25 Healthy Summer Brunch Ideas
There is nothing more beautiful than the opportunity to spend time outdoors, sampling delicious foods and drinks and spending ample time with the people with whom we are closest. In the spirit of all of these things, and keeping with the concept of sharing food and drink, why not host an outdoor summer brunch to bring all of these fabulous items? Better yet, why not serve your guests all items from the “healthy” category, thus ensuring that your outdoor brunch is not only delicious but good for them, too?Here we have laid out our best and most helpful tips for hosting a healthy eating-themed outdoor summer brunch, sure to have your guests feeling satisfied and all of your hearts’ content. You can also find even more great ideas on our Outdoor Summer Brunch Ideas Pinterest board.
10 Tips on Creating a Healthy Brunch Menu
Healthy is a current trend, but one that is likely here to stay. Help your guests gets get acquainted with healthy eating and the best and freshest foods of summer with recipes that embody the most nutritious of focuses. You want your guests to consume only items that have not been pre-packaged with preservatives or overly-saturated with unhealthy ingredients, and achieving that is easier than you think.Simple tips for turning any menu into a completely healthy one:- Write out a list of all of your guests and any dietary restrictions those individuals might have. Count up the members of your guest list so that you know how much food you will need to prepare.
- Make a list of you favorite summer brunch menu items, items you would love to serve your guests (and enjoy having for yourself).
- Highlight any items on your menu that are made with excessive amounts of sugar, come from pre-packaged goods or that contain preservatives—anything that isn’t fresh. If it isn’t a fresh fruit, fresh vegetable, freshly prepared sauce or dressing, or a freshly-made baked item crafted from top-quality ingredients, it doesn’t make the cut.
- Research and find non-preservative-filled or fresh replacements for any un-fresh menu items or ingredients, making swaps such as applesauce for cooking oil in baking.
- Rewrite your menu using only the freshest, healthiest options for each menu item.
- Source those healthy items and ingredients from your local grocery or food market—choosing organic produce and items made from organic produce would be preferable wherever possible.
- Have your guests bring an item to pass—making your healthy outdoor summer brunch event a potluck—and be sure that your guests understand the theme. They should only bring items that fit the healthy eating concept to keep the fun going.
- Send out invitation emails or cards explaining the theme and how to stick with it. Make it easy for your guests. Explain that everyone should bring an item made from fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, spices and natural elements. You will all be amazed at the delicious flavor combinations you can create using only the freshest ingredients.
- Afraid your guests might all opt for “healthy” versions of sweets? Break your guest list up into groups and assign each group a type of dish—breakfast items, salads, fruit-based, vegetable-based, grilled items, baked goods, health-conscious sweets, etc.—so that there are fewer duplicates.
- Make sure you have something for everyone, accommodating all dietary plans—gluten-free, dairy-free, non GMO, vegetarian, vegan, etc. If you have a guest that needs gluten-free or dairy-free options, having items that are all fresh (no baked elements, including veggies or fruits and tossed in herbs or other spices) will make it so that he or she can indulge in the healthy fun, too.
10 Decorating Tips for an Outdoor Summer Brunch
If you are going to serve your guests nothing but the best in terms of food quality, it seems only right that you should also decorate with the best, too. These tips will help you make your event one to remember.- Choose organic or eco-friendly linen tablecloths in the best and brightest hues of summer.
- Utilize reusable plates and cutlery, eco-friendly drinking glasses and washable linen napkins to keep with the earth-friendly, healthy concept.
- Decorate with plenty of fresh, bright, colorful flowers to adorn your tables.
- Set those flowers in mason jars and other reusable, repurpose-able containers, and allow guests to take those arrangements home with them to double as party favors.
- Light eco-friendly candles around your outdoor event space, adding a little extra magic to your outdoor brunch event décor.
- Embellishing your outdoor summer brunch location with plenty of fresh, earth-friendly items will truly bring your healthy brunch theme to life.
- Use naturals like potted plants, a floral garden or other green decorative items already found on your patio or in your garden to accent your event décor.
- Provide plenty of places for recycling and trash disposal (clearly labeled, of course) to make disposing of used items easier—this will help keep your space clean and beautiful throughout the healthy outdoor summer brunch party.
- Place bowls of fresh fruits and vegetables around the event space for added pops of natural color.
- Set healthy eating dishes in the middles of each eating table so that the potluck-style dishes double as decorations.
5 Entertainment Ideas for a Summer Brunch
It would not be a party without entertainment, and your entertainment should always match your event theme to help give that theme authenticity. Host games such as these to help keep your guests in the healthy eating mood:- Best healthy eating flavor combination—give out a prize for what your guests vote is the best combination of healthy item flavors.
- Most creative healthy eating dish—the person who brings the most creative dish made from only the freshest, preservative-free foods wins.
- Best healthy eating twist to a traditional brunch favorite—award the individual who brings the best “favorite-brunch-item-turned-healthy,” because nothing makes a delicious dish taste better than making it as good for you as it is flavorsome.
- Most beautiful healthy eating dish presentation—the guest who brings the most elegantly plated dish wins something fun.
- Most exciting healthy eating recipe card—have each guest bring recipe cards with their healthy recipe written out, allowing each guest to take his or her stack of recipes home as a party favor (and an easy reminder to eat healthy!). The individual who brings the most exciting recipe card design should get a reward.
Remember This When Planning a Healthy Brunch!
Not everyone is on board with trends like completely healthy eating or any other somewhat restrictive dietary program. Remember to promote the fresh flavors of summer as you host and plan your brunch event so as not to make any of your guests feel uncomfortable. After all, this brunch is about delicious, fresh, summery foods more than anything else. The healthy eating part is just an added bonus.More Articles You Might Like:
Outdoor Party Ideas for Summer Events in Boston
Outdoor entertaining during the summer months comes about for a variety of reasons, and this is especially true in a beautiful, historical city such as Boston. Here we have compiled our best tips for how to host an outdoor party at home this summer, perfect for planning an outdoor event in your backyard no matter what you’re celebrating.
How to Host an Outdoor Party
Several elements of hosting a party—either indoor or outdoor—are relatively universal, such as selecting a date and time for your outdoor party event. Once you have chosen the when, highlight the reason for the outdoor celebration—be it an outdoor cocktail reception, outdoor BBQ picnic, outdoor brunch, or some other outdoor gathering—and be sure that your guests know exactly why you’re hosting the event.Once the preliminaries have been established, choose the theme, menu, decorations and entertainment. These elements completely customize every detail of the event planning process, helping you take your outdoor event ideas and truly bring them to life.Selecting a Theme for Your Outdoor Summer Party
Regardless of the occasion for your Boston-area outdoor party, the theme should match your event. Here are a few outdoor event theme ideas perfect for a variety of party occasions:- Outdoor cocktail receptions—create sophisticated fun in chic outdoor fashion: casino night, roaring 20’s, Hollywood gala
- Outdoor birthday parties—fit the theme to the person of honor, and don’t forget to have fun: Mexican fiesta, tropical luau, sports or sports teams
- Outdoor BBQ picnics—the sky is the limit with this category: Wild West, southern flare, backyard campout, a keep-it-local bash of local foods and drinks
- Outdoor brunch ideas—classy, summer fun abounds: garden party, a day at sea, make-your-own stations
- Outdoor engagement parties—think romantic, summery and fun: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wine tasting event, clam bake/seafood buffet
Themed Décor for an Outdoor Party
Decorating becomes infinitely easier after you’ve chosen a theme for your backyard outdoor party event. Go all-out with your décor to fully immerse your guests in the themed experience, incorporating roulette tables, card games, flashing lights and dark velvet backdrops for a casino-themed party or twinkling strands of lights, pastel-hued paper lanterns and plenty of flowers for a Midsummer theme, for example.An important decorating note: the idea that “less is more” does not apply when transforming your backyard into a themed experience, which means that you are allowed to go above and beyond what you would normally use for decorating your event space. The more elements you incorporate into your themed décor, and the more aspects of your backyard you convert to match your theme, the better the overall experience will be for all in attendance.Setting Up A Backyard Outdoor Party
If transforming your backyard into an event space worthy of remembering seems like a daunting task, we assure you that it will be easier than you think. Here are six steps to setting up your backyard for an outdoor party:- First and foremost, know your guest count and set up ample seating and tables to accommodate them all.
