Yeah I think your plan for the weekend gathering sounds solid. We did something similar last month with about twelve people and it worked well to have a couple of main dishes and let everyone bring a side to share. The key is really just making sure there's enough variety so nobody feels like they're eating the same thing all evening. I'd suggest having at least one vegetarian option even if most folks eat meat just so there's a choice. For the dessert situation I'd keep it simple maybe a fruit tart and some cookies rather than trying to make something elaborate. The weather forecast looks decent so if you have outdoor space that could be nice for people to spread out a bit. Let me know if you need help with setup or anything on the day.
OMAHA STEAKS
Selected cuts, prepared with care

A Curated Selection of Steaks

Five hundred gourmet samplers are available to participants, each provided at no charge. One sampler per household. Offer ends Tomorrow.
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Each sampler includes a hand-selected assortment of cuts, flash-frozen to preserve their texture and flavor. These boxes are typically valued over six hundred dollars, and the program covers the cost for this offer—so you will not be billed for the sampler if you are among those selected.

The cuts are chosen for their quality and marbling, prepared with care, and shipped directly to your door. Quantities are determined by program allocation, so we encourage you to review the details soon.

Inside Your Box
4 Filet Mignons
4 Ribeyes
4 New York Strips
6 Top Sirloins

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Omaha Steaks • Hand-selected cuts prepared with care
We talked about the shelving unit for the garage and I think the adjustable metal kind would be best for your space since you can customize the height between shelves depending on what you're storing. I put together a similar setup last year and it held up really well even with heavy bins on the lower levels. The wall anchors are important if you're loading it up with anything substantial. For the floor layout you'd want to leave enough room to walk past when the car is parked. I measured our space and found that leaving about three feet of clearance on the driver side worked well. The lighting situation you mentioned could be solved with a couple of stick-on LED strips under the shelf lip so you can see what's in the bins without pulling everything out. Let me know if you want me to send over the link to the ones I used.