Green Theme Dinner Party & Tablescape

Today I’m excited to share these green themed dinner party ideas with a table setting that incorporates a succulents centerpiece, and a tropical-bohemian fusion. After designing the tablescape, carry the green theme to food and drinks. It’s so festive for a backyard garden party and summer themes.  

Think of green as a neutral tone. It’s the color of nature so it’s a great accent for almost any other color. In this case I started with a creamy off-white canvas and let green shine as the major pop of color. I think you’ll agree it turned out warm, cozy, and inviting!

Themed Tablescape

Create your own green table setting and celebrate the summer in style. Start by layering the table setting elements in an organized process:

1. Table covering or table runner.
2. Create a centerpiece that’s the right size and shape for the table.
3. Plate chargers to frame the place settings.
4. Coordinating dinner plate with salad or dessert plate on top.
5. Colorful napkins and glassware to add interest and color.
6. Add a unique and decorative place card if desired.

Centerpiece

Some of the notable aspects of the table are the cream colored tablecloth that creates a blank canvas on which to work. It’s actually a large canvas drop cloth! A macrame table runner adds texture without adding color.

Create a succulents “runner” by grouping various air plants together in the center of the table. The designs of each one are so unique and interesting!

Flank the greenery with a couple of candle lanterns to add a pretty glow as the sun goes down.

Place Settings

I layered plates to incorporate the look of wood, marble, and the tropics for each place setting. Start with faux wood chargers underneath your everyday white or melamine dinner plates, then top with leaf print plates.

I love that you can reuse the leaf print for a tropical theme party, a Hawaiian luau, or a Havana theme party.

Details

Vintage-style green glasses, and fabric napkins are balanced by wooden napkin rings. Gold flatware and lanterns add “jewelry” to the table.

Use tiny air plants to help decorate place cards. A mini clothes pin can be used to attach the succulents to the name tag.

Setting Up

I set the party on my patio decorated with neutral tones and plants, which coordinated so well with the green theme. It all came together when I added earthy boho-style with woodgrain, macramé, and succulents.

An eye-catching element to add outdoors is a candle chandelier draped with greenery. This draws the eye upward and adds loads of ambiance and mood. Just make sure the greens are placed safely away from lit candles.

The addition of tropical plants and cactus help create a cozy “room” feel as it defines the outdoor space.

Make sure to plan for the evening as the sun goes down. Hang patio lights overhead to give you a beautiful glow as you linger outside.

Green Dinner Party Menu 

As with all my dinner party menus, I like to follow a theme when possible. Since green is the color of the soiree I’ve chosen some appropriate food items that fit right in.

Drinks

For starters, create a delicious signature cocktail using cucumber & mint mixer. Simply mix it with a little gin or vodka and garnished with cucumber ribbons and mint sprigs. It’s so refreshing!

If you want to serve a green tinted drink, make these champagne and Midori drinks. They’re very festive!

EXPERT TIP: Pre-pour drinks into glasses that can be nestled into a large bowl of ice. Add some succulents to the bowl for a decorative touch. Guests can grab a cold drink as they arrive.

Appetizers

For an appetizer serve a dish in the middle of the table of steamed edamame in the shell sprinkled with sea salt. I got the idea from an Asian-fusion restaurant. It was such an interesting and interactive way to nosh on something light before dinner, similar to chips and salsa for a Mexican theme. Don’t forget to add a second dish or small bowl for the discarded shells.

This fantastic wasabi cream cheese dip is also a crowd favorite and so easy to make with just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes. Perfect for the busy hostess.

Main Dish

For the main course I like to serve something light and easy like grilled lemon & herb chicken or jerk chicken skewers. You could drizzle some prepared pesto or green goddess dressing over it to bring in more green.

Sides

Serve two side dishes along with a basket of bread.

The best no-fail side is a green salad, or a chopped salad. You can buy ready-to-use bags at the grocery store and it looks like you’ve been chopping all day! Another option is this creamy cucumber salad with bacon which is fresh and crunchy.

This Thai flavor broccoli pasta salad gives you both a vegetable component and a pasta component, with a great flavor profile. Another make-ahead dish is marinated asparagus which can be served cold or room temperature. It’s a great complement to almost any entree.

If you’re hosting indoors and don’t mind a few minutes of last minute prep, I suggest green peas with Parmesan and cashews which is cooked on the stove and served warm.

Dessert

The perfect green themed dessert is this lime tartlets recipe. It’s a great make-ahead option that looks so pretty with the green décor. You could pair it with some green fruit like kiwi, honeydew melon, or green grapes on the side.

More Themes

Color is always a good place to start planning for a party theme, and if you like this green dinner I think you’ll love my peach theme garden party or this purple garden party picnic.

Other widely loved color themes are pink parties for the gals, and a gold party for special celebrations.