If you're looking to plan a Memorial Day party this weekend, here are a few pointers.
Seen as the unofficial start of the summer, Memorial Day weekend gives people the chance to honour those who served in the US military. As well as that, it's the perfect way to get everyone together, be it your work colleagues or family members.
It doesn't absolutely have to be anything over the top, once you put a little bit of planning into the party it's bound to all just come together.
If you're looking for inspiration, we've put together a few great ideas on what you could do for a party. From firing up the grill to hiring out a boat or making a splash at the pool, you won't be short of ideas by the time you hit the end!
Host a BBQ
This idea might sound a little obvious, but a BBQ party is hands down the most reliable option to go for with a Memorial Day weekend party. Even if the weather goes to hell and you have to move things indoors, some company and even better food is all you really need.
Get creative with your menu, and try to think of ways for you to show everyone that you went the extra mile. Maybe you could make some pizza dough for yourself, or hunt a wild boar to throw on the grill (please don't do this, just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention).
You could also give people a dress code, to spice it up even more. Custom Hawaiian shirts are a solid choice, or you could opt for the traditional white clothing for Memorial Day.
Rent a boat
Yeah, you heard us. Imagine how much of a badass everyone would think you are if you handed them an invitation to a Memorial Day party on your own private boat.
Deck it out (pun intended) with some US colours, get some food on board and hit the water. Whether it's a nearby lake or somewhere off the coast, you and yours are in for a pretty memorable evening.
Relaxation should be key. There's nothing like getting off dry land to make life's little worries go away, and you being the person who organised all this won't soon be forgotten.
Sample some American craft beers
The United States of America is the source of some truly delicious craft beer. If you've got a few likeminded friends who might be interested, putting together a beer flight (yes, that's what it is called) can be an excellent way to celebrate Memorial Day weekend.
This could easily be worked into some of the other party ideas as well. If there is a BBQ party that wouldn't be made that little bit better by some fresh IPA or a citrus ale, we haven't heard of it.
Maybe ask everyone else to bring a different label, so you've got a nice spread. That's a great way to make everyone feel involved as well.
Play some games
Do you want to know another fantastic American gift? Sports.
You don't really have to look far to find quality American sports, be it basketball, baseball or football. Setting up a mini tournament is a great way to keep everybody entertained across the weekend, and if the weather is starting to warm up where you are it's sure to go down a treat.
While it makes sense to go for American sports, maybe ask around to see what kind of sports would be popular. The last thing you want is to put all this effort into planning a tournament for a sport that no one actually wants to play!
Plan a picnic
There are two ways you can plan a picnic. One option is to have a quiet family affair somewhere quiet, the other is to get a big gang of people together to enjoy the great outdoors.
If you're going for door number one, the best thing about it is you can make it all happen at a moment's notice. All you really need is some sandwiches, snacks, a blanket and some drinks to have an awesome Memorial Day picnic.
Should you open door number two, you're probably going to need a bit more planning. You could ask everybody to bring some of their own food to make it a pot-luck, and decking out the designated meeting point with some US flags and maybe some coloured lanterns should be all the decoration you need.
Find an outdoor pool
To make this happen, you're going to need two things. First you will need to live somewhere with nice enough weather where people have outdoor pools, secondly you'll need to actually know someone willing to lend you their outdoor pool.
If you are lucky enough to tick both of those boxes, you're in the money. This is the perfect opportunity to throw a Memorial Day weekend party for the ages.
Go all out in absolutely any way that you possibly can. Pick up a couple dozen pool noodles, fill the place out with food and ask everybody to put on their Hawaiian shirts for this summer themed bash.
We forgot to mention a third category; people who own their own pool. If that's you, why the hell are you reading this and not planning your next pool party?
Throw a cocktail party
Especially now that summer is on its way, people really shouldn't need an excuse to throw a cocktail party. Not only does it mean you can test out your mixology skills and sample some delicious drinks, but it's also an excuse to buy a tonne of those little umbrellas that you put on the top.
As with the pool party, your only option here is to go 100% all out. Spend some time asking people what their cocktails of choice might be, and make sure you research the proper way to make them all.
You'd be surprised how easy it is to make cocktails that look absolutely amazing. Something like a tequila sunrise takes pretty much zero effort but looks incredible in the glass, effectively convincing the world that you are a much better cocktail maker than you probably really are.