- Cover tables with theme-colored or theme-inspired tablecloths and dress them with theme-appropriate décor.
- Set up tables near your house, preferably in the shade or on the porch (if you have one) to hold food and drink items.
- If you’re providing the food for the outdoor party yourself, be sure to have appropriate warming dishes for hot food and cooling containers for cold items.
- Gather plenty of theme-colored or theme-inspired dinnerware, plates, napkins and cups (and if you’re interested in making your party an eco-friendly one, see our blog post).
- Finish your preparations by decorating your backyard event space—including walls, fences, sitting areas, dance areas, entertainment items, porches and railings, etc.
Add a Theme-Inspired Menu and Entertainment to Your Outdoor Boston Event
One of the most effective methods for bringing an event’s theme to life is to carry that theme throughout your menu offerings and entertainment options. Once you have selected a theme, such as an outdoor tropical luau for an outdoor birthday party, keep that theme in mind as you choose the foods your guests will enjoy. Selecting matching tropical items such as fruit skewers, pulled pork, sweet potato chips and fresh salads will allow your guests to sample a little piece of the islands as they enjoy the outdoor birthday festivities.When planning the entertainment for your backyard outdoor party, make sure that your activities, games, entertainers, music and more all match the overall feel of your event. For example, here are some themed menus and themed entertainment pairs for your backyard party:- Wild West BBQ and country music band
- Mexican fiesta and piñata
- Tropical luau and a hula dancing competition
- Wine tasting event and wine-based taste test
- Casino night and magicians
- Campout and a make-your-own gourmet s’mores bar
How to Host a Green Event
Anyone can host a party or event, but creating a gathering that is eco-friendly probably seems like an entirely different undertaking.
Whether you are strongly supportive of conservation efforts, or just simply hoping to throw an earth-friendly bash of which you can be proud, going “green” in your party planning is easier than you think. We have used our unrivaled experience in the catering and event planning industry to compile our top tips to hosting a green event, making your green party planning efforts an easier-than-ever success.Throwing a Green Party
It starts with an eco-friendly vision. Entertaining requires both passion and vision, and entertaining with environmentally-friendly practices takes additional planning. Keep these items in mind as you prepare for your eco-friendly party:- Locally-grown, locally-crafted and locally-sourced food and drink items
- Environmentally-friendly party decorations
- Energy-conscious lighting, heating/cooling, grilling and entertainment options
- Minimizing waste, utilizing sustainable options and recycling where possible
Eat, Drink and Be Local!
One of the easiest ways to “green” an event is to keep your food and drink local. This means purchasing locally-grown produce, sourcing locally-raised meat products and drinking locally-crafted beverages throughout your event. Keeping your food and drinks local incurs fewer costs—monetary and environmentally. Local products use less resources to preserve, package, ship, store and distribute than those that come from farther away. Purchasing local goods is also environmentally-friendly because it reduces the amount of gasoline burned in the shipping process. Those goods come from local farmers and craftsmen, meaning your money is spent boosting your local economy.Get Environmentally-friendly Party Decorations
Consider using eco-friendly décor when setting up your green party space. Purchase decorations made from 100% recycled goods, or, better yet, utilize natural products like flowers, greenery, potted plants, whole fruits and vegetables and other live or edible items to enhance your earth-friendly party. Flowers, especially those that are potted, and other greenery are great because they can double as eco-friendly party favors, living past their uses as party-time decorative items. Whole fruits and vegetables placed in bowls throughout the event space add color to your “green” décor, can be utilized as earth-friendly party munchies and are easily taken home to be used for meals or snacks.Seek Energy-conscious Lighting, Grilling and Entertainment Options
Every party or event requires a variety lighting, heating/cooling, entertainment and sometimes even grilling options. Consider these eco-friendly ideas:- Energy-conscious lighting—utilize natural lighting as much as possible. Move your party outdoors to a patio or porch, or employ energy-efficient light bulbs throughout your home and event space to minimize energy usage.
- Energy-conscious grilling—avoid lighter fluids, clean your grill regularly and use sustainable bamboo chips in place of charcoal to reduce carcinogens and obtain great flavor.
- Energy-conscious entertainment—gather items you already have to create your party entertainment. Play cards, have a game of touch football or softball in your backyard or do something earth-friendly—like planting trees or picking up trash at a local park—to keep your eco-friendly event guests entertained.
Minimizing, Utilizing and Recycling
Minimize the amount of waste at your party by utilizing sustainable dinnerware and party products (items that can be reused or recycled). Ask guests to carpool, ride bikes or walk to minimize the amount of gasoline burned en route to your eco-friendly event. Recycle as much as possible, setting out well-labeled containers for plastics, metals, glass, papers and food waste. If possible, compost your food waste for added sustainable party practices.Visit our Green Party Pinterest board for even more green inspiration!More Articles You Might Like
Wedding Place Settings
Spring is on its way, bringing with it the excitement of plenty of spring and summer weddings.If you’re one of the lucky ones getting married this spring, or if you’re helping to plan the wedding of someone who is, you know that table decorations and place settings can be a big wedding planning stressor.They don’t have to be, though, especially when you have a base from which to start building your dream wedding place setting designs. We’ve created this guide to 2014 Wedding Place Settings to help you find the perfect place settings for your upcoming wedding celebration.
What Type of Wedding Place Setting Do You Need?
When planning your perfect wedding place settings for your wedding tablescapes, it’s important to keep a few essential items in the front of your mind:- Type of Wedding—traditional, cultural, destination, 1st vs. 2nd wedding, etc.
- Type of Food Service—plated sit down, casual, buffet-style, chef action station, etc.
- Themes and Colors—beach party, winter white, rustic, color schemes, etc.
- Wedding Décor—florals, lighting, entertainment, etc.
- Functionality—the must-haves for guests to enjoy your wedding meal
Event Spotlight: High Wire Doughnuts
Our client approached us wanting a creative, quirky and cocktail-style breakfast party. We were immediately excited to get started on this event!The client wanted a really fun and imaginative way to display doughnuts because the guest of honor loved doughnuts. So, we brainstormed possible ways to display these tasty breakfast treats and dubbed the event “High Wire Doughnuts”.The BG team constructed a “high wire” custom copper display unit where we hung dozens of doughnuts for guests to admire…and eat!Since it was clear this wouldn’t be a typical breakfast event, we wanted to add even more interesting ways to display our food. In lieu of the typical fruit display, we created a fun, deconstructed Berry Bar by filling vintage apothecary jars with fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.What the client really loved about this event was the juxtaposition of the modern white and plexi with the vintage jarsThe menu included tray-passed breakfast hors d’oeuvres, which were as inspiring as they were delicious. They included:
- Petite Chicken and Waffles
- Mini Potato Latkes
- Sausage and Biscuits
- Baked Eggs in Mini Bacon Cups
- Caramelized Onion and Egg Quesadillas
- Hanging Homemade Doughnuts
- Fresh Berry Bar
- Yogurt and Granola Panna Cotta
16 Great Olympic Party Ideas
It’s Winter Olympics time, and though we’re not in Sochi, that doesn’t mean we can’t have our own Olympic fun back here.The Olympics are a rare and wonderful occasion, and one we believe should be celebrated, so we are sharing our top 16 favorite Olympic party ideas with you right here.
