Preparing Food and Drink
Organize a potluck. This is the easiest way to make sure you have enough food for the party. Ask each guest to bring a dish to the party, preferably something you can eat without utensils and that won’t need refrigerating. Prepare a main dish yourself, as the host, and ask guests to bring sides, additional main dishes, and/or desserts. Make suggestions of dishes your guests can bring so that they’re less likely to all bring the same thing. EXPERT TIP Stefanie Chu-Leong Stefanie Chu-Leong Owner & Senior Event Planner, Stellify Events Stefanie Chu-Leong is the Owner and Senior Event Planner for Stellify Events, an event management business based in the San Francisco Bay Area and California Central Valley. Stefanie has over 15 years of event planning experience and specializes in large-scale events and special occasions. She has a BA in Marketing from San Francisco State University. Stefanie Chu-Leong Stefanie Chu-Leong Owner & Senior Event Planner, Stellify Events Expert Trick: When you're planning a potluck, make a list that's separated into categories, like main dishes, appetizers, desserts, and beverages. Decide how many dishes you'd like in each category, then give everyone a sign-up sheet and a deadline. Once all the sign-ups are locked in, send out a formal sheet stating who signed up for what, and list any dietary needs people should be aware of.
Plan to order takeout. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of organizing a potluck, just order some food. Ask your guests for preferences on food, and if appropriate, consider asking them if they can pitch in for the cost. Pizza is a classic choice, since you don’t need cutlery and cleanup is relatively simple.
Bring your own food. If you’ve got the time and energy, prepare some food beforehand and bring it to the beach. Fruit is a simple, refreshing option; simply slice it up in advance, pack it up, and bring it along. Finger foods are another great option for bringing to the beach, whether it’s fried chicken, skewers or wraps. You can also bring a barbecue and grill burgers or hot dogs at the beach.
Provide a variety of alcohol. Tastes differ, and not everyone likes the same beverage. You can ask your guests what they like ahead of time to help you plan ahead. Otherwise, bring beer, chilled wine and at least one cocktail option. Your best bet for a cocktail is punch or sangria. They’re generally well-liked options and can be made in large batches. Recommend that guests bring their own alcohol if they have specific tastes and are willing to share.
Don’t forget non-alcoholic beverages. Since a beach party involves spending a good chunk of your day outside in the heat, you’ll need to keep yourself and your guests hydrated. Make sure you have plenty of water available, ideally bottled. Other non-alcoholic summer drinks include iced tea, lemonade, fruit juice and punches.
Ask your guests for their allergies and dietary restrictions. It’s no fun for a vegetarian to show up to a barbecue with nothing to eat, and someone who’s gluten-sensitive won’t enjoy a pasta bar. Send out an email or a message on social media asking your guests to let you know what they can’t eat. Encourage them to bring things that they can eat and share with other guests.
Bring coolers to keep perishable foods cool. While some foods you’ll have, such as potato chips, won’t really be affected by hours of heat exposure, others certainly will. Bring all of your perishable foods in quality coolers filled with ice or freezer packs. Keep drinks and snacks in coolers out for everyone to enjoy and keep meats, cheeses, and other perishable ingredients in other coolers that are kept away from guests. This way, the meat and cheese won’t spoil as a result of the cooler being opened frequently.
Calculate the amount of food you’ll need. You don’t want your party guests going hungry. Figure out how much food you need so that you don’t run out during the party. Make sure you have: 2 pounds of ice (907 g) per person. Enough alcohol for each person to have 3-4 drinks every 2-3 hours. 1 pint (473 mL) of dip and 1 pound (453 g) of chips for every 10 guests. 1 handful of salad per person. 5 ounces (142 g) of boneless meat and 12-16 ounces (340-453g) of bone-in meat per person. 4-5 ounces (113-142g) per person for every vegetable or potato side dish. 2-3 ounces (57-85g) per person for each side dish of rice, beans, or pasta. 1 slice of pie or cake per person. 5 ounces (142g) of ice cream per person. 2-3 cookies per person.
Set up and serve the food buffet-style. It’s easiest and most efficient to put a couple of long tables together, preferably shaded underneath a tent, and set all of the food up like a buffet. This way, guests can just get in line, grab a plate and some utensils, and take whatever they’d like to eat. Make sure to have the plates and utensils located at the start of the line.
Planning Your Party
Find the right beach. Do some research at least a couple of weeks before you choose the venue for your party. Look for a beach that’s large enough to accommodate all your guests and has clean water to swim in. Check to make sure the beach you choose has no rules against late parties, alcohol, or bonfires. Find out if you need to reserve your spot ahead of time or ask for permission before throwing your party.
