Work Hard, Play Hard: Easy Labor Day Party Idea Inspiration

Is it us, or does it feel like summer just started? And yet, here we are with Labor Day — the final summer fête — right around the corner. 

We must’ve been working too hard this season because all those sunny days have flown by. But we’re certainly not gonna miss our chance to throw one last summer bash. 

We’ve gathered seven of our favorite ways to spend the final days of summer. And since we all work hard every other day of the year, we’re including tips to make hosting feel less like work and more like play. 

So, pick your favorite Labor Day party idea and get ready to throw the easiest end-of-summer celebration EVER. 

Pick a Labor Day Party Idea … 

And let us do the planning. We’ve paired each of these ideas with tips to take the work out of hosting. From matching invites to easy menus, consider this your complete summer party guide. 

1. All-White Party 

Design: Lorree Mayer Design

Poke a little fun at the “no white after Labor Day” rule by hosting an all-white party on Labor Day weekend. Encourage your cohorts to show up in their freshest white apparel, and stay on theme with white decorations and fuss-free foods. Pro tip: Keep ketchup and mustard off the menu to avoid stained shirts.

Invitation inspiration: We love this White Summer Chic invitation that you can easily customize with all your details. 

Easy menu options: Instead of struggling to come up with an all-white meal, keep it simple by hosting a cocktail party with light bites. Pre-batch some white sangria or white cosmos, then set out appetizers like a white bean dip, marinated cauliflower, hearts of palm salad, and a cheese plate. (Sorry, cheddar, you’re not invited!)

Decorating ideas: Make your life easy by ordering a complete kit of all-white party decor. Or put the decorations together yourself by laying out white tablecloths, making centerpieces from baby’s breath and Mason jars, and hanging a white sheet, curtains, or streamers for a DIY photo backdrop. 

2. Backyard BBQ 

Design: Jen Montgomery

Even if you already hosted a summer BBQ for Memorial Day and Fourth of July, it’s still a perfect Labor Day party idea. After all, you might not get another chance to get behind the grill until next summer.

Labor Day could also be your last chance to break out the American flags and whatever is left of your red, white, and blue decor from the 4th. Those patriotic party themes are a summertime staple. 

Invitation inspiration: This Bold BBQ invitation comes in four color schemes (including one very patriotic red, white, and blue option), or you can customize it to include your own favorite colors. 

Easy menu options: It doesn’t get much easier than hot dogs and hamburgers. Check your market’s meat department for ready-made patties, then head over to the produce section to look for veggie kabobs that are already on skewers. Serve up watermelon slices and store-bought coleslaw as your side dishes.

Decorating ideas: There’s no shame in using up your leftover 4th of July decor. But if that stuff is long gone, you can opt for gingham tablecloths, paper plates, and streamers. 

3. Pool Party 

Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery

Invite your friends for a final dip before temperatures start to dip. A pool party is an ideal summer send-off. You can enjoy the last of the warm weather, blast your favorite summer playlist, and sip drinks out of a coconut (kind of an end-of-summer requirement if you ask us).

No pool? No problem. Check your city parks for a community pool, or host a water balloon fight in your own backyard.

Invitation inspiration: One glance at this Pool Party Classics invitation and your guest will know exactly what lies ahead. 

Easy menu options: If you have a pool in your backyard, you can combine this Labor Day party idea with your classic summer BBQ menu, or you can stick to simple poolside snacks like chips and salsa, veggies and ranch, deli sandwiches, watermelon, and popsicles.

Decorating ideas: Lay out your favorite beach towels, add in some festive floaties, hang a few brightly colored streamers, and hand everyone a lei when they arrive. You’ll have your guests feeling festive — with or without the coconut drinks. 

4. Ice Cream Social 

Design: Mint Parcel

Ice cream is basically the greatest food ever invented, and we don’t celebrate that enough. While we firmly believe that ice cream is a year-round food (just serve it with a side of hot chocolate in the winter), ice cream parties always feel like a summer affair. 

It’s the perfect food for a hot summer’s day, and if you’re looking for easy food ideas, the recipe for an ice cream social basically goes like this: Buy ice cream. 

