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SOYOUWANNA THROW A SUMMER PARTY?

People have many reasons for wanting to throw a party, including:

Your cousin and your best friend would make the cutest little couple but you don't know how to set them up without making it seem like a set-up.
You recently purchased a Grill Master 2000, a red-checkered tablecloth, and five different types of salad dressing.
You need to get drunk. And soon.
You want to see what all of your friends look like in their swimsuits.
All of your friends are too lazy to throw a party, so if you don't do it, no one will.
Reason? Why does there have to be a reason?

You only have one option: you must throw a summer party. We promise not to crash it.

1. CHOOSE A LOCATION

Party Countdown: Three to four weeks before the party

You're probably picture your summer party looking like this: your guests lounging around on folding chairs set up in the grassy backyard, an assortment of tasty foods on the picnic table, you flipping burgers at the grill, floppy chef's hat strategically perched at a rakish angle on your head. While this is a fine (albeit Norman Rockwell-ian) way to throw a summer party, it is by no means the only way. The only requirement for throwing a summer party is that it be summertime; the rest is completely up to you.

The first thing to decide upon is where to hold your shindig. This obviously depends on where you live, but most people can choose from at least one of three options:

A backyard (for people in the suburbs or with big houses)
A local park or beach (if you happen to live near one of these areas)
A rooftop or fire escape (especially good for city-dwellers)

Backyard

If you do own a backyard, it is probably the most convenient place to throw your party. It's private, it's easy for people to find, and if you run out of iced tea you can simply run inside the house and whip up some more. If you have a pool, that's an obvious bonus. Nothing like seeing your friends in their swim trunks and tankinis.

Remember to set the rules of your house early on. If you're aiming to invite lots of people and their friends (some of whom you may not know well), it's a good idea to have signs on the doors (politely) asking people to stay out unless they need to use the bathroom, in which case you or someone you trust can escort them in. If your guest list is small and consists of intimate friends, you might even want to consider planning a portion of the party to take place indoors (for instance, inviting your guests to come inside for coffee and ice cream after it gets dark out).
Clean up your backyard thoroughly… especially if you have a dog that likes to fertilize your grass au naturale. Your friends will have a false sense of security when walking around your backyard, so they probably won't wear shoes. As such, you should make a sweep for glass, pointy rocks, or other nasty surprises.
If you have a pool and people are going to use it, remind your friends to bring a change of clothes so that they don't have to sit in wet swimsuits all day (and they won't drip all through your house). Also have plenty of spare towels and plastic bags handy (for them to bring their wet suits home in).

Local park or beach

If the thought of dozens of people traipsing all over your neatly manicured lawn causes you to clench your fists in horror (or, more likely, if you don't have any kind of lawn to speak of), you should think about moving the party to a nearby park or beach. Most large parks come equipped with several barbecuing areas, which also saves you the hassle of purchasing a grill if you don't already own one.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind about a park party:

Make sure there's room for you and all your guests at the park. You might want to stake out a barbecue area early in the morning before all the other summer party planners beat you to them.
Although most public parks don't require them, you should find out if it's necessary to get a permit for your fête.
You need to provide your guests with directions to your exact location in the park. In case you haven't noticed, parks are big places with many "perfect" areas to hold a party. Pick a location that is close to a landmark in the park and, if possible, provide your guests with a cell phone number to call, just in case. Post signs with bold lettering at all the entrances to the park, directing guests to your location (but don't rely solely on these signs, just in case they get removed by evil squirrels).

Rooftop or fire escape

Urban dweller, eh? There's hope. If your apartment building has a roof that's not slanted at an angle (or completely grimy and hazardous), you could consider holding your party up there. Likewise, if you have a rather large terrace or fire escape, another option is to throw an indoor party that sort of spills outside from time to time. Just because you don't own any grass doesn't mean that you should be restricted to partying indoors.

Here are some city-esque summer party tips:

Make sure you get permission from your landlord first, or your party might be cut short by someone who's not as gullible or forgiving as Mr. Roper.
Make it a potluck feast where everyone brings some food. That way, you won't be stuck inside a hot steamy kitchen the whole time.
If you're holding the party on a rooftop, buy a little wading pool or some water guns. That way, people can cool off in a way other than hiding out in your apartment and secretly trying on your underwear.

2. FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF PARTY YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE

Party Countdown: Two to three weeks before the party

Buffet vs. sit-down dinner
Theme party
Invitations

Buffet vs. sit-down dinner

Will you be tossing freshly barbecued wings onto people's plates as they stroll past the grill, or do you envision yourself unveiling a whole chicken, grilled to perfection, to a table of expectant guests with napkins on their laps? You need to decide all this beforehand so your guests will know how to dress and whether it's crucial for them to show up at the appointed hour to claim a seat at the table.

It's also important for you to plan the type of party you want to throw around your own schedule. If you want to spend the day of your party mingling with guests and occasionally taking care of the grill, go with a buffet-style meal. If you don't have an entire Saturday to spend on this party, you can prepare dishes on the nights leading up to it and make it an outdoor dinner party.