Serve International Cuisine
Of course this would make our list; we love international cuisine! There are so many ways you can work your Olympic party menu. Here are a few suggestions:- Russian. Russian? Yes, Russian, and not only because they’re hosting! Typical Russian cuisine might include: shashlyk, pirozhki or syrniki. And, of course, you can’t forget the vodka.
- Eastern Europe or Middle Eastern cuisine. Sochi is right across the Black Sea from the Eastern Europe countries, and it’s also a neighbor to the Middle East. Concentrate on either of those cuisines for your party.
- Food from around the world. Take your guests throughout all different parts of the world with sushi, Moroccan food, Ethiopian food, Peruvian food, Polish food, Thai food and more!
- Global potluck. Have each guest bring a different dish from any country of his or her choosing to the party. Or, to ensure there aren’t duplicates, assign a country to each guest and ask each to bring a dish representative of that culture to the table!
Mix Olympic Rings-Colored Cocktails
Cocktails are one of our favorite ways to transform an event. In fact, our Dr!nk bartending team is one of the leading cocktail and bartending services in Boston! We recommend serving up drinks and cocktails in any of the Olympic ring colors, such as these classics:- Blue: Blue Sapphire martini (served with blue Curacao, Bombay Sapphire gin and dry vermouth)
- Black: Guinness or any dark stout beer
- Red: Bloody Marys
- Yellow: lime margaritas, frozen or on the rocks
- Green: mojitos (ok, these aren’t necessarily green, but when you use enough mint leaves, they sure look like it!)
Plan Fun and Games
What’s an Olympics-themed party without some fun and games? You can do a variety of things for your at-home Olympic competition, and we have a few fun suggestions for you:- Beer Olympics. Teams split up, each representing a country, and compete in various drinking games, such as cards, darts and pong.
- Have your party at an ice skating rink. Hold speed skating races or “figure skating” contests where you give participants a list of easy tricks to try and complete.
- Have your party outside in the snow where you can have actual winter games and activities. Instead of snowboard or skiing, you can build snowmen or snow forts and gives prizes to the best creations.
Make Edible Medals
At your party, you can give away edible medals to either the winners of whatever competitions you hold or to everyone who attended your party. You can make your medals out of string or ribbon and any round, cookie-like food! Bake different cookies for a variety of medals, or add food coloring to your cookie dough so you can giveaway gold, silver and bronze-colored cookie medals.Hold Cooking Contests
Don’t want to hold any athletic competitions for your Olympic party? No problem. If there’s one thing that brings people together, it’s food. Why not turn your party into a cooking competition? You can either ask guests to bring their best fill-in-the-blank recipe (i.e. chili, pizza, mac ’n’ cheese…) or you can make it a cook-off and provide the kitchen and equipment for everyone to “throw-down” their best recipe right then and there. The winner could go home with one of your edible gold medals!There are so many more great party ideas that we think you'll love. Like these:5 Awesome Oscar Party Ideas
Are you thinking about hosting an Oscars-themed party? Invite a group of friends and family over and tune in on to see which stars will go home with a coveted statue.
Oscar Party Idea #1: Make it an Old Hollywood Glam Party
Reminisce with a glamorous Old Hollywood-themed party. This event’s décor would include lots of movie reels, statues, the colors black and gold and plenty of feathers. Think 1920s and the art deco phenomenon.Libations: champagne toast followed by cocktails (martinis and mint juleps!)Red Carpet Recipe Ideas: Seafood, such as crab-stuffed mushrooms or lobster ravioliOr, get a bunch of menu inspiration from these sample menus right here.Oscar Party Idea #2: Predict the Winners
Print out a list of all of the categories and nominees and give one to each guest. Hand out pens or pencils with each list and ask guests to predict who they think will win the Oscar. At the end of the night, tally up everyone’s scores and give away your own Oscar statue to the guest who made the most correct predictions!Want to make your own statue? Paint a male doll solid gold and glue it to a stand. Or, if you would rather make edible statues, whip up a batch of sugar cookies using a cookie cutter in the shape of a statue. Use frosting to glue the sugar cookie to a round chocolate cookie which will serve as the stand.Oscar Party Idea #3: Pick Your Favorite Movie and Theme Your Party
Was your favorite nominated movie Captain Phillips? Center your party theme on it by turning your house into a nautical wonderland. Serve up some seafood and fruit cocktails, too.Maybe you want to set your party in the late-70s after Oscar-nominated American Hustle. Recreate that world in your own home with plenty of sparkles, sequence and the appropriate music. Serve plenty of cocktails and rich finger foods. Maybe even dust off the fondue pot and serve up that 70s classic!Gravity is also nominated for Best Picture. Give your party a whole new atmosphere when you decorate your house like outer space after this Sandra Bullock and George Clooney hit.It doesn’t matter what movie you choose; all you have to do is get creative!Oscar Party Idea #4: Construct a Popcorn Buffet
Maybe you don’t want to incorporate an entire theme for your casual get together, but would still like to do something special for your party. Try creating a popcorn buffet with different flavored popcorn varieties. Some crowd favorites include caramel corn, cheddar cheese popcorn and buttered popcorn, but don’t be afraid to get creative. Mix some M&Ms into one bowl of popcorn. Offer different popcorn seasonings. Make a batch of spicy chipotle popcorn or upscale chocolate and praline popcorn. It’s easy to make your own seasonings or add your own goodies to a batch of popcorn. Simply separate your flavors in big bowls on your buffet table and let guests come up and try whatever combination they think looks delicious!Bonus: in lieu of standard small bowls, give each guest a popcorn tub or box to use just like the movie theaters do. Serve other movie theater favorites like sodas and candy. You could even provide a candy table with Twizzlers, Snow Caps, Sour Patch Kids, Peanut M&Ms and other popular movie theater candy.Oscar Party Idea #5: Come as Celebrity Couples (or Singles)
Ask guest to come dressed as their favorite actors. Couples can dress as famous Hollywood couples, and your guests’ actors don’t have to be limited to just those in attendance at this year’s Oscars. Go back to the beginning of Hollywood time—and get creative! Have your guests try and guess who each person is, or, if you’re having a large party, provide nametags for each guest so that everyone will know which “actors” are in attendance.Décor should still center on cinema, but instead of having an Old Hollywood party, turn your house into a modern red carpet movie premiere.At this rate, we will still be in a winter wonderland come Oscar time. Consider incorporating some of our 10 Winter Party Ideas into your Oscar viewing party!Keep guests warm and cozy with one of our six warm winter cocktails!Of course, TONS more wonderful Oscar party ideas can be found on our Oscars party Pinterest board.Top 10 Backyard Wedding and Reception Tips
If you’re thinking about hosting your wedding and/or reception in your backyard, we have some great tips for you.
