Outdoor Entertaining

Outdoor parties are great opportunities to gather a crowd. Whether you’re dining formally al fresco or having a casual backyard cookout with everyone contributing, dining outside is awesome! Here are some considerations to make your outdoor meal amazing.

The Weather

One thing about outdoor entertaining that is always in the air - the weather! While we have powerful tools at our disposal to check storm fronts and temperatures, Mother Nature can sometimes be an uninvited guest, and like any uninvited guest, a good host is prepared to handle it. Think about how you can move your party indoors if the weather becomes a problem. Having a plan B can help you remain calm and move quickly should you need to while not sacrificing the party you’ve planned.

Vision + Invitations + Menu

As a host, you want to have a good understanding of the party you wish to throw. Being clear about your vision will help you communicate well with your guests and help them prepare appropriately for the gathering. So think about the formality, the atmosphere, and the way you want to spend time with your guests and choose a party style that matches.

Invitations

While outdoors often suggests a casual atmosphere, this isn’t always the case, so be clear when you invite your guests. If you’re planning a dinner party where you’ll be providing meals and refreshments, call it a dinner party. If you’ll have folks come by anytime on Saturday afternoon and into the evening for grilling and hanging out, call it an open-house cookout or backyard barbecue. Ensuring the invitation method matches the event's formality will also help guests understand what to expect. A text and a handwritten invitation send two very different vibes. These choices with your invitation and its language will impact a guest’s understanding of the event. While it’s tempting to give a lot of directions on invitations, especially if guests are contributing to the meal. Resist the urge; these conversations can take place when a guest RSVPs and is committed to coming.

Guest Contributions To The Menu

Be clear about what’s being provided and what guests are being asked to bring. Typically, at a potluck or meal where guests contribute, the host provides the main dish (usually meat, but it can be a vegetarian main), and guests fill in the rest of the meal with a little direction from the host. Knowing your headcount will help, so make sure you ask for and track down RSVPs. From the headcount, you can see how many side dishes, desserts, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages you’ll need to round out the meal. Then, offer guests a variety to choose from when they call, text, or email to RSVP. While it’s great when guests ask what might i bring? if they don’t, it’s okay to mention it, especially if the invitation indicated a potluck or something similar - not as a paragraph of detailed instructions but just as an indicator of the type of party. “I’m so glad you can come! Bill and I are providing the burgers and hot dogs for the cookout, and then a potluck for the rest of the meal. I’ve got desserts covered by some other guests, but we still need folks to take on side dishes and beverages if either of those items is easy for you.”

What a guest brings from their chosen category should be their choice. Be appreciative of any offering, whether store-bought or homemade. If you want something specific, taking care of it yourself is best.

Setting the Table

For a sit-down outdoor dinner party, linens, china, and glassware are great, but for a barbecue or large crowd, paper or reusable alternatives like bamboo, tin, or melamine plates, cups, and utensils are the practical way to go. ( You don't want your "good stuff" getting lost or broken.) Find vintage tablecloths at a thrift shop, or purchase sturdy, easy-to-clean oilcloth (available by the yard in colorful patterns) and pretty cotton or paper napkins - all suitable for outdoor dining. Just be sure whatever you choose will stand up to what you're serving. Anything that requires a knife and fork, such as a steak or chicken, will need a sturdy plate and heavy-duty knives.

Safety Always

Outdoor entertaining means that food will be served and sometimes even cooked outside. You'll need to take extra precautions so the food doesn't spoil in the heat and isn't attacked by insects. Set up all food stations in the shade and provide mesh covers for dishes if insects are a problem. Have lots of coolers on hand. To keep foods cool, especially those with a mayonnaise base, set bowls in larger bowls filled with ice or on wrapped cold packs. It's better to use smaller platters that are refreshed often than to leave a larger one wilting in the heat.

Cooking Outdoors

Easy and fun, the backyard barbecue is a quintessentially all-American way to entertain. (Don't have a backyard? Check to see if a local beach or park can accommodate you.) The critical element to successful outdoor cooking is timing - not just the timing that brings the whole meal together so it can be served, but the timing that saves a beautiful steak from becoming a charcoal briquette. Since cuts of meat vary in thickness and some like it rare and some like it done, paying attention to your timing as a host is a key element not to be ignored. Set timers, and don’t be afraid to excuse yourself from guests to check on the grill.

Neighborly Considerations

Getting outdoors for a party is amazing, and it feels so good to enjoy time together in this way, but we can easily lose sight of our impact on neighbors in all our enjoyment. First, if you can, invite your neighbors to your gathering. It’s not a must, but it’s a great way to help build neighborhood bonds when you can. For the times you don’t, be mindful of three things: 1. the direction the wind is blowing, a grill going all day, followed by a firepit with smores in the evening could mean a lot of smoke for any surrounding homes. A neighbor’s open window could lead to a smoke-filled room. 2. The noise level. While cities and towns have noise ordinances you should follow, be thoughtful about how long you’ve blasted your music or had loud conversations. 3. Be aware of the content. While you should be able to talk as you wish in your home among your friends when neighbors live close by and we are outdoors, explicit language, whether it’s swearing or violent or adult subject matter, can be easily overheard and uncomfortable to hear.

Parking is another issue to consider regarding our neighbors and how a party might impact them. Giving a heads-up that you plan on throwing a gathering is always thoughtful. Yes, even if you haven’t invited your neighbor.

This article first appeared in our Emily Post Etiquette Substack. If you'd like to receive articles like this, podcast episodes, news, and more, including a welcome coupon ($5 for free subscribers, $50 for paid subscribers) to spend on our digital products in The Emily Post Shop, SIGN UP TODAY!