Tiny Details for Your Big Day: Hosting a Cookout for Your Reception Dinner

A cookout reception offers the ultimate in casual celebration chic. You can relax as you feel close to home, and out-of-town guests can sleep in a spare room.

However, you still want your occasion to have style and class, even when you keep your celebration laid back. Here are four tips for hosting a cookout for your reception dinner.

1. Plan Your Menu

Your menu selections partially depend on the size of your crowd. Many cookout receptions are small and intimate. However, you may be unable to fit everyone’s steak on the grill simultaneously. In such cases, why not break out the sous vide machine? This method makes the most tender, juiciest steaks while ensuring you cook every order to its desired temperature.

Many times, finger foods make or break your reception dinner cookout. Why not wow your guests with cheesy BBQ sausage bites or zesty grilled corn on the cob? Keep hot foods covered and warm, and remember the two-hour rule. Afterward, you should wrap up your leftovers, perhaps portioning them out for guests to take home.

2. Gather Plenty of Serving Essentials

You might need more plates and flatware than you expect. You’ll also need ample serving ladles and tongs to avoid cross-contamination from using the same scooper for different dishes.

How can you reduce your cleanup headaches and prevent having a stack of dishes to wash after the festivities? One option is to hire help. However, you can also opt for eco-friendly bamboo disposables that break down in landfills and are renewable, unlike plastic.

3. Decide on Drinks

Are you planning on having alcohol at your wedding or making it a dry affair? Your final price tag will probably ring in much less than you’d pay for an open bar. If you do serve adult beverages, why not serve more top-shelf brands in honor of the occasion?

You can also mix up delicious nonalcoholic beverages if you prefer. Drinks like a pink champagne mocktail look so fancy that your guests won’t notice the lack of a buzz.

4. Have Some Fun in the Sun

Reception dinner cookouts are perfect for fun in the sun. Why not set up the volleyball net if you have enough space for that in addition to a dance floor?

Do you have a backyard pool? Why not advise your guests to bring a swimsuit if they want to take a dip?

Host a Craveworthy a Cookout for Your Reception

A cookout reception can save you money while providing fun for your guests. It’s perfect for brides who want a more laid-back celebration.

Heed the above tips when hosting a cookout for your reception dinner. You and your guests can have a safe and enjoyable outdoor bash.