Again, we must recommend the potluck party when dealing with food. That way, you can't get completely blamed for the food, and you won't have to waste as much time in the kitchen.

We recommend the buffet-style meal first, where you grill the food on a barbecue, and your guests bring assorted drinks, noshables, and desserts. (Yeah, you're cheap, but so what? It's your party!) While some fancy-shmancy people might only want to settle for a sit-down dinner, this option really doesn't take advantage of the fun days of summer: eating off a paper plate and making a mess of yourself.

Theme party

Sure, you can plan to just feed your guests as you let them run wild. But you also have the option of applying a theme to your party and organizing the decorations and activities around that theme.

For example:

A Hawaiian party: Set up a limbo stick in a corner for your guests to go nuts over. (It's almost scary how obsessive people can get about thwarting a propped-up broom handle.) Burn some tiki torches, hand out plastic leis, and grill pineapple chunks on sticks. Tell people to come wearing flowered shirts. If you really want to splurge, get plastic coconut shells and serve drinks in them.

An 80s party: Bust out the big hair and some Bananarama. Get people to dress 80s style (headbands, leg warmers, and Puma warm-up suits are a must). Have everybody bring one piece of 80s memorabilia (swatch watches, Rubik's Cubes, Transformers, etc), and play 80s music up the wazoo.

A few simple touches will trick your guests into thinking that the party took much more work than it actually did.

Invitations

Once you've settled on a theme, you should send out invitations to make things official. Start inviting people to your party about two weeks before it's scheduled to happen. Two weeks is enough notice, yet it's not so removed from the actual date that people will forget to come. Here are some rules on proper party-inviting so that you don't commit some egregious faux pas you didn't even know existed:

Send out invitations all at once so that nobody feels like he/she was invited as an afterthought or a replacement for another guest who couldn't make it.
Invite everybody yourself (as opposed to asking someone to pass the message along to others) so that everyone at the party feels okay about showing up. Plus, there are some people who are sensitive about being personally invited.
If it's okay with you for your guests to bring dates or kids, indicate it on the invitations; otherwise ask your guests to alert you in advance about anybody they're bringing. In either case, you should ask your guest to RSVP with an exact number of tag-alongs. It's not unreasonable for you to know how many people to expect and prepare for.

If your party is going to be pretty informal, just pick up the phone to spread the word. Or if all your guests are technologically inclined, send out e-mail invitations (but call anyone who doesn't respond within a week, just in case).

3. SET A BUDGET AND GO SHOPPING

Party Countdown: One week before the party

Set a budget
Go shopping

Set a budget

We suggest deciding how much you need before heading to the store - this way you won't come away with 20 bags of cheese puffs. Here's the way to do it:

Write down everything you definitely want to have and estimate a reasonable cost next to it. Include everything from butter for the corn to bug spray.
Always overprice when in doubt - if you think hot dog buns cost between $2.00 to $3.00, mark it down as $3.00. This way, you won't be caught without enough money at the supermarket.
After you've made up your list, total the cost of all your items, and add another ten percent to the price.
If the budget comes out to be way over what you expected to spend, critically revise your list. (Do you really need to personalize each guest's paper cup?)
Remember that people will eat more at your party than they do at a restaurant when they're paying for their meals. Free food + hot weather = voracious guests. Some easy guidelines are that two 2-Liter bottles of soda can take care of 5 people, plan on people eating 2 - 3 hamburgers each, and one bag of chips covers 2 guests.

Go shopping

Here's a very basic list of non-food stuff you should probably have, buy, or rent for your outdoor bash:

Large table for guests (or large blankets if people are going to eat on the ground)
Smaller table to hold the food
Enough chairs for all your guests
Paper or plastic plates and cups
Napkins (bring a lot of these! People are slobs!)
Plastic spoons, forks, knives
Large garbage bag or can
Bug repellent
A cooler (for the drinks)
A grill, charcoal, lighter fluid, tongs, and a funny talking spatula (if you're barbecuing)
Decorations (Decorations are especially important if you're having a theme party. They can also be functional - a string of novelty lights, for example, can look pretty and light up the night at the same time.)

And here's the food list. Keep in mind it will vary depending on your budget, location and desires:

Several different kinds of chips and dip
Salad and dressing
Fresh fruit or fruit salad
Potato salad and/or macaroni salad
Corn on the cob
Finger sandwiches
Meats (hamburgers, chicken wings, hotdogs, pork chops, steak, veggie burgers) and matching buns for grilling
Ice cream and toppings
Condiments (ketchup, mustard)
Drinks (plenty of water, plus soda, iced tea, and assorted juices. Oh, and alcohol, of course.)
Several bags of ice (don't forget this one!)

Expect to spend at least $50 on food and drink alone - more if you're entertaining more than 15 people, and a lot more if you're planning to have a party where people might get, shall we say, "sloshed."