Here are our best backyard wedding ideas, tricks and answers, whether you’re getting married here in Boston or elsewhere.Elegant Backyard Wedding Ideas
1. Plan it. Backyard weddings are a great way to save money on the venue space, although you must remember that you’ll need to consider many things before you can commit to this idea. First question: Do you or your parents have a backyard big enough for your wedding? To answer this, you must think about your guest list and about what type of reception you would like to have. Do you envision a plated dinner or a buffet? Passed hors d’oeuvres and cocktail bar or grilled picnic food? Each type of reception comes with different capacities. Will you also be hosting your ceremony in the backyard, or just the reception? You’ll need even more space if you’re hosting both.Tip: Talk to a rental company or a catering company—yes, we can help answer these questions!—before you make this decision. They will know how much space you will need to set up tables, booths and a dance floor to accommodate your guest count, and will likely suggest different catering options that best meets your visions and space constraints.2. Prep it. If you have at least 8 weeks’ time, you should be ready to prep the backyard. If you’re hosting a backyard wedding in the summer, great! Nature can take care of most of your décor costs—although you’re going to have to help it along. Plant your gardens this year with your event design and layout in mind. It will be difficult, though, to get your gardening in order without knowing where everything will go.Here’s a great tip: talk to your wedding planner, rental company or caterer about the event layout before you do any work. Sometimes there are tables and prep areas that our clients forget to take into consideration or new layout ideas we come up with to maximize the space when we visit the site.3. Theme it. Whether you’re looking for a simple backyard wedding or an elaborate, elegant wedding design, your theme will drive most of the aesthetic decisions from here on out. Sophisticated country? Vintage? Rustic? Whimsical? Every theme comes with different flowers, photo frames, centerpieces, chairs, linens, catering choices and more.4. Tent it. This is one of our biggest recommendations.We largely recommend this: rent a tent! Not only will this come in handy should there be a little inclement weather on the day of your wedding, but it also provides you with much needed shelter from things as simple as too much sun or a light breeze (think of your delicate decorations on the tables…you don’t want them to tip, break or blow away!), gives you privacy and adds decorating opportunities (see: light it up). Trust us when we say tents are great for backyard weddings large and small.5. Dance floor it. What’s a backyard wedding reception without a dance floor? Lots of holes in the grass, that’s what. Be kind to all those women in high heels and those poor blades of grass growing in the danger zone, and rent a dance floor for guests to use in lieu of just a grassy area or even a patio or deck. You’ll want something flat and smooth.Hint: this is definitely a recommendation that’s right up there with renting a tent on the must-do list.6. Light it up. A huge perk of a backyard wedding is that you can light up this space with as many (or as few) beautiful strands of lights as you could possible want—and you can begin the stringing as early as you need to since no one else is renting your event space. We suggest stringing lights throughout the ceiling of the tent and wrapping them around trees. Consider hanging or placing even more lights, Chinese lanterns and candles on chairs, tables, trees and other natural shrubbery. Wedding lighting is worth the upgrade almost every time. Take a look at these photos. What would they look like without such exquisite lighting?7. Rent it. Rent your tables and chairs from a rental company—or through your catering team, who will either rent the equipment themselves or know with whom you should speak for the best styles for your budget. When you rent your equipment, you won’t have to worry about the setup or take down. You just show up, sign on the dotted line and the entire reception will be constructed for you.Huge tip: you will not regret this help on your wedding day. Also worth considering is the temperature. Are you hosting your wedding on the hottest day of the year? Consider renting equipment that will help cool down your guests so that no one gets too hot and uncomfortable. If you’re hosting a late fall backyard wedding and the evenings are known to cool down, there are plenty of attractive looking heater options you can also rent from your rental company. Another big tip: temperature controlling equipment is always a good idea.8. Personalize it. It’s your backyard—let people know! Personalize your backyard wedding with the kind of intimate details only a backyard wedding could afford. Hang Polaroids of you two from the tent or on the backs of your chairs. Showcase your baby photos and engagement photos. Display your parents’ and grandparents’ wedding photos around the backyard or frame them for a side table. Decorate the tent, the trees and the tables with memorabilia that is special to you two. Don’t forget about the inside, either. In the bathroom, for instance, leave something special, like perfume and cologne, mouthwash and floss and other toiletries along with framed photos of either wedding-related things or photos of you and your fiancé. Turn the living room and kitchen inside the house into a shrine commemorating your relationship. This day is all about you.9. Separate it. Depending on how much room you have to work with, consider creating different "areas" or zones in your backyard. For example, incorporate a casual seated area away from the dance floor and tables that provides guests a little bit of intimacy.10. Game it. With an outdoor wedding—and one in your backyard, nonetheless—you get to host games and entertainment your way. Set up a couple of lawn bag or cricket games. Guests can play while they wait for you to finish your photos or while they have a cocktail. As long as the sun is still out and the music’s not dance-material, your guests will be looking for something to do.Tip time: take a look at your guest list and make note of how many children will be at your reception. Consider a small children’s tent or game area. Backyards without fences might lead to wandering children, but the more occupied they are by fun and games, the less likely they’ll be to wander into trouble.11. Remember it. Come up with creative ways to remember your wedding day. The obvious is to hire a photographer, which probably seems as though it’s a must-do. We agree. Document as much of that day as you can. Also consider hiring a videographer, renting a photo booth, setting up a photo or video guest book and more. More creative guest book ideas for backyard weddings can be found here.We hope you think these backyard wedding ideas are useful! Even more useful, though, might be our biggest backyard wedding planning tips. For your reference, we have laid out our biggest tips from within each backyard wedding idea right here:- Tell your catering or rental company your guest count and ask them to visit the site before you decide your yard is big enough for your ceremony and/or reception.
- Talk to your vendors before you plan your garden so that you can incorporate this year’s design into the event’s layout.
- Rent a tent!
- Get yourself a real dance floor. Decks and patios aren’t stable or comfortable enough.
- You will never regret the setup and teardown help of a respectable rental company.
- Rent equipment to cool down or heat up your outdoor area.
- Give the children something to occupy them, or risk little wanderers.
10 Winter Party and Wedding Ideas and Themes
We’ve scoured the web for our favorite winter-themed party ideas and winter wedding themes, as well as perused through our repertoire of winter-themed weddings and events, and brought them all together for you right here.
Now that the holidays are over and we’ve rung in the New Year, no one wants to see another red and green party for at least ten months. But, even though we’re holiday-partied-out, we can still enjoy ourselves this year with these awesome winter party theme ideas and any of these winter party tips. Or, we can get a jump start on planning a beautiful winter wedding and reception for a year or two to come.Winter Party Ideas and Winter Wedding Themes
Ski Chalet. This theme is very wintery, cozy and chic. Incorporate elegant, natural pieces and rustic, sophisticated wooden accents. Fireplaces are a plus, so if your venue has one, feature it prominently.- Menu: Hearty stews, such as rabbit or beef, with a s’mores bar for dessert
- Drinks: Craft beers and red wine
- Décor: Acorns, pine trees, winter wreaths, snowy branches and other ski resort décor
- Menu: White fish, shrimp, crab or lobster with veggies
- Drinks: White wine
- Décor: White everything!
