7 Great Hosting Ideas for your Next Summer Party
- Jun 6, 2025
Prepare a comfortable space
So you’ve got the cocktails on lock—what about everything else? Start by cleaning up your space and (time permitting) give the party zone a little glowup. If your party’s outdoors, level up from basic string lights by hanging paper lanterns from trees or lining pathways with solar LED jars. If your patio chairs and backyard furniture is on the utilitarian side, a few throw blankets and pillows go a long way.
Handwritten touches
Now that we’ve got both feet firmly planted in the AI era, there’s something incredibly quaint about human penmanship. Dust off your cursive and put pen to paper to create place cards, menus and other small, thoughtful touches. We guarantee your guests will be charmed, even if you have serial killer handwriting.
A guest created playlist
Start by creating a new playlist on Spotify, selecting the collaborative option. You could either share it with guests a few days before the party via link, or print a QR code to display at the party somewhere guests are bound to mingle (i.e. by the food). For a more analog vibe—one that works best if you delegate a DJ—set up a little station with blank cards, a jar and a pen, encouraging guests to submit song requests the oldfashioned way.
Make the food an activity
Interested in shaking things up menuwise? Skip the pasta salad and focus on loweffort, highreward BYOstyle meals. A taco bar or DIY charcuterie board assembly are perfect for busy hosts who don’t have time for laborintensive meal prep, and an easy solution to accommodating guests with dietary restrictions. This is the perfect move for busy hosts because all you need to do is set out the fixings. If you do have the bandwidth to cook, there’s nothing like roasting a big old pork shoulder this bo ssam recipe from Momofuku’s David Chang is Godtier—so your guests can build their own lettuce cups.