Easy Backyard BBQ

A few weekends ago, I hosted a backyard BBQ for my brother and future sister-in-law. They're getting married in October and have quite the diverse bridal party in that their bridesmaids and groomsmen are truly from all walks of their lives -- siblings, friends from high school, and childhood friends. My brother and sister-in-law live in an apartment so don't have the space to host a party for all of their bridal party and family to meet, mingle, and share some food and a few beverages.

In comes me. Why? First, I think it's silly for them to spend a gazillion dollars to book a room at a restaurant and pay for all the food and drinks for people while they're trying to plan a wedding. Just another added expense in my mind. Second, I truly do enjoy hosting and entertaining!

This particular party is going to be easy for me because members of the bridal party are going to bring a lot of the food, but here are a few of the thoughts (and thus, tips) that ran through my mind as I prepare to host this party next week.

Food:
- Keep it simple! Who doesn't love a nice, hot grilled burger or hot dog? Everyone! Get someone to fire up and man the grill and you'll have everyone's bellies full with this easy item.
- Side dishes can often be overwhelming because you want to have a variety. I try to think of all the food groups when planning a menu for any party.

• Meat - you've covered this group with the burgers and hot dogs. 
• Carbs - think about a pasta/macaroni salad. It's basically a guarantee that all of our moms or grandmas have some sort of delicious pasta salad recipe. One of my favorites is my Grandma's Macaroni Salad. I'll highlight this recipe in another post where I'll share a few of my favorite backyard BBQ recipes. 
• Veggies/Fruits -  ask someone to bring a fruit salad and veggie tray. Whether they store buy it or do the work of chopping everything up themselves, these sides are always good to have. Some people feel the guilt of eating meat and carbs and chips and all that jazz, so it's good to lighten it up with some fruits and veggies. If it's the summer, buy a big watermelon and slice however you'd like. This will feed a ton of people and it's an easy grab and go item on your food table. 
• Protein - baked beans! Whether you make them homemade or buy a few cans of Bush's Baked Beans, I love this side item because they're tasty, easy to keep hot (think Crockpot, guys!), and they add a little variety to your plate. 
• Fats (aka the yummy stuff) - chips and desserts. Put any guy (no offense, guys) on picking up a few bags of chips and you're set there. Same thing with desserts. Any man can pick out a few good looking packages of cookies in the bakery section of the grocery store. If you want to get fancy and make something, I love a good cool whip green apple snicker salad (see my post highlighting a few delicious BBQ recipes), especially if it's a hot day. One of my favorites is Watergate Salad. This is a family staple at parties and a totally retro type of dish. It's a mixture of Cool Whip, pistachio pudding, and various fruits. Sounds weird, but is amazingly delish. It's light and refreshing, and makes a perfect BBQ dessert. Try it out for your next party. Recipe can be found in the BBQ recipes post. 
• Drinks -  I always like to provide a variety of drinks at a backyard BBQ. For this particular event, my brother picked up a keg and a few cases of water. We also had a large jug of lemonade and a homemade sangria. If you really want to spice up your lemonade, whip up a jug of what we called "Crick Water" at good ole' Indiana University during my college days. That deliciousness can be deadly! :) (these recipes can be found here: Delicious Drink Recipes). Consider making some sun tea as well. This is a cheap option, but always refreshing on a warm day. Serve with some fresh cut lemons alongside your water, lemonade, and alcoholic options and you've got drinks covered. 

Invitations:

- If you feel you have to send out invites versus just spreading invites to the party using word of mouth, you have options here, too! You can send out a formal paper invite if you'd like but consider FREE electronic formats. Facebook events works great, but not everyone is on Facebook. If you can gather emails for everyone, I've used evites before as well. Super easy and it gathers all your RSVP's for you. I prefer to use evite.com to send out my electronic invites. 

Decor:
- My soon-to-be sister-in-law took care of a lot of the decor for this party, but she kept it simple! She spread disposable white tablecloths over long tables, framed an engagement picture of her and my brother for each table, had a mason jar with simple white flowers, and added a candle in a cute metallic candle holder. Simple, yet beautiful!
- If you're lucky enough to have awesome weather for your outdoor BBQ, think about how you can use the beauty of the outdoors as decor. If you've got pretty potted plants in your yard, place them strategically around your entertainment space to boost your decor. Consider some shepherd's hooks to add some hanging plants to your patio and backyard. If your backyard already has a lot of greenery and landscaping, you don't have to a whole lot!
- Add some fresh flowers to your entertaining space both indoors and outdoors. Flowers and vases can get expensive, so here are a few tips:

• Buy some vases or mason jars from the dollar store.
• Head to your local florist. Sometimes they have "extras" that they purchased for bouquets that they will sell to you at a discount.
• If you have an Aldi near you, they sell flowers (pre-made bouquets and individual bunches) for really cheap! You can put a small arrangement together yourself for much cheaper than buying a bouquet from the grocery store. Here's one I put together recently for another party I hosted. This was put together using 3 or 4 different bunches I got from Aldi. It cost me $12. 

- Candles always add a nice ambience, especially if your backyard BBQ will go into the evening hours. You can buy some tiki torches and also hit up the dollar store for affordable (aka $1!) non-scented votives and candle holders. Use what you've got around the house too if you feel comfortable bringing some of your indoor candles, vases, candlesticks, etc. outdoors. 

There's a lot of info here, but hopefully the takeaway here is that it can all be done fairly easily! Keep your food and decor simple. Backyard BBQ's are casual, so there's no reason your menu has to be complicated and your decor needs to match the simplicity of the event. Enlist the help of others and use what you've already got around your house and yard to help you host the event. I'm confident your next event will go off without a hitch!