If you’re excited to start hosting dinner parties with friends but are short on ideas, then you need to check out these themed dinner party ideas!
by Atomic Mommy Editors
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Dinner parties can be fun but if you stick to using the same old ideas, they can also become a little boring. To keep your friends entertained when you invite them for dinner, mix things up with themed dinner parties. They will appreciate the efforts you have made and you will be able to breathe a big sigh of relief when you notice that they are having a good time at your social gathering.
So, if you’re preparing for your next dinner party, consider the following ideas.
#1: Taco Fiesta
If you and your friends love Mexican food, why not have a taco party? You could prepare in advance and use taco recipes you find online, such as this recipe for pork belly tacos, or you could provide a range of ingredients and taco shells and let your guests prepare their own meals.
Be sure to add salad bowls and other side dishes, such as rice and beans, and ask your friends to bring their favorite salsa dips and toppings to the party.
Set the scene with Mariachi music playing in the background (perhaps from a local Mariachi band if you can hire somebody) and after eating, play some of these Cinco de Mayo games with your guests to keep them entertained.
#2: Retro dinner party
Step back in time at your dinner party with a retro theme. You could turn your home into a 1950s diner, for example, with checkered tablecloths covering your tables, and a steady supply of milkshakes, root beers, hotdogs and hamburgers available for your guests.
You could hire a jukebox for the evening to play popular 50s songs to add to the ambience of your party and you could hire a cotton candy machine too.
If your friends grew up in the 80s, you could also prepare a themed party based on that decade, using bright, neon colours for your wall and table decor. Be sure to ask your friends to wear the outfits (and hair-dos) that were popular from that time and dig into your wardrobe for anything you may have worn all those years ago. Be sure to cook the foods that were popular in the 80s to add to the nostalgic feel of your evening and perhaps watch a popular movie from that decade after eating.
#3: DIY Pizza Party
A pizza party is a great way to bond with your friends as you can all get together in the kitchen to prepare your own food. Ask your guests to bring their favorite toppings or provide a variety of toppings for them to choose from when creating their pizzas.
To make the party even more special for them, you could provide each person with a personalized apron with their names on it. You could also combine the pizza theme with an Italian theme (as the Italians invented pizza) and have the appropriate music from the country playing in the background, alongside Italian decor in your dining room.
#4: Spooky dinner party
This is the kind of party you would throw at Halloween but you don’t need to wait until October 31st to scare (in a good way) the guests at your dinner party.
In terms of decor, you might want to put up faux cobwebs around your room, alongside any other ghoulish piece of decoration that will create a spooky atmosphere. Your tablecloth should be black or dark grey if you’re adding a gothic feel, and you might want to purchase some gothic candle holders too.
When it comes to mealtime, you might want to use these Halloween-themed foods for your main meal and dessert, or you could blindfold your guests and dare them to eat ‘mystery’ foods from their plates (be sure to check for food intolerances first).
A spooky dinner party wouldn’t be complete without a few spooky songs. You could play such songs as Nina Simone’s “I put a spell on you” and Duke Ellington’s “Night creature” or you could play popular themes from horror movie soundtracks to add a chill to the evening.
For entertainment, you could have a movie night and cuddle up under a blanket together to watch a few spooky movies or you could break out the dice and play one of these horror board games.
Other dinner party themes
We have given you a few ideas but there are loads of other themes you could consider for your dinner party.
You could have a ‘breakfast for dinner’ party, for example, and serve up pancakes and variations on other popular breakfast foods, and have your friends wear their pajamas to your event. Or you could have an English tea party, with various varieties of tea served up in your best china. Just don’t forget the scones!
The Takeaway
Themed dinner party ideas are a fantastic way to gather your friends for some fun and food. So don’t fret the next time it’s your turn to host. Rather, use some of the ideas we provided here, and enjoy your friends as they fall in love with your hosting skills!