5 Tips for Throwing a Great Barbecue

With the warm weather and blue skies, it’s the right time of year to enjoy your backyard and your grill. Combine that with friends and family, and you can throw a great barbecue that everyone will enjoy.

Check out these tips to make sure everyone has a great time, and you can relax and enjoy the barbecue, too.

Make It Potluck

Ask everyone to bring their favorite dish or something they enjoy at a barbecue, even if it’s just a bag of chips. This takes some of the pressure off of you to make things everyone will like and let’s you focus on the main event – what you’ll grill.

Turn Up the Music

Between Spotify, Pandora, and your stash of old CDs, chances are you have more music than you realize. Don’t annoy your neighbors with loud music but add ambience to the barbecue and, maybe, people will dance the night away.

Keep It Casual

It’s easy to stress over planning the “perfect” barbecue, but there’s no need. Cooking and eating your food outside is automatically more casual than the typical dinner party. Don’t go crazy on the decorations and offer simple foods like ice cream and fresh fruit for dessert. Your guests won’t mind, and you’ll spend less time stressing all the details.

Play Games

Even if none of your guests are children that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun like a kid. Yard games, scavenger hunts, even Twister are fun no matter what your age. The fun isn’t always in winning but in being silly and carefree.

Be Careful with Alcohol

You can make your barbecue BYOB or you can provide the alcohol, but be careful. In Massachusetts, there are social liability laws in place. This means if you give alcohol to your guests and someone leaves the party drunk and causes an accident, you could be liable for damages or bodily injury to any third party hurt in the accident. Limit the alcohol you serve, take keys, and don’t be afraid to cut someone off and call a cab if they have too much.

Remember, barbecues and parties are supposed to be fun. Keeping things casual and letting your guests bring food or drinks will help you enjoy your friends and the party.