Once at the supermarket, don't buy anything that's not on the list, unless it's something important that you forgot. Impulse buys are the bane of a good budget.

4. PREPARE THE FOOD

Party Countdown: One day before the party

All right, if you're thinking that you're going to need a lot of help with the grilling, we've got you covered with another entire article: "SYW Learn to Barbecue?" It includes info on buying, starting, and cleaning your grill, as well as how to barbecue hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, steak, and veggies.

Here are some more BBQ-ing that are less common but very interesting:

Shish kebabs
S'mores
Fruits

Shish kebabs

Food on a stick - is there anything more fun and simple? If you're planning on shish kebabing often, invest in some reusable stainless steel skewers; otherwise, wooden skewers are decently priced and you can find them in your supermarket. Just be sure to soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using them so they don't catch on fire. Setting your guests ablaze = bad party.

To prepare the kebab:

Cut meat, vegetables, and fruits into one-inch cubes.
Alternately pierce them evenly onto the skewer.
Choose firmly textured meats (no hamburger cubes).
Parboil (that is, boil for a short period of time) vegetables first, to ensure that they're fully cooked in the end.
When you're grilling the kebab, rotate it frequently for even cooking.

S'mores

For a return to the simpler days of yore, why not make a s'more?

Put one or two (no more than that) marshmallows on a skewer (but NOT unfurled wire hangers… you'll burn yourself trying to get the marshmallow off).
Let them hover above the grill and roast until brown.
A word of the obvious: don't hold marshmallows pierced on sticks too close to the grill or they may catch on fire. If that happens, blow out the fire and don't eat the blackened marshmallow - it could be bad for you.
Sandwich toasted marshmallows between graham crackers slathered with chocolate syrup or chocolate bar squares to make s'mores.

Fruits

Fruits like pineapples and bananas are great when heated:

Pierce small chunks of fruit onto a skewer.
Roast over the grill, or wrap them in aluminum foil bags before throwing them on the fire.
And in case you didn't know you had to do this - peel the fruits from their outer layers first!

Desserts

No summer party is complete without the official desserts of summer: watermelon and ice cream. Don't think that you're capable of preparing either without our help:

Watermelon. Here's the secret to picking out a good watermelon, as recommended by four out of five grandmothers: go with the heavy ones. The more weight, the more juice. To find out just how heavy a heavy watermelon is supposed to be, pick up two watermelons of equal size (one in each arm) to determine which one weighs more. Compare several watermelons of the same size before making your purchase.
Ice cream. Your guests will definitely want ice cream, especially if you forget to buy some. Avoid handing out bowls and spoons by supplying cones and be sure to include several different flavors, as well as some frozen yogurt for the weight conscious. If you've got some money left over on your budget, buy toppings like sprinkles, hot fudge, fresh berries, or chopped nuts to make your guests extra happy.

5. PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES AND ANNOYANCES

Party Countdown: Zero Hour

The day of reckoning is upon you! Breathe! Breathe! Better yet, prepare some more. We've got some tips that'll keep you covered for any summer party emergency.

Bad Weather. We know that you don't even want to think about rain, but if your planning a big, expensive party, then include a rain date on your invitations. If light showers are in the forecast, you might want to consider renting a tent from your local party rental store. If it's windy out, be prepared with some tablecloth clamps or paperweights. And if it's chilly, consider renting an outdoor heater from a party rental store. If you're having a small party and you wake up to find that it's pouring out, then call your friends as early as possible (even if it means waking them up) and tell them that the party is rescheduled for the same exact time the next weekend (or another time that is in the very near future).
Mosquitoes. The little buggers are undoubtedly planning on biting into your guests as they bite into their food, but you can put a damper on their feast (the mosquitoes', not the guests'). Get some insect repellent with 30% DEET (diethyltolumide) and make sure your backyard is free of stagnant water (like the leftover swamp water in that blow-up kiddie pool). You can also fight the mosquito war while decorating: attractive citronella candles ironically help to repel bugs and strategically placed mosquito netting can make a backyard look romantic.
Injuries and bee stings. Outdoor parties can be dangerous places (open flames, flying beer bottles, hippies walking around barefoot…) To take care of bee stings or nail-through-the-foot mishaps, be sure to have a well-stocked medicine cabinet or a first aid kit on hand. You'll need peroxide, cotton balls, bandaids, Neosporin, and an ice pack of some sort. If anyone gets hurt, you get to play hero.
Boredom. First we must advise you that you must include music at your party. It'll add to the festive mood and - you never know - maybe someone will bust out the "running man." You'll need a portable CD player and an assortment of CDs (or you can just put it on radio and let the music play). You should also organize something fun like a water balloon fight or a softball game. You might even want to work these activities into the itinerary ahead of time and prepare for them by buying colorful rubber balloons or asking your guests to bring softball equipment. Also, group games such as Outburst and Scattergories can always be fun. If all else fails, break out the Twister mat.

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