Invitation inspiration: We love the happy summer colors on this Ice Cream Social invitation. You can choose from mint, yellow, pink, or teal color schemes, or design your own. 

Easy menu options: Buy ice cream. If you want to get fancier than that, you can also provide whipped cream, sprinkles, maraschino cherries, chopped nuts, hot fudge, caramel, and ice cream cones to your cart. 

Decorating ideas: This is another themed party where you can find kits with all the decorations you need. 

5. Low-Country Boil 

Design: Jen Montgomery

According to a classic piece of wisdom, you’re only supposed to eat shellfish during months that end in “r,” which makes the first Monday in September one of the first days of shellfish season. Celebrate the fruits of the sea(son) with a low-country boil. You can organize this cookout on your grill or stovetop, so if the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can easily move your outdoor party inside. 

Invitation inspiration: This Cajun Crawfish invitation will kick off a simmering summer bash with its feisty wording — “It’s Time to Get Cray!”

Easy menu options: This summer party theme is all about the food, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to leave you slaving away in the kitchen. All you need for a low-country boil is a big pot of boiling water, some Old Bay seasoning, a little salt, and the main ingredients (think shrimp, crawfish, corn, potatoes, and onions). Add each ingredient to the pot when your recipe says, and you’ll have an easy Labor Day dinner. 

Decorating ideas: A Low-Country boil is the perfect excuse to get pictures of your nearest and dearest wearing bibs. Other than that, it’s traditional to line the table with newspaper and spread out your meal on top. If you want to go a little fancier, you can opt for gingham tablecloths and dish towel-lined serving baskets. 

6. Campfire Fiesta 

Design: Signature Greenvelope

If the cold weather is starting to creep in (and even if it isn’t), you can host a fireside Labor Day celebration with a backyard bonfire. 

Get together to swap ghost stories and cook over an open flame. Organize a weekend-long camping trip with your closest friends, or just enjoy the highlights of camping (friends, fire, food!) without sacrificing your comfy bed at the end of the night. 

Invitation inspiration: This Let’s Get Toasted invitation proves that roasting marshmallows isn’t just for the kiddos. 

Easy menu options: Choose food that you can roast over the fire, and let your guests cook for themselves. You supply the skewers, plus hotdogs for the main course. For dessert, pass around marshmallows and let everyone build their own s’mores. 

Decorating ideas: The fire pit should provide all the ambiance you need, but don’t forget to set out chairs or blankets for everyone.

7. Winter Body Bash

Design: Clementine Creative

In our lifetimes, we’ve heard more than we ever wanted to about how to get the “perfect summer body.” We’d much rather work on our winter bodies — by eating lots of comfort food and getting ready for a glorious season of oversized sweaters. 

Cast aside your classic Labor Day recipes, and say buh-bye to summer-body pressure with a decadent eat-a-thon. 

Invitation inspiration: Even though this Holiday Humor invitation was originally designed for a winter holiday party, you can customize the colors and text to fit your Labor Day party theme — and show everyone how excited you are to break out those stretchy pants. 

Easy menu options: Celebrate with the most carb-rich meal of the day — brunch! If you want to host at your house, go for a “bagels and bubbly” theme. Buy some bagels and bubbly, and you’re done. To make it even easier, skip both cooking and cleaning by inviting people out to your favorite brunch spot. 

Decoration ideas: Keep it simple with a nicely set table and a mimosa bar, lean into the winter-wear theme by breaking out your fall or winter decor, or go for a cute animals party theme with squirrels, bears, and all the creatures that fatten up for winter. 

You Work Hard All Year … 

You deserve a Labor Day Party idea that’ll take the work out of your weekend. Our favorite way to make party planning easier: digital invitations. 

With digital invites, you don’t have to lick envelopes, buy stamps, or kill trees. Just upload your guests’ email addresses, and your invitations will go straight to their inboxes. 

Digital invites are way easier than snail mail and way cuter than a text message. Plus, you can add directions to your house, tips for your guests (like wear stretchy pants!), or a link to your favorite meme. Then, track RSVPs all in one place instead of digging through a bunch of old texts to see if someone responded. 

And with thousands of designs to choose from, you can find a beautiful invite to match your party theme.