- Menu: A sophisticated surf-and-turf menu with cold seafood appetizers and hot hors d’oeuvres, such as this fire and ice appetizer
- Drinks: Two specialty cocktails, such as drinks with Fireball Whiskey or Blue Curacao
- Décor: A single event space divided into two distinct areas, one featuring fiery reds and the other frosty blues
- Menu: Soups, stews and chowders
- Drinks: Winter lagers and warm cocktails. Hot toddies, mulled wine and other warm cocktails from this list of warm winter cocktails
- Décor: Deep reds, browns and purples with candles and votives throughout the entire event space
- Menu: Roasted or deep-fried game, such as turkey or pheasant
- Drinks: White and red wine, craft beer
- Décor: Pine green with plenty of pinecones, acorns and other forest-inspired elements
- Menu: Mediterranean-inspired dishes with pastas and fresh herbs
- Drinks: A classy selection of red and white wines with a dessert wine for after-dinner drinks
- Décor: Elements of oak and deep reds with plenty of candles and candelabras
- Menu: Roast duck
- Drinks: Champagne upon arrival, but also classic cocktails such as martinis, cosmos and Manhattans
- Décor: Sparkles, glitter, sequins and a big ball to “drop” at midnight
- Menu: Hearty menu items, though this event’s feature will be the sweets table with a variety of cakes, tarts, pies, cheesecakes and candies
- Drinks: White wine, dessert wine and cocktails such as gin and tonic
- Décor: Bring the outside in with snow-covered shrubbery, benches, light posts and other outdoor fixtures
- Menu: Mashed potato bar and beef tenderloin carving station
- Drinks: Something warm, like Irish coffee, and mulled wine at dinner
- Décor: Lots of white, obviously, incorporating furry blankets, seat cushions and pillows into the décor to make it functional and warm as well as beautiful
- Menu: Passed appetizers leading up to a plated dinner of parmesan crusted chicken or Portobello mushrooms
- Drinks: Full, premium bar
- Décor: Black and ivory, in a chic striped, chevron or other simple, decorative pattern, paired with assorted florals and elegant centerpieces on each table
All of these ideas and more can be found on our Winter Party Theme Ideas Pinterest board. For more winter party and wedding ideas, warm up your guests by serving one of these six warm winter cocktails!
Company Holiday Party Planning Checklist
In case you’ve decided to throw a last minute holiday party for your company, or, if you’re halfway through the party planning process and you want to make sure you’ve thought of everything, we have compiled a checklist of universal company holiday party planning guidelines.We’ve made the list, now you can check it twice! Make sure that all of your bases are covered, and you’ll give your organization one heck of a time—with very little stress on your part.If you like searching Pinterest, we've got even more ideas on our Company Holiday Party Planning Checklist board.
- Decide on the type of party you’ll be throwing. Will it be company-wide? Extravagant? Casual? Employees, plus-ones and spouses only? Are clients invited, too?
- Create a budget. This might already be established by the bosses.
- Make a guest list. This will be based on the first item in the checklist.
- Set a date. If you’re just getting to this, those red hot party dates are probably tough to solidify with caterers and venues. Work with your venue and/or caterer to choose an available date and timeframe. If the desirable Fridays and Saturdays are already spoken for, try hosting your company’s holiday party on a Thursday evening instead.
- Select a venue. This should be done in accordance with the previous step, since available dates will be hard to come by. That is, of course, unless you’re hosting at the boss’ house or at your office.
- Select a caterer. Again, this should be done ASAP to ensure that the best available caterers have ample ingredients and the appropriate staff to make sure your holiday party is a success.
- Choose hosts and/or speakers. Look within your company first. If no one comes to mind, consider asking a recently retired individual to whom everyone looked up or really enjoyed having around the office/building.
- Pick a theme. Now this is the fun, creative part. Come up with a theme, such as White Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Candy Land or Gothic Holiday. This theme will provide the foundation for the rest of the creative planning process.
- Plan your entertainment. What goes with your holiday theme? If you’re considering a live band or DJ, you might be a little late to capture the top entertainers. Try asking around the company to see if anyone is in a band outside of work, or has a friend, son, cousin, etc. who would be willing to entertain. Also consider asking local children’s choirs or community groups to perform. If you don’t want a big entertainment act, plan several smaller interactive activities, which just happens to be one of our hot company party trends right now.
- Decide on the dress code. Formal, casual or somewhere in between? Make this decision based on the theme, venue and budget, and relay this information to guests via the next step of the planning process.
- Formal attire is one way to dress up your evening, but make sure your decor and theme matches the level of sophistication if you're asking guests to get all dolled up!
- Casual attire is great for holiday parties with tons of activities and games and for events with lower budgets.
- Create and send out your invitations. The invitations should reflect the holiday party’s theme as well as the dress code. To remove doubt from guests’ minds, be sure to let them know that if it’s a formal event, you’re expecting bowties and gowns and vice versa.
- Plan a holiday menu. Work with your caterer to create the best possible menu fitting both your theme and your budget. Some caterers already have holiday menu themes, which are helpful for those planning well in advance or at the last minute.
- Plan the bar. Will you offer premium, top-shelf bar service? Will you need more than one bar? Will you have a specialty cocktail based on your theme? Your caterer can help you answer all of these questions and many more. Or, head to our dr!nk page for some help right now.
- Schedule a site visit. You’ll want to do this with your venue coordinator and invite your vendors and caterer along. This will give everyone involved the opportunity to judge what the best event design and set up will be, as well as help your vendors pre-plan for all deliveries, including dock space, number of stairs and back room or kitchen space.
- Decide on awards and recognitions. Many successful holiday parties incorporate a yearly review or recap, which usually involves recognizing individuals, teams or the entire company for a job well done. Use this annual opportunity to recognize the key contributors to the company’s success handing out any plaques, trophies or awards your higher-ups deem appropriate.
- Create an itinerary. Writing out a detailed itinerary, being sure to go over it in detail with your caterer and vendors so that each scheduled delivery is double- and triple-confirmed, will help make the event run much smoother.
- Plan décor, tablescapes and lighting. Some caterers and venues have the ability to take care of all three. Talk with your vendors about planning this portion of the event as they are experts and should be able to complement your event visions perfectly.
- Plan your prizes and favors. Especially if you’ve opted to utilize one of this year’s holiday party trends and have schedule a series of smaller, more interactive entertainment activities, plan on giving guests small tokens by which to remember the evening when they participate in any of the activities. Leave them with party favors, too, when the evening concludes.
- Raffle off gifts that give back. Incorporating some kind of charity into your party itinerary is a classy, respected and increasingly appreciated move. This aspect could be as simple as asking guests to bring something to donate, or as elaborate as giving away gifts purchased from companies that give back through a company raffle.
- Hire a photographer. Documenting your holiday party is a great social media sharing opportunity as well as perfect for email marketing material. Photographs should go up on your company’s website and circulate around the office to help keep spirits up long after the holidays are over.
- Host the party! It’s game time. You’ve planned and planned, and now it’s time to experience! Enjoy all of your hard work.
- Create a follow-up. Feel free to use the photos from the photographer for this part of the post-party process. Your follow-up can be in a newsletter you send to clients, in an email to employees, on social media for everyone to see, or otherwise, of course. Use the party’s success to your advantage by creating a final opportunity to deliver some kind of positive message to company employees and/or clients.
