Sure, inviting a few friends for a last minute bring-your-own-meat-and-beer night can be fun. But the setup can produce some unsavory moments — a veggie burger will dry to a crisp as a fat chicken breast finishes cooking over the coals. On the other hand, it’s tempting to exert maximum control with a formal dinner party complete with salad forks and decanters. Somewhere in between sits the perfect summer party, a marriage of planning, preparation and relaxing in the moment — like planting veggie beds then sitting back and drinking fresh lemonade. To achieve this perfect balance, we asked experts in catering, bartending and entertaining to create the ingredient list for the perfect summer party.

What they recommended includes everything from fresh raspberries for a lively cocktail to Mason jars for well-placed candlelight, which celebrates the bounty of Oregon’s summer and the magical mélange of planning and spontaneity.