Your party can be stress-free when you go with a pro

Let's not kid ourselves. Throwing a party for family and friends at your home is a lot of work.

But you can relieve yourself of a huge amount of that task if you hire a professional to do the cooking and deliver the drinks. And if you choose the right professional package, the food's preparation can double as the entertainment.

Weber Grill restaurants, which are owned by the same people who make the iconic Weber Kettle and a wide range of other grills and smokers, offer a Weber On Wheels catering package in which they deliver Weber Kettles to your site and grill for your backyard party, company picnic, wedding, graduation celebration, family reunion or birthday party.

"On-site grilling parties are an action station component for your catered event," said Lauren Rullo, sales manager. "We bring out grilling experts, along with our portable grilling station, and produce fire-inspired cooking on the spot. Your event will be the talk of the summer as we bring the same standards of service from the restaurants to your home, office or park."

And you can't beat the fact that party hosts can enjoy the celebration alongside their guests. They aren't tied to the grill or smoker or trapped inside preparing those side dishes. Weber sends a grillmaster, a supervisor and an assistant to make sure everything is seamless.

"We offer a variety of party packages, ranging from a build-your-own burger bar, to barbecue favorites, to beer-can chicken and teriyaki skirt steak, to grilled salmon and New York strip steaks," Rullo said.

The options within each party package are wide. The Build-Your-Own Burger Bar package, for instance, allows you the option of including turkey, chicken or veggie burgers, along with the conventional beef burgers. Toppings and cheeses abound with this popular package.

Those who choose the Barbeque package get the choice of barbecued chicken, ribs and pulled pork. Beef brisket can be added for an extra per person charge. The food is cooked on a Smokey Joe smoker, right in your yard or selected site. Sides included are bourbon-baked beans, coleslaw and cornbread, Rullo said.

The Fire-Inspired Backyard Party package allows guests to choose between beer-can chicken and teriyaki skirt steak. Sides include seasonal vegetables, salad, mashed potatoes and pretzel rolls with cheddar butter.

Finally, there is the Signature Party package. It is very popular with outdoor weddings and includes both grilled New York steak and plank-grilled bourbon salmon. Sides are Caesar salad, Yukon Gold potatoes, asparagus and pretzel rolls with cheddar butter.

Find details about the service under "catering" at www.webergrillrestaurant.com.

As for the liquid refreshments, Weber is happy to provide a bartender for an extra cost, but they recommend party hosts contact the event planning service at Binny's Beverage Depot for assistance with what to purchase.

Binny's will even deliver everything you need (including mixers and pop) for a flat fee of $25 if you are within 10 miles of one of its stores that delivers (Glen Ellyn, Lake Zurich, Niles, Willowbrook and Highland Park). A $10 surcharge applies for each additional 10 miles the delivery truck needs to travel.

Fees differ in Chicago and on Sundays, said Megan McDermott, Binny's customer service manager/event planner.

"We provide a free event planning/concierge service which allows hosts of weddings and other parties being held at home or in unique spaces, such as art galleries and industrial spaces, to get their beer, wine and liquor without paying a package price to a caterer," McDermott said.

"We have years of experience so we can work within any budget and are very good at mixing and matching if, for instance, you want to offer craft beers and nice bourbons, but decide to offer a value wine," she said.

"Many of the people who are hosting these parties don't know, for instance, what the young adults are drinking today and they want to provide something that will please the crowd, so they ask for our help," she added.

Advice on which craft beers to stock, which wines are particularly popular, and which liquors are "in" are all provided by McDermott and her staff. Fads and tastes in alcoholic beverages change quickly and unless you are in the business, it is hard to stay abreast of what is "hot." Much also depends on the time of year, the occasion and the guest list.

Concierges also advise hosts on when to cool items, what needs to be kept out of the sun, what wine should be paired with what meal, etc.

Binny's is also good at estimating how much of each beverage is needed.

"People can drive themselves crazy if they try to figure out what everyone will drink. We will estimate with a good buffer so that you won't run out and then we have a liberal return policy for items that are left over." Binny's accepts returns as long as the bottles are unopened, still in resale condition and the labels and seals are intact.

"We even have a pickup service for the same fee you paid for delivery, if you don't want to take your leftovers back to your nearest store," she said.

Binny's does not set up the bar or ice the beer, however. That is the responsibility of the bartender, caterer or host. Incidentally, party hosts may request a list of bartenders-for-hire from their Binny's event planner.

For more information, visit www.binnys.com or call your local store.