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  • ร—
    Urban Bliss Life ยป All Recipes ยป Entertaining Recipes ยป The Perfect Summer Party: Food, Drink, and Entertaining Ideas

    Published: May 16, 2018 / Updated: July 30, 2023 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland ยท This post may contain affiliate links.

    The Perfect Summer Party: Food, Drink, and Entertaining Ideas

    16 shares

    Hosting a gathering of friends and family this summer? Our perfect summer party guide will help you become the hostess with the mostest with easy entertaining ideas for the best summer party ever!

    perfect summer party on UrbanBlissLife.com

    With the sun shining, I'm making citrusy cakes and cookies and prepping for my fave season for entertaining: summer!

    Whether it's throwing a huge grand opening gala, celebrating my own children's birthdays (LEGO Friends, My Little Pony Equestria Girls, Skylanders - we covered so many themes!), or putting together wine tasting parties with good friends, I've picked up some great tips along the way that can help you create the perfect summer soiree.

    Jump to:
    • โ˜€๏ธ What's the best time to throw a summer party?
    • Use what you have
    • Summer party decorating tips
    • ๐ŸŒป Summer flowers
    • Serving ideas for the perfect summer party
    • Summer recipes
    • Wine for summer parties
    • Cheers to the perfect summer party!
    • More summer recipes

    ☀️ What's the best time to throw a summer party?

    wine and food outside

    With the sunshine comes heat. You want your guests to feel comfortable, so one of the things to consider is the time of day you are hosting the party. And consider the location in terms of weather.

    The best time to throw the perfect summer party is a brunch in the morning, between 9am and 11am. This is before the high noon heat hits.

    Or, throw a later dinner party when the sun begins it slow descent and temperatures start to cool down.

    Sometimes you need or want to have a soiree in the middle of the day. If that's the case, make sure there are plenty of options for shade -- think large umbrellas over tables and shaded areas by trees.

    If it's a baby or wedding shower, or birthday party, I like to offer up inexpensive mini fans that people can use as needed.

    Use what you have

    food and wine on table

    If you're putting together a party at home, there is NO need to go out and spend a bunch of money on new decor or tableware.

    I'm a big believer in using what you have. Look around your house for items that can work as serving trays, as well as bowls, plates, utensils, tablecloths, napkins, and glasses.

    Remember: creating a cohesive look and feel for each gathering doesn't mean everything has to be matchy-matchy. In fact, summer soirees feel more natural when things don't all match exactly!

    Summer party decorating tips

    sunny summer soiree red wine tablescape

    For the perfect summer party, try following these general party planning guidelines:

    • Choose three main colors. Have the large or more colorful items - flowers, napkins, coasters - fall under one of the three main colors.
    • Decide on a general theme. Maybe it's  modern, country, romantic, etc.
    • Mix and match textures. Include a few shiny items, a few matte, some glass, ceramics, wood, etc. For the recent summer soiree I threw photographed in this post, you can see the textures in the glass items which are a nice contrasting compliment to the wood boards & bowls and the patterned plates on top of solid colored chargers.
    • Use what you find in nature. Beautiful pinecones, branches, and other greenery can add a special touch to your summer party table. Just be sure to shake off any bugs that may be hiding in the greenery before setting them on the table.

    🌻 Summer flowers

    perfect summer party - wine

    You don't have to go out and spend a fortune on flowers. With summer in full bloom, look around your garden and collect some cut flowers for your table decorations.

    If you don't have any in your garden or you don't have a garden, go all in on a big bouquet of fresh flowers. Choose colors that compliment your party theme.

    Farmer's markets and your local grocery store are great sources for beautiful summer blooms.

    Flower tip: Be sure to cut off about an inch off the ends before placing them in water to keep them fresh longer.

    Serving ideas for the perfect summer party

    perfect summer party toasting

    Keep the food simple but delicious.

    For a gathering of 6-10 people, I like to serve:

    • 2-3 different appetizers
    • a large charcuterie & cheese board
    • one or two main entrees
    • at least two desserts.

    Why two desserts? Because everybody loves and expects dessert.

    True story: I was recently at a food & wine event where there was NO dessert. Do you know what we all talked about afterward? How there was NO dessert! Always serve dessert at events, even if it's just a single cookie or after-dinner chocolate. Always!

    Summer recipes

    crostini with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil surrounded by plates of the same toppings and a bowl of sea salt.
    BLT pasta salad in a white bowl on an aqua checkered tablecloth.
    blueberry galette with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

    Some great summer recipes to serve at your perfect summer party:

    • Berry Crostini with Honey and Ricotta
    • Caprese Crostini
    • BLT Pasta Salad
    • Corn with Basil Lime Butter
    • Grilled Seafood Boil Packets
    • BBQ Bacon Burgers
    • Easy Blueberry Galette
    • Ice Cream Parfaits
    • Raspberry Sherbet

    Wine for summer parties

    sunny summer soiree berry crostini white wine

    I love to serve a different wine with each course.