Event Spotlight: Fall-Themed
Our Boston financial district client’s open house event featured some of BG’s most creative catering tricks, including the colors of fall, foods of the season and results of great proportions.Take a look at this successful autumn event theme and catering in the brilliant images below.We began with visions of the fall season, using warm browns and reds as inspiration for tablescapes, layouts and food presentations. The floral design was an important element, elegantly tying natural sophistication into the theme and presentation. We created a customized menu for our client that equally suited its preferences and the event theme. Our resulting menu satisfied both to the extreme!Our stationary and passed hors d’oeuvres menus included:
- An Antipasto Display
- Fiery Pumpkin Dip
- Traditional Hummus
- Grilled Chicken Skewers
- Roasted Tomato Soup Sippers
- Mini Cheeseburger Sliders
- Fingerling Potato Cups
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Warm Pretzel Bites
- Hand-wrapped Salted Caramels
- Chai Spiced Pumpkin Cookies
- Carrot Cake Pops
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
- Apple Pie in a Jar
- Chocolate Bacon Desserts
- Caramel Apples
- Pumpkin Whoopee Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
- Chocolate Whoopee Pies with Orange-dyed Vanilla Filling
20 of Our Favorite Thanksgiving Tablescape and Decorating Ideas
Thanksgiving décor and tablescapes are a big part of many Thanksgiving dinners. Most families spend the afternoon or evening seated at the table, making it a key focal point. As a result, much of the autumn décor effort should be directed here, on the feasting place.Tablescapes are one of our most popular event design elements. With all of the autumn-inspired possibilities, needless to say, Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays for which to decorate.Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving tablescape and décor ideas perfect for this holiday season.Personalized Pumpkins. Mini pumpkins can be used as place setting identifiers. Paint the initials of each guest on a very small pumpkin and place one by each place setting.
Thankful Tree. This centerpiece really gets dinner guests into the Thanksgiving spirit. Have guests write one thing for which they are thankful for on a precut paper leaf. Attached a ribbon and ask each guest to hang his or her leaf on the tree. The tree can then be placed in the center of the table or as a part of the buffet table décor.Hues of Brown and Champagne. These two colors are very complementary and work especially well when put together to create a tablescape. Choose one of them to be your dominating color, probably the champagne, and accent the table with a few brown elements, such as the napkins and the candle holders. Be careful not to go overboard with the accent color, though.Apples and Pears. Use these two fall fruits as your place setting name tags. Choose one or both and place one on top of each butter plate at the table setting. Write each guest’s name on a leaf cutout and tie it around the stem with a small ribbon.Gourd Vases. Carve out a gourd or pumpkin, cutting off the tops to make each one into a vase or bowl. Then fill with fall flowers, grasses and other decorative elements, placing the filled vases along the center of the table.Tree Branches. Tree branches are wonderful accents to any fall tablescape. Collect several leafless branches and bunch them together in sets of tall, clear or colored vases. Place the vases in a line along the center of the table. Also, consider using a single tree branch to grace the tops of each place setting with a name tag tied to each one.Colored Goblets. Instead of traditional, clear wine glasses, use colored wine goblets tinted with autumn shades or the hues of your color scheme to add useful color to the table.Fall Foliage. Some of the best elements of fall décor can be found just outside your home. Collect brightly colored dried leaves to surround your centerpieces. The more vibrant the colors, the more vibrant the tablescape.At the Lodge. Incorporate an outdoorsy-feeling to the tablescape with a lodge theme. Use plaid tablecloths, lots of reds and browns and faux deer antlers as décor when creating the centerpiece. Wooden candle holders would also go well with this design.Bold Chargers. Use boldly-colored chargers to give your table an upscale and elegant look. Just be sure to stick with the tablescape color scheme when doing so.Pinecone Trays. A pinecone is another elegant element of nature that makes for perfect décor and centerpiece elements. Fill vases or bowls or varying sizes with pinecones. These are especially versatile elements because they go with light or dark color schemes and can be used as a centerpiece or as accents to other bolder centerpieces.Napkin Placements. There are so many creative ways to place napkins at each table setting. Roll the napkin up and place in a napkin ring; fold it lengthwise into a long rectangle and let it hang off the table underneath the plate; fold it into a long, skinny stripe and wrap it horizontally around the top plate in the place setting; fold into a 3-D triangle and prop it on top of the place setting…the list goes on and on!Cranberries and Cinnamon. These elements go hand-in-hand—both the colors and the items themselves. Fill vases or centerpieces with cranberries and add tied cinnamon sticks for accents. These two things also make great toppers for place settings, used separately and together.Acorn Décor. Fill vases and small glass jars in varying heights with acorns. Top with mums or other fall-colored flowers and place throughout the table.White Thanksgiving. Create an all-white tablescape, utilizing white in every element from the tablecloth to the plates to the napkins and the candles. If the influx of white is too much, add a pinecone to each place setting with a nametag on it for a single pop of fall color.Picture Frames. Small picture frames can be used as place setting identifiers. Create simple nametags—using your party’s color scheme, of course—to be framed and set in front of each place setting. Use these creative markers to identify where each guest is to sit at dinner.Personalized Cookies. Make or purchase elegant cookies in a variety of fall designs—utilizing shapes such as leaves, acorns, pumpkins, etc.—and stencil the name of each guest onto the cookie in frosting. Put one cookie on each place setting as place markers, and also give them to guests to take home as a Thanksgiving party favor.Caramel Apples. Much like the personalized cookies, individually-wrapped caramel apples can serve as both party favors and place setting tags. Tie a nametag around each elegantly-wrapped caramel apple with a theme-following, color-coordinated ribbon.Pheasant Feathers. Pheasant feathers can offer a fun, elegant twist to traditional Thanksgiving tablescapes and centerpieces. Add the feathers—fake ones are available at many craft stores—to your bouquets of flowers and vases.Mini Menus. One thing that is common throughout many holidays and celebrations is printing out small menus and placing them on each place setting to make guests aware of what’s to come in each course. The mini menus can be designed to fit every theme and centerpiece idea, tying all elements of your Thanksgiving celebration together flawlessly.Event Spotlight: An Awards Night to Remember
We at BG pulled out all of the stops during one of our most recent events, the MIT ALC Awards Dinner.This event was a huge hit, and with such a large crew geared up, we couldn’t have been more excited to give this wonderful client a really super evening.The evening began with the set-up. Our crew arrived on scene and quickly got to work with a briefing of the timeline of events to come.Not long after, the entire team worked together turning this great venue……into the beautifully arranged landscape below.The scene was set, the crew prepped and we were more than ready to produce a night to remember.As the evening began, all 350 guests were invited to mingle in the reception areas.The kitchen was hard at work behind the scenes preparing the delicious cuisine that guests would enjoy later in the evening.We passed and set up stations of hors d’oeuvres throughout the beautiful venue. Our tray-passed hors d’oeuvres menu included Butternut Squash Soup Shooters, Roasted Pumpkin Tartlets with Duck Confit, Garam Masala Chicken on Petite Papadom, and a Manchego, Sliced Fig and Almond Crostini.Our stationary hors d’oeuvres included a Mediterranean display and an Imported and Domestic Cheese display.As the dinner began, we invited guests to take a seat to enjoy a first course of Mixed Greens in a Ficelle Cuff Crouton. Following the salads, guests dined on a duo plate of New England Crab Cakes and Slow Braised Beef Short Rib, Sautéed Haricot Vert, Roasted Root Vegetables with Heirloom Carrots, and Assorted Artisan Rolls.Immediately following the dinner service, guests dined on a delicious Flourless Chocolate Cherry Cake dessert.As the dinner segment of the event wound down, guests tuned in for the presentation portion of the evening honoring those receiving awards.It was a beautiful evening, and one that we hope the MIT ALC Awards guests won’t soon forget. We know our BG team sure won’t!
25 Halloween Party Tips
Halloween is a time to be crafty, and when you’re hosting your own Halloween party, it’s all about the creativity.We’ve scoured the web, our networks and our own planning teams’ experiences to bring you 25 Halloween party suggestions. So here they are, our best Halloween party tips and ideas. And of course, more great Halloween tips can be found on our Pinterest board, Halloween Party Ideas!1. Crafty cakes. Two bundt cake pans are the perfect shape to create a pumpkin cake. After baking them, just flip one upside down and connect the flat parts of each cake with orange frosting. Then, cover the entire pumpkin-shaped cake with orange frosting. Add a little green at the top and a stem (an upside down green colored or frosted ice cream cone works great for this) and you have the perfect pumpkin cake.2. Save a step. Instead of painting a pumpkin white before decorating it with Halloween words and designs, just buy a white pumpkin—which are a real thing and much more popular than you might think!
