I live in beautiful San Diego, CA, and if there’s one thing we know how to do VERY well, it’s throw a beach party! Heck, we live 90% of the summer months at the beach! So let’s dive right into the nitty-gritty so you can learn the things you need to prepare so you can continue this great holiday tradition.
People love to have beach parties because they are FUN! The simple act of opening the party invitation makes you smile: your brain immediately conjures up images of sparkling water, warm sunshine and breezes, laughter and freedom. You really can’t wait to get there and hang out with your friends, drinking something cool and dank, eating salty snacks while the rest of the world goes on. The beach just naturally makes people relax, and since this is one of the main goals of a party host, you can check it off your party planning “to do” list.
Oh, and don’t limit your beach parties to just daytime. The beach can be fantastic at night. But don’t assume you can have the “traditional” fire pit, as many cities have serious regulations governing this. So check carefully before you start hauling loads of wood onto the beach, much less light it up.
The same goes for alcohol consumption! I almost forgot to mention this, but many cities in Southern California have banned alcohol on the beach, so do your due diligence before heading out to a beach party, whether as a host or a guest. Now, a lot of times people don’t do enough planning for a beach party. Maybe it’s because the host is also very relaxed? But as a host, you really need to keep doing your regular party planning chores to make sure your guests are having fun. As always, start with your party budget. How much money can you allocate to this party? Remember, this will affect how many people you can invite and how many foods and types of food you can buy. And don’t forget to add something for games or even sunscreen!
Most beach partygoers are happy to bring just about anything to make sure the party is a success, but that means planning carefully ahead of time so everyone knows what to bring. For example, I once went to a beach party where no one brought food. It was for a birthday party and all the guests assumed that food would be provided. But the host assumed that everyone would bring their own food, so there was a mad scramble to find enough cash and then send a team out to buy food. We all laughed about it afterwards, but it really wasn’t the way to throw a party. If the presenter had taken a few minutes to think things through, the entire scene could have been avoided.
I mentioned sunscreen earlier and I wasn’t kidding! For some reason, people still today ignore the warnings about sun exposure and end up regretting it for the next week because of their pain. Also, many people are unaware of the importance of repeated sunscreen applications. They will arrive at the beach having correctly applied their sunscreen before leaving home, but after a few hours, when the sun has risen, they will find themselves in trouble. As the host, be prepared by bringing a couple extra bottles of waterproof sunscreen with you and encourage everyone to apply and reapply often.
If you have a supply of baseball caps at home, bring those as well for the same reason. And then if you can find beach umbrellas or even those beach tents, be sure to include them. If you don’t have those things on hand, let your guests know on the invitations that you don’t have them, but if they can find some to take, then they should let you know. That way, but on the day of the party, you should have a clear idea of how much protection you are able to offer your guests.
Most beach party food preparation is done at home. Sometimes people have barbecues on the beach, but this can also be a nuisance. So bring all the food yourself or arrange with your guests to bring certain foods so you have a wonderful variety to enjoy.
Beach parties are the ultimate in summer fun, or for that matter any time of year.