    Kick it off with bubbly or a bright summery white wine. A citrusy white wine with lively acidity will perfectly with fresh summer berries. So it's a great wine to kick off the perfect summer soiree.

    sunny summer soiree white wine

    Next, move onto a medium-bodied white wine, like a Chardonnay.

    Most people I know say they either love or hate Chardonnay. I've learned that there is definitely a Chardonnay for everyone.

    I prefer the stainless steel, crisp Chardonnays. Unoaked Chardonnay wines often have lovely lemon and pineapple notes and smooth, luscious finish. This makes them great to pair with most summer salads.

    sunny summer soiree red wine

    For charcuterie and cheese boards, pair them with a lush, bold red that has a velvety finish.

    sunny summer soiree red wine blueberry galette

    Finally, you can serve either white or red wine with dessert, depending on what you serve.

    The Blueberry Gallette pictured above pairs well with a velvety Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrah.

    perfect summer party pie

    Cheers to the perfect summer party!

    perfect summer soiree

    I hope you enjoyed these tips for your next perfect summer soiree!

    Remember: it's all about the people you are with, and the laughs and special moments you share together. The details in planning just help make those moments all the more enjoyable once you are in them.

    More summer recipes

    • glass of bourbon lemonade on a bright colorful napkin with title text overlay.
      Bourbon Lemonade
    • bowl of charred corn salad.
      Charred Corn Salad
    • strawberry spritz with orange and strawberry garnish.
      Strawberry Spritz
    • Greek lamb chops on a white plate with herbs and lemon slices.
      Greek Lamb Chops

    Did you make any of these recipes? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment below letting us know which one you made and how it turned out. Thank you!

    This post was first published on May 16, 2018. It was updated and republished on July 30, 2023.

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Texas Brewing says

        June 01, 2018 at 6:54 am

        Thanks for sharing this wonderful ideas for celebrating Summer, I will also planning for this kind of celebrations

        Reply
      2. Patti says

        May 21, 2018 at 6:35 am

        Great tips! Can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can entertain outdoors.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:54 am

          The weather has definitely been odd lately! Thanks, Patti!

      3. Anjali W says

        May 18, 2018 at 1:57 am

        This is a superb way to enjoy your summers!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:53 am

          I definitely agree! :)

      4. Cathy M says

        May 17, 2018 at 6:47 pm

        This really is a perfect soiree!! Such a fun way to celebrate the beautiful summer weather with friends! Cheers!!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:53 am

          Thank you, Cathy! Cheers!

      5. Jenni LeBaron says

        May 17, 2018 at 11:29 am

        We just spent the other day scrubbing down our patio set specifically so we could do this. Excited for the summer weather and the event sit will bring!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:52 am

          How exciting! I hope it's a blast! :) I am, too!

      6. Anand Patel says

        May 17, 2018 at 8:23 am

        Nice Article,

        This article is very interesting. I liked your ideas for making perfect the summer soiree. Flower bouquet looks great. I enjoyed a lot reading your article. Thanks for sharing such a great article with us.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:52 am

          Thanks so much, Anand!

      7. Michelle says

        May 17, 2018 at 4:37 am

        This looks so beautiful! I would love to throw such a huge dinner party someday!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:50 am

          Thank you! And you should! It's a blast! :)

      8. Caroline says

        May 16, 2018 at 11:26 pm

        That spread looks fun - thanks for the tips!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:50 am

          Glad you enjoyed the post! :)

      9. Valerie Hansen says

        May 16, 2018 at 8:43 pm

        Wowyou did a superb job for this party..and I love it that you didn't emphasize matchy matchy, I LOVE how you put it all together, and that ice cream sounds amazing, love to have the recipe!!

        Valerie

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:49 am

          Thank you so much! Stay tuned, I will be posting it soon!

      10. Catherine @ To & Fro Fam says

        May 16, 2018 at 6:23 pm

        This post makes me so excited for summer and outdoor dining! Currently eating al fresco means sitting on our back deck with my kids, who like to spit watermelon seeds into the yard, but I'd like to do some more sophisticated open-air meals like the one in your post, too!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:46 am

          It's fun to have a mix of both, for sure! :)

      11. Mallory says

        May 16, 2018 at 3:26 pm

        I don't know if my family is fancy enough for this or if I have enough fancy friends, but it sure makes me want to throw a soiree! Sounds like a good time, and the tips are great!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:44 am

          You don't need to be fancy to have a good time!

      12. sam says

        May 16, 2018 at 2:52 pm

        I am just the opposite of you. I frankly do not enjoying throwing a party nor going to the party. I would rather staying at home relaxing. This post, however, open my eyes and i may want to do something for this summer now.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          May 23, 2018 at 2:44 am

          Yay! It's definitely worth it! :)

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      Hi! If you're looking for easy, fast, delicious family-friendly recipes, wine pairings, and travel tips, you've come to the right place! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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