Seafood Boil Party Ideas: Your Guide to Planning a Tasty Event

If you live in the South or a mid-Atlantic state, you’ve probably been to your fair share of seafood boils. But even if you haven’t had the fortune of attending one of these lively feasts, you can still use this summer party idea to plan your next event.

Centered around a large stockpot packed with seafood goodies, juicy sausage, and fresh-boiled veggies, this food-centric fete is all about getting together with loved ones for a delicious meal and laugh-filled time. From festive decor to exquisite foods, here are some of our favorite seafood boil party ideas that will make you — and your guests — happy as a clam.

What’s a Seafood Boil?

A seafood boil is a Southern-inspired social event where friends and family gather to eat a variety of shellfish, play games, and enjoy each other’s company. It’s one of the South’s favorite summer pastimes and a good excuse to have a party — complete with tasty recipes, festive decorations, and laugh-out-loud revelry.

A seafood boil is also called a low country boil in places like Georgia and South Carolina and goes by the name crawfish boil in the Gulf states like Louisiana. You’ll also find the event named after the type of shellfish being served such as crab boils, clambakes, lobster boils, and shrimp boils, which are especially popular in the mid-Atlantic states.

While the names may differ, the idea is the same: serve up incredible freshwater or saltwater delicacies within a fun atmosphere.

Seafood Boil Party Ideas for Food, Fun, and Decor

A seafood boil party offers a fun Southern twist on the classic summer BBQ. Here, we’re sharing seafood boil party ideas including decor, recipes , and games to keep the fun going all day long.

Focus on the Food

Since this event is all about the food, we want to pay extra attention to what you’ll serve at your bash. Seafood boils are great because you can use whatever you have on hand or get creative and mix things up. Many recipes are passed down from generation to generation, but you don’t have to be a Southerner to pull off this event.

Naturally, your main course should start with some type of seafood — think crab legs, crawfish, and shrimp. Fresh veggies are the traditional accompaniment so consider adding things like: 

• Yukon gold potatoes
• Corn on the cob 
• Green beans
• Andouille sausage (great for making it a heartier dish)
• Cajun seasoning or seafood flavorings like Old Bay seasoning
• Classic condiments like melted butter, hot sauce, and lemon wedges

While your boil is a one-pot meal, you still don’t want to forget side dishes like mac and cheese, fried okra, and spicy coleslaw. If you’re still cooking when guests arrive, have them snack on light appetizers like garlic bread or hush puppies.

For the soup, you can simply toss the ingredients into a large stock pot and boil it over an open fire. If you don’t have an open fire pit or live where there are fire restrictions, you can steam or roast the ingredients indoors instead. When guests start arriving and it’s time to eat, they get their serving inside and head outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather. 

Be sure to pair your meal with plenty of refreshments like iced tea and lemonade to keep guests cool. You can also make the dish vegan-friendly by using seafood alternatives and doubling up on the fresh veggies and spices.

Give ‘em some sugar and finish off the meal with desserts that pair well with seafood. Strawberry shortcake cupcakes, bananas foster, and lemon cheesecake are great options. After a decadent meal, your guests will be filled to the brim — and so grateful to have been invited to such a fun event.

Decorate the Space

While food is the star of the event here, you can still go all-out when it comes to party decor. With these seafood boil decor ideas, your spot will be looking pretty as a peach. 

Skip the balloons and confetti and focus your decorating efforts on the tablescape — that’s where guests will be spending most of their time anyways. Seafood boils can get messy, so be sure to provide plenty of napkins and paper towels. You’ll also want to protect your patio table from messes. Use a gingham tablecloth for a picnic vibe or go for a classic boil atmosphere and use newspaper as table covers.

Fun glassware — like blue and red drinking glasses — make great table decorations. You can elevate the table setting by using burlap fabric as placemats. Use fresh veggies to mark place settings with name tags and opt for paper plates with lobster and crab designs for easy clean-up.

For fresh and summery centerpieces, fill mason jars with lemon slices and add fragrant florals like sunflowers and white daisies. A bowl of whole lemons is an easy last-minute DIY centerpiece. You can also use fresh veggies to decorate a large lobster on a platter for a statement centerpiece. 

Have Fun With Games

Seafood boils are usually daytime or afternoon events that take place outdoors. That leaves plenty of room and time for backyard games and activities. Set up classic yard games like cornhole, Giant Jenga, or Flickin’ Chicken — a dart game using a rubber chicken. Send the winner of your outdoor party games home with a special party favor like a brand-new stock pot, a crab leg tool set, or a hot sauce sample set.

Seafood Boil Invitations

Seafood boils aren’t just great party options for celebrating the warm summer months. Consider hosting an upscale seafood boil for a bridal shower, baby shower, or birthday party. If you’re fixin’ to have a fun summer shindig, here are our favorite seafood boil invitations for inspiration.

1. Seafood Boil Invitation

Design: Lisa Travis

Planning a seafood boil with sophisticated vibes? Use this refined invitation to invite guests to the seafood-themed event, whether it’s a dress rehearsal or a baby shower. Featuring pastel colorways, it’s sweet and elegant, giving off New England charm.

2. Crawfish Boil Invitation

Design: Jessica Williams

Invite guests to a laid-back crawfish party with this rustic invitation. Featuring a wooden background and modern typography, it’s ideal for backyard seafood get-togethers.

3. Nautical Clams Invitation

Design: Signature Greenvelope

Invite guests to a clambake with this nautical invite. Featuring large line-drawn clams and a sophisticated silhouette, it’s ideal for dinner parties, summer parties, and housewarming parties alike.

4. Big Bold Crab Invitation

Design: Patrice Horvath Design

This colorful invite is perfect for seafood boils where crab is the star of the show. The hand-painted watercolor design is eye-catching and sure to have guests marking their calendars for the big event.

5. Classic Crustacean Invitation

Design: Lisa Travis

This seafood-inspired invite comes in two colorways, red and blue, for a summery feel. Choose from a lobster or crab graphic to reflect the nature of your seafood boil.

6. Seaside Stripes Invitation

Design: Signature Greenvelope

This understated invitation features nautical stripes and a muted palette, both of which are perfect for upscale seafood boils. Use it to celebrate a bridal shower, corporate summer fete, or a Labor Day party.

7. Cocktails & Crustaceans Invitation

Design: Paper Raven Co.

Host a shrimp boil party or seafood event with this hand-illustrated invite. The elegant design offers plenty of room for the event details and guests are sure to have so much fun counting down the days to your party.

It’s Time to Host the Ultimate Seafood Boil

With these seafood boil party ideas, you’ll be ready to celebrate the summer in style. Remember, this is a food-centric celebration, so spend extra time nailing the recipe and setting up the table for a tasty event. Add in some decor elements and fun party games and you’re all set for a fabulous afternoon.

At Greenvelope, you’ll find hundreds of digital invitations for all occasions, whether you’re hosting a Southern-inspired seafood boil or summer fete. Customize the design by changing the color scheme, updating the typography, or adding fun elements like music. Whatever design you choose for your event, guests are sure to be talking about the big day until the crustaceans come home.