Make a guest list. The number and personalities of your guests will have a major impact on the overall feel of the party. Start by making a list of your favorite friends and family members and then either narrow it down or build it up from there depending on the head count and the vibe you’re going for. Are you looking to blare the music and having an all-day dance party on the beach with 50 people or more? Or would you rather have a low-key intimate inner-circle party of only 10? Consider what you want the party to be like and make a guest list of people who fit that. Also be sure to invite guests that will enjoy interacting with each other. Don’t invite two of your friends who broke off their engagement last year and haven’t spoken to each other since.
Structure your party. Plan a series of activities to keep the party going. Since you’ll be on a beach, you can include a series of sports, such as a game of volleyball. Include activities that less athletic guests can have fun with as well, such as water gun fights, karaoke or sandcastle building. Whatever activities you choose, plan them at specific times. Your guests will look forward to their favorite activity and will plan their arrival accordingly.
Plan your party playlist. You need to keep the music pumping to keep your guests happy throughout the party. Create a list that’s upbeat to keep your guests energized. Have a mix of classic summer tunes as well as popular songs from the current year. Ask for suggestions from your guests if you’re coming up short on music ideas. Make sure you have a device that can play the music while at the beach. Use a battery-operated device that has a long battery life. Also bring along some extra batteries and/or any electronics needed in order to charge the device.
Get decorations for the party. If you want to be festive, pick up some colorful decorations from a party store. Since you’re having the party at the beach, consider getting beach-themed decorations, such as tiki torches, leis for the guests to wear, and paper umbrellas for the guests to put in their drinks. This is an inexpensive way to add a touch of fun to your party.
Send invitations to your guests. Once you have a lot of the details sorted out and the party date is in the near future, it’s time to invite your guests. You can either pick out cute beach-themed paper invitations and send them in the mail, or invite your guests digitally. By emailing evites or creating an event on Facebook, you can save yourself both time and money. Check out beach-themed digital party invitations at evite.com.
Send instructions to your guests. You don’t want your guests to feel confused when they show up to your beach party. Think of things your guests will need to know at least a couple of weeks before they arrive. Where should they park? Can they bring pets? Any specific rules they should know about? Draft a quick message going over these points and send it to your guests by email or through social media. In the instructions you send, also ask your guests to bring towels and chairs.
Keeping the Party Going
Greet your guests. Your guests should feel comfortable and excited as soon as they get to your party. Arrive at least half an hour before the party’s start time and stay near their arrival point, whether that’s the entrance to the beach or a designated parking spot. Greet them warmly as they arrive and offer them a drink. Once they have a drink in their hand, they’ll be prepared to enjoy the party.
Introduce people. If your guests come from different friend groups, they might just separate into their cliques and avoid mingling with others. Try to find people who don’t know each other and might have mutual interests. Introduce them to each other, but don’t force an interaction. Your goal is to help people mingle, not play matchmaker.
Check on your guests often. Make sure your guests are having a good time. Go around the party, checking to see if your guests need anything, such as more food or drink. If they don’t have to get their own refreshments, they’ll have more time to enjoy the activities you’ve planned for them and also meet new people.
Give people opportunities to leave gracefully. Knowing when to leave a party can be stressful; you don’t want to insult anybody or miss out on too much of the fun. Before a structured activity, announce it loudly to the rest of the party so that your guests know what to expect. Mention that it’s not a problem if they’re not willing to join. For guests who’ve had their fill, this gives them the chance to make a graceful exit. As fun as your party might be, some guests have other engagements to respect, such as a babysitter to get back to. Be understanding of guests who have to leave and thank them for coming.
Have a backup plan. Just because the weather is nice and clear when the party starts doesn’t mean it will stay that way. To keep the party going despite the weather, plan a backup location, such as your home. That way, if it starts to rain halfway through, you can gather your guests in one place and keep partying. Make sure your guests are aware of this backup location before the party starts.
Organize a scavenger hunt. This is a fun game that’ll have your guests scatter to every corner of the beach to explore. Task your guests with bringing back the most interesting thing they can find: an intricate seashell, a strange object, or a picture of a strange beach animal. The winner gets to show off for the other guests and on social media. Be careful not to disturb any sensitive wildlife such as coral.
Clean up the area after the party is over. Once the party has started coming to a close, get out a couple of trash bags and start picking up cups, plates, discarded food, and other things that need to be disposed of. Pack up your vehicle with the full trash bags along with your coolers, decorations, tables and anything else you brought to the beach. Then, drop the trash bags into a nearby public dumpster or take them to a dump on your way home. Politely ask some of your lingering guests for their help. The job will get done faster when more people are contributing. If you have a smaller party, you can probably just put the trash in a trashcan by the beach’s public restrooms and showers.
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