Sunset Supper Party Ideas

Living in Virginia means summer evenings are a mixed bag. Some days are hot, humid, and barely breathable, while others are mild, comfortable, and inviting. The latter is what we live for around here and makes summer entertaining a joy.

A sunset supper is ideal for hosting close friends, neighbors, or family. The food is easy, and you get to linger over the table at a leisurely pace. It’s held late in the day so you can avoid much of the direct sun exposure, and you get to experience the beautiful Golden Hour as the sun inches closer to the horizon.

I’ve put together a tasty menu with a signature drink, a lounge area for gathering under the stars, and some ideas for family-friendly activities you can incorporate after dark. 

Table Setting

Keep the table setting simple with linen tablecloth or fabric straight off the bolt. Use everyday white dinner plates as the base for place settings, and give them a boost of color by layering on vintage depression glass salad plates.

Use plant markers for name cards. While this kind of casual dinner doesn’t NEED place cards, it’s a cute detail that adds charm to the simple place settings.

Centerpiece

I think a no-fuss succulent planter box makes a more appropriate centerpiece for this type of laid back gathering than an expensive flower arrangement. What’s more is that you can bring it indoors afterward and it will last a long time.

I love the variety of colors and textures in the different succulents, and the low profile of the planter makes it easy to talk over.

Setting The Scene

If you have a patio or deck, it’s the perfect place to set up. If not, you can party on the lawn or make it a sunset garden party.

Before you set the table, make sure you set the scene for guests. Arrange a lounge area with comfortable seating around the fire pit if temperatures allow. Have stacks of wood or fire logs at the ready.

Hang string lights or market lights above the space to create a festive atmosphere.

Bring potted plants and flowers into the space. It helps create a room-like gathering area.

Put on a playlist for background music. For a low-key vibe I like to put on the Top 100 Yacht Rock playlist with it’s soothing sounds and mellow tempo.

Menu Ideas

My idea of a sunset dinner menu combines easy recipes with a few shortcuts. This is not a backyard bbq so I don’t want to man the grill, but I do have an option for that too.

This is a bit of a comfort menu with both fresh seasonal ingredients, and kitchen staples.

This casual meal starts with bread and dipping oil that you can serve as a light appetizer (like restaurants do) or just have it on the table to eat with the main course. You can also add small bowls of olives, Marcona almonds, and kettle chips.

Serve tomato and goat cheese salad as a first course or as a side to the main entree. I recreated this recipe based on the one I had in New York City, and it hits all the right notes for texture, color, and taste. The recipe includes homemade vinaigrette dressing, but you can use a good bottled citrus vinaigrette as a substitute with great results.

My shortcut for this menu is a purchased rotisserie chicken, but if you want to make something yourself I suggest lemon-herb grilled chicken or simple Southern fried chicken which is delicious at room temperature. As I said earlier, this is for your good friends and family so there’s no judgement on whether you cook everything from scratch or not.

Serve the chicken with wild rice pilaf with vegetables. You can make this a little bit ahead and keep it warm in a crockpot set on low or warm setting, or put it in the oven at the lowest temperature.

If you have vegetarians in the group you can make this Mediterranean chickpea salad or Greek-style couscous salad with white beans or chickpeas added.

A fabulous make-ahead dessert is blackberry custard pie. The sweet creamy filling is balanced by fresh seasonal blackberries and tastes fantastic. Serve store-bought ice cream or whipped cream on the side, or make this easy banana based ice cream a day ahead.

For another easy menu outdoors, this casual summer dinner can be made ahead with almost no cooking.

Signature Drink

Serve a signature cocktail to sip on before the supper, and as you lounge afterwards. We had the most amazing sparkling mojito in New York and I re-created the recipe to enjoy for gatherings with friends.

For a no-alcohol drink, make blackberry iced tea a few hours ahead.

After dinner you’ll want to linger in comfort under the stars. Light up the firepit with duraflame® stax firelogs and enjoy the ambiance.

Activities

For most parties I prefer to relax with the art of conversation, but here are a few suggestions to incorporate if you like to have something more to do. These ideas are based on the understanding that it will be the evening, and dark outside.

• Set up an outdoor movie and project it on a big screen, a king size white sheet, or the side of the house.
• As an alternative to the movie concept, set up an outdoor streaming concert or comedian standup routine. You can typically use YouTube or Netflix for these.
• Why not have a dance party? The lights are low and you can play music using a Bluetooth speaker.
• If kids are invited, let them chase around lightening bugs with glass jars and lids with holes punched in them. Glow sticks and sparklers are a lot of fun too, but remember safety first!
• You can also set up tents for the kids to pretend like they’re camping. Let them make s’mores over the open fire.
• Good old fashioned star-gazing is awesome on a clear night! I remember being at the beach with friends in college, and staring up at the night sky philosophizing about the universe.

There you have it; a simple party plan for a casual sunset supper with friends or family. It’s a lovely way to slow down and enjoy those warm summer nights.