- White pumpkins are classic, chic decoration for any Halloween party.
- Get creative with cookie cutters and frosting.
- Turn plain candies into edible decorations!
- Chinese lanterns set the Halloween party mood.
- Pumpkins make perfect bowls for dips, punches and soups.
- Go "mad scientist" with plastic syringe shots.
- Candles are some of the most versatile Halloween decorations.
- Even your every day fruits and veggies can wear a costume.
- Dusty, spiderweb-ridden decor can double as part of your bar.
Event Spotlight: Photo Nights Boston—at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama
On October 3rd, Photo Nights Boston held its public photo festival at the Cyclorama in Boston, an event venue operated by the Boston Center for the Arts.Photo Nights Boston, a non-profit organization founded in 2010, promotes photography as a chance to “Project Yourself.” The group supports local photographers and artists throughout the year, culminating in a public photo festival catered by BG Events and Catering.The Cyclorama is a classically beautiful Boston event venue featuring a wide open space that can be dressed to fit any kind of event theme and fit a very large number of guests. Since the benefit was for Photo Nights Boston, we turned the Cyclorama event space into a sleek, industrial city atmosphere using the different regions of Boston as our inspiration.The photos themselves were captured all over the city of Boston, so we decided our menu should reflect the same love for our city. We featured cuisine made famous by geographic location, with examples including North End Italian, Chinatown and Fenway Park.Guests were able to experience Boston’s unique culinary scene through an array of appetizers, hors d’oeuvres and other casual foods.We displayed the food on towering steel shelving throughout the Cyclorama, giving guests ample space to congregate and dine while also supporting our industrial city theme.The lighting crew designed wonderful effects on each food display, creatively mimicking a Boston city night inside our venue.Our signature dr!nk service provided plenty of delicious beverage options and prompt service from bars strategically located throughout the venue.Across the Boston venue, we scattered groups of sleek, white lounge furniture to give guests a place to sit and eat while enjoying the photos and mingling with other photography supporters. Overall, the festival was a huge success, and we can’t wait to work with Boston’s Cyclorama and Photo Nights Boston again!
‘Tis the season! Well, almost.
Some think it’s taboo to start talking “holidays” before we’ve even celebrated Halloween, but event planners have to live in a completely different world when it comes to the holiday season.We live by the “it’s never too soon to plan your holiday party” motto. And you know what? With all of the added responsibilities the fall and winter bring each year, our clients agree!We are now entering primetime holiday event planning mode, with new corporate events, private holiday parties and winter wedding inquiries coming in every day. This year, the holiday event trends are theme-based, and not just your typical “Winter Wonderland” theme done over and over again.With the growth in popular social media sites such as Pinterest, the craving for creative party themes and ideas is everywhere. And it’s super contagious! Having caught the need ourselves, BG Events and Catering crafted three new and unique holiday party theme ideas, and then we formed exclusive themed menus for each one!Three themes for the Holiday Season 2013:Ski Lodge. Think cozy, think warm, think comforting…this holiday party theme centers around comfort foods with creative twists. We’ve reworked the classics into an extravaganza-worthy cuisine and paired our menus with an exquisite, welcoming and snuggly event design. Warm chocolate browns mix with whites and coppers to turn the cold winter night into an intimate and tranquil scene. Finding inspiration in classic Scandinavian design, your event details—from the wood and winter florals right down to the smallest berries—will captivate guests in the moment.Art Deco. This theme is truly alive with the striking characteristics of the Art Deco era. Indulge in your choice of small, elegant platters or a luxurious buffet of decadence. Treat your eyes to the distinctive patterns and emblematic designs of this iconic era, and give your palate a reason to go back for seconds. The Art Deco period is infamous for luxury and extravagance, so give your guests a celebration of which Gatsby himself would be proud (without breaking the bank!).Winter Solstice. Blue, white and silver hues brighten the chill of winter darkness with this holiday party event idea. This vibrant theme honors the winter season and the symbolic occasion marking the longest night of the year, which, in many cultures, is reason enough to host a celebration. We’re bringing that feeling to Boston with creative winter menus and lively holiday décor maximizing the merriment of your event.Bonus: BG Events and Catering is offering a freebie this holiday season. When our clients send in their signed contract within 10 to 15 days of receiving the proposal, they can choose one of the following freebies: cordials with coffee, a specialty cocktail, high tops with linens, LED uplighting or upgraded white Lucite bars. Consider it our holiday gift to you!
How to Host an Oktoberfest Party
Traditional German food, beer, music and general merriment: that’s what Oktoberfest is all about. An Oktoberfest party, to many, is an autumn celebration staple, and we say give the people what they want!Here is how you can host your own Oktoberfest party.Setting the Scene: An Oktoberfest BiergartenOktoberfest is meant to be outside, usually in a biergarten or under a big tent. Setting up a biergarten is much easier than it sounds…a real “garden” isn’t even necessary. Rather, assemble a collection of picnic-like tables in a small outdoor area, cover the area with lights and you’ve set the scene! As for the beer tent, consider renting or borrowing a large tent, fill it with tables and chairs and cover it with lights.
- PARTY TIP: Use strings of white Christmas lights to decorate the biergarten and/or beer tent.
- PARTY TIP: This one is worth repeating. The sturdier the table and chairs, the better (and safer) your party will be!
- PARTY TIP: Your tablecloths and décor will be spilled on, especially since most of the food is eaten with your fingers. Try not to use any cloth favorites when covering the main eating tables.
- PARTY TIP: If you don’t think you can handle all those cookies, then consider giving pretzel necklaces. Simply string small pretzels around a piece of yarn, long enough to dangle loosely from each recipient’s neck. Guests can take a bite whenever they please.
- PARTY TIP: If you want to be as true to the Oktoberfest experience as possible, make a few German beers available, such as Hofbräuhaus, Augustiner and Hacker, all of which should be available at your nearest beverage depot store (and all of which you can sample at your own beer tasting party beforehand!).
- PARTY TIP: Provide printed out or displayed lyrics to the most popular German drinking songs so guests can try to participate in the fun.
How to Host a Beer Tasting Party at Home
We love beer! And we especially love craft beer. There are thousands of craft breweries across the country, ranging from light to dark, and all waiting for your discovery. There’s nothing quite like finding a fabulous new beer, except maybe helping a few friends discover their new favorite brew at your own beer tasting party.For those reasons and more, we’re going to share with you some great tips on how to host a beer tasting at your place.
- Pick a theme. Every good party has a theme—even wine tastings are built around themes—and beer tastings should be no different. Some example themes include: Summer Beers, Light vs. Dark, Oktoberfest or simply a type of beer, like Stout.
- Prepare your beers! It’s best if you’ve had a chance to sample the beers yourself before introducing them to your beer tasting guests. That way you can make suggestions and share some of your notes before they give each one a try. Once you have your theme, pick up plenty of your chosen selections at the nearest beer superstore. TIP: This is where a guest count comes in handy. You’ll want to budget about three tasting servings for every bottle, with a couple of extra bottles in case you have some extra thirsty participants or unexpected guests.
- Good beer glasses are just as important as good beer. Ok, maybe not just as important, but they’re number two on the list. You’ll want to sample each beer in a stem glass, not a pint glass. In the event that you don’t have enough of the proper beer glasses, you can certainly use wine glasses instead. Most households have more wine glasses on hand anyway.
