Memorial Day has come and gone, the weather is getting warmer, and, at least here in Chicago, people are outside and grilling like there’s no tomorrow. That’s right, it’s outdoor party time! With summer right around the corner, we figured it’d be a good time to run down some of our summer party essentials, and our favorite strategies for outdoor party planning.
Napkins: The Classic
Maybe this was predictable, but our first summer party essential is custom napkins. Since an outdoor party or a bbq will likely be heavy on the finger foods (we can’t wait for corn season), napkins are key for everyone to have clean hands. While 5 inch square cocktail napkins are a classic, we prefer the larger luncheon napkin for an outdoor party. At 6.5 inches square, there’s just a bit of extra space for some errant ketchup. Like all of our products, our luncheon napkins are totally customizable, so don’t wait to get started! To give your summer party an elevated touch, opt for our linen like luncheon napkins. With their exceptional absorbency and cloth like texture, these napkins are practical and reliable for any event.
If you aren’t feeling creative, or just need your napkins ASAP, we’ve got your back! Our stars and stripes and fireworks ready to ship napkin packs are just right for your outdoor party or bbq. Because they’re already made, they ship quickly, so there’s less of a waiting period. If you’re looking for a different quick-ship theme, you can find the rest of our grab-and-go products right here.
Beat the Heat with a Drink
If you’re throwing any kind of outdoor party this summer, whether it’s a casual picnic or a black tie wedding, drinks are going to play a big role in keeping your guests cool, comfortable and happy. That’s where our next summer party essential comes in- custom cups. For a classic outdoor party, keeping your drinks cold is going to be a main focus, so we like to opt for our styrofoam cups. Available in 12, 16, or 20 oz. sizes, these cups are great for lighter alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and they’ll keep them cool as well.
Of course, if your summer party is a more formal affair, we always recommend our frosted cups, which come in many sizes and are the perfect canvas for a wide variety of artwork. They’re reusable and dishwasher safe, so they make a great souvenir, too. If you want something a bit more fun and playful, our stadium cups come in bold colors, and are also endlessly reusable.
If your outdoor party involves cans or bottles, our can cooler collection is another top summer party essential. Not only do they have summer fun written all over it, but you can still completely personalize what you want on them, too. These wonderful inventions further the all-important goal of keeping your drink cold! They’re available for regular and tall cans, in addition to classic glass bottles. For the full story, check out our wedding can cooler blog!
The last outdoor party drink option we have to shout out is our drink pouches. We launched these customizable pouches last summer, and haven’t looked back. These adult-scale juice boxes have holes to store a straw and holes for fingers or a lanyard, and are perfect for a pool party, bachelorette bash, or any party that’s serving up fun, drinks, and good vibes.
Light it Up
Matches of all variety are a key summer party essential. Channeling vintage campground aesthetics, something like a 30 strike matchbook is great for lighting a grill, candles (or even a firework?) in style. If TikTok is to be believed, they’re also the hottest take-home souvenir in town, perfect for celebrating a wedding, or just having around your patio or cookout. They’re a fun, flirty, and classic addition to any outdoor party. We can’t wait to see how you customize them!
A great accompaniment to matches for long summer evenings and an outdoor party are our sparkler sleeves. We started stocking this summer party essential for sparkler sendoffs at weddings, but they work great for just about any summer event. When the sun goes down, and you want to create special summer memories for kids and adults alike, these are the answer. Best of all, you can also get them with a matching (pun intended) 30 strike matchbook attached, so all the ingredients are in one place.
It’s Inspo Time
With some of our top summer party essentials in mind, it’s time to run down some of the top outdoor party themes we’ve been seeing pop up in preparation for this summer. Our favorite ones work great for weddings and cookouts alike.
Step into the Desert
Desert vibes have been continuing their reign as a popular summer outdoor party theme. Drawing inspiration from the desert dovetails perfectly with the bold 70s colors and aesthetics that have been in this past season. Deep reds and oranges anchor this theme, which can then have a variety of aesthetics built on top of it. Maybe it’s no surprise that our Destination Mexico and Margs and Matrimony party themes have been so wildly popular!
Cultivate Your Garden
Another outdoor party theme that’s trending up is a garden party. We love this theme because its formality level is so versatile—after all, flowers can be for everything from a casual cookout to a black tie wedding. Our Cuppa Love Birds theme builds these classic design notes into something special. This theme is great for ordering coordinating summer party essentials with a strong theme weaving it together.
Go Back to Camp
Another outdoor party theme that’s evergreen is camp! Scouts, L.L. Bean, and cabins are perennially in for weddings and outdoor parties alike. Deep greens with pops of orange and tan make a great color theme, and we love how this theme can be made as kitschy (or, campy) as you like! For a more modern twist on a nature theme, our Modern Rustic theme is perfect for a trendy celebration.
Tag Us!
No matter what you do with your outdoor party and what summer party essentials you incorporate, let us know! Tag us @foryourparty on socials with all of your summer parties. We’ll raise a glass (and maybe eat a burger) to your party successes!
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