family is up to you!

2. Plan the Menu

Depending on the party theme you have in mind, you may want to cater the food to match the theme or activities. Below are a few options for you to choose from.

3. Stock Up Your Grilling Materials

A fan favorite of summer parties is a grill for some good, old-fashioned barbecue. To prepare for guest cooks and avoid any missing items, check your grill supplies ahead of time.

Before you fire up the grill, make sure you have these on hand:

4. Decide on Summer-Appropriate Activities

A little backyard competition never hurt anyone! Before and after the food is finished cooking, having some summer games on hand for kids and kids at heart to enjoy keeps your guests occupied and happy. If you’ve got a pool, you’re all set. For everyone else, though, here are some classic backyard games for you and your guests to enjoy:

5. Plan to Keep Guests Comfortable

Muscle Shoals, as you know, can get pretty hot! You’ll need to plan ahead to provide plenty of shaded areas, especially for children and seniors. If you have large shade trees, set up tables and chairs under them. Otherwise, you could consider renting a tent or using a garage for shaded seating if the party will be entirely outside. Put out multiple coolers full of ice with drinks as well for instant cooling.

6. Stock Up on Supplies

There are plenty of supplies you’ll need for a great party, but there are a few that are must-haves. These include:

7. Make a Playlist

What’s a party without music? A good set of speakers distributed around your yard can set a great mood for your party! If you have close neighbors, though, be respectful of them and keep it toned down once the sun sets. That being said, set the tone for a festive mood with one of these playlists:

8. Prepare Your Home

Preparing your home for guests may be more far-reaching than you’d think. Your kitchen, living and dining areas, backyard and bathrooms will all see high traffic while your party is happening, so make sure they’re all squeaky clean and ready for action. Restock any household necessities like paper towels and ice beforehand, too. Part of this prep includes expecting cleaning during and after the party as well, so stock up on plenty of trash bags and distribute them where they’ll be needed.

Get Your Home Summer-Ready with Window World of Muscle Shoals

If home improvement is on your to-do list this summer, make Window World of Muscle Shoals your first choice. After all, you can throw your ultimate summer bash to celebrate your brand-new improvements! With a range of windows, doors and siding, we have just what you need to upgrade your home. Get started by requesting your free quote today!