- Create the proper atmosphere. If you ask the experts, they’ll say to create a quiet, calm and focused atmosphere for your beer tasting, but what kind of party would it be if there was no music or liveliness? Here’s how you can compromise: have a separate room or section of the house dedicated to the “tasting” portion of the evening. Switch rooms when it’s time to take that first sip of a new beer, then go back around the food table or into the social area of the house when the tasting is finished.
- The actual tasting. You should use all five senses when tasting a beer. First look, smell, taste and feel. The hearing part comes after the first sip, when you begin to discuss with, and listen to, the other guests’ opinions of their samples!
- Pairing each beer with food. Pairing each beer with a specific food is a classy and fun way to feed guests at your beer tasting party. Cheeses and chocolates are the two most typical beer tasting pairings, but you can’t very well survive a night of beer tasting with just those two edible items. Incorporate a meal, perhaps around those two ingredients—cheese goes on pretty much anything, and chocolate makes for a great ingredient in marinades—somewhere into the evening. Serving the meal after the official beer tasting is usually best.
- Cleanse the palate. This one is big! Cleanse the palate with either water or some kind of bread (crackers will also work) in between each beer for the full tasting experience.
- If hosting a beer tasting is too expensive for your budget, help cut down the cost by asking guests to bring their favorite six-pack to the event and make it a collaborative beer tasting experience. You’ll be challenged with organizing the beers on-the-fly, but it will certainly give you a chance to test out your beer knowledge and hosting skills.
- Organize your beers from light to dark. Start with the light, refreshing beers and move toward those dark, intimidating beers. Even with a light-to-dark line-up, though, you should cleanse the palate in between beers with some crackers or at least a sip of water.
- Sparkling water cleanses the palate even better than still water. It may not be as refreshing to drink, but those bubbles sure do rejuvenate that palate.
- If the budget allows it, send everyone home with a party favor, such as a six-pack, or purchase an extra bottle of beer per each guest (in assorted flavors based on the beers you offered at the tasting) and let people choose which ones they’d like to take home.
- Save the bottle caps. Beer tasting is meant to teach you and your guests which new beers you love (and want to try again). Save the beer caps and give them as souvenirs to those who fell in love with a new beer—and as a reminder of which beer to put in their carts the next time they go to the store.
- Give everyone a pen and paper—or have people pull out their smartphones—to take notes about each beer, ranking its flavor, aroma, appearance and feel. Sometimes saving the bottle caps isn’t enough. You’ll want more detailed notes on what each beer tasted like so you know what to ask for at the bar the next time you feel like having an amber ale.
Outdoor Movie Party Ideas
The nights are warm and inviting, which means it’s the perfect time of year to throw an outdoor movie party! Take a look as we share some tips and ideas for your next (or first!) outdoor movie night.What you’ll need for an outdoor movie party:
- The essentials: projector, screen, movie(s)
- The comforts: seating, blankets, pillows
- The sustenance: refreshments, concessions
- The little things: details to make your night a hit
- Is your party a neighborhood gathering? Then you’ll want to choose a family-friendly movie.
- Is your party a birthday party for kids, or is its purposed to entertain small children? Then you’ll have to go with a rated-G or PG film.
- Is your party for adults-only? Then you’ll have a much broader range of movies from which to choose. You’ll also have a larger number of picky movie critics to please, most likely. For adults-only parties, consider your guest list, and then consult these themes to find out which might best fit the audience:
- Black & White, with movies like A Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront, Rebel Without a Cause
- The Classics, with movies like Cool Hand Luke, The Usual Suspects, The Godfather
- 80s, with movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ghostbusters
- Sports-themed, with movies like Remember the Titans, The Natural, Raging Bull
- Feel like a Kid Again, with movies like Harry Potter, Toy Story (or anything by Disney and Pixar), Shrek
- Academy Award Winners, with movies like Gone with the Wind, Schindler’s List, Gladiator
- Epic Movies, with movies like Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars
- Documentaries, like The Thin Blue Line, When We Were Kings, Bowling for Columbine
- Thrillers and Horror Films, with movies like Psycho, The Shining, Jaws
- Action-packed, with movies like Die Hard, The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction
- Comedy, with movies like Some Like it Hot, Airplane, There’s Something About Mary
- Ladies Night, with movies like Titanic, Terms of Endearment, The Notebook
- Guys Night, with movies like The Sting, Dances with Wolves, The Shawshank Redemption
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Party Ideas and Tips
We’ve nearly reached the beginning of summer, and though the weather might indicate we’re already there, it’s not officially our favorite season until Midsummer arrives. Midsummer is an international holiday celebrated around the various corners of the globe, including the States, and it is frequently looked upon as “the party of the year” in many countries.There are many ways to celebrate Midsummer and Midsummer’s Eve, with the two most popular being first, the traditional Swedish Midsummer celebration, and second, a minor twist on Midsummer, compliments of the great William Shakespeare and his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We’re going to discuss the latter and teach you how to throw a Midsummer Night’s Dream party of which Old Bill himself would be proud.How to Throw a Midsummer Night’s Dream Party:The ingredients are simple; it’s the degree to which you take each that will be the deciding factor in how “fairytale” your party will be. Here’s what you’ll need in order to celebrate Midsummer like the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.Nighttime. This is a simple concept: host the party in the evening so that the magic of nighttime will put your guests in the right Midsummer Night’s Dream-mood.Nature. The forest set the scene for nearly the entire Shakespeare play, and the weather is most cooperative during the month of June. All signs point to having this event outdoors. If you have the option, choose to host the party in or near the woods, but if that is not a possibility, a backyard will do just fine. Just as it’s important for your venue to be amid the beauty of nature, your decorations should reflect natural beauty as well. Consider decorating with lovely white flowers, putting plenty of them on each table and scattered elsewhere throughout the venue.Magic. While the play’s script itself is quite magical on its own, the plot involves a slew of real magical elements. Play up the magic angle with plenty of eye-appealing illusions, such as glittered jars that look like they are full of “fairies,” sparkling lights wrapped around trees, candles that don’t go out when you try to blow them out, lights hanging from fishing wire on trees to make it look like they are floating…and there are plenty more lighting tricks that will make the evening appear magical.Fairy stuff. The play, after all, is about fairies and their mischievous lifestyles. Consider making your party a costumed affair, inviting fairy wings, glitter, more flowers, long flowing dresses and plenty of white garbs. Create a crown of white flowers, which is traditional in typical Midsummer celebrations, that will add to your “fairy-look.”Cuisine. What’s a party without a themed buffet? Serving your guests at a Midsummer Night’s Dream party doesn’t have to be difficult. No chips, no salsa and nothing deep fried for this light and graceful affair. Think elegant finger foods and natural, grown-from-the-ground or picked-from-the-trees ingredients. Your menu could include tea sandwiches (with the crusts cut off!), fresh fruits, sophisticated vegetable-filled salads and plenty of desserts. Desserts, such as small pies, chocolate cakes and anything fruit-related, are necessary. Fairies love sweets!Surprises. At a Midsummer Night’s Dream party, surprises are most welcome. Small prizes, hidden treasures, surprise lighting, a secret garden and a dance floor that appears later on in the night are all welcomed wonders as the party goes on. Try to plan on revealing at least one hidden party element during your party to shock, impress and entertain guests at this decorative and elegant gathering.See some more magical Midsummer event inspiration on our Midsummer Night's Dream Pinterest board, and view the photos below!