A Year of Dinner Party Ideas

Find a year of Dinner Party Ideas including table settings, menus, tips, and more. No matter what the season is you’ll find ideas for entertaining that will guide you. I’ve included holidays and special occasions all organized by month. We even have dinner parties to host “just because.” Get your calendar ready for a year’s worth of dinner party entertaining!

A Year of Dinner Party Ideas, Table settings, Menus and more

Are you ready to host a dinner party? Today we’re taking a look at all the fun dinner party ideas that you can incorporate into a year.

My goal last year was to create complete party plans for each month and encourage you to bring back the art of the dinner party. It seems like it’s become too much of a “burden” in today’s world. I think we should change that outlook!

With that in mind I tried to give you plenty of tips, tablescapes, and menu plans with recipes for each month of the year. Take a look at each one I’ve linked below, along with a few bonus ones too! Each one is perfectly themed for the respective holiday and gives you lots of inspiration for entertaining.

Pick a winter dinner party theme

• To kick off the year we created a Chinese themed dinner to celebrate the Chinese New Year. We served Chinese take out to make it convenient and a bit whimsical! If you’re not in the mood for take-out, this cozy soup dinner party is a fantastic way to spend an evening!
• In February it was time to celebrate with a Mardi Gras party, but not in a wild, kitschy way. This party was inspired by our trip to New Orleans and the fantastic food we had there.
• On to the next holiday with an Irish themed dinner party for St. Patrick’s Day. By March I’m always getting a little cabin fever and ready to do something fun, so this dinner party theme is perfect for that.

Welcome Spring with one of these dinner party ideas

• With April comes Easter and who doesn’t want to enjoy a beautiful Easter tablescape for brunch with family or friends? For holiday gatherings like this, we love to host potluck style so everyone gets to pitch in and bring a favorite dish. However I do have some favorite recipes included.
• May brings so many chances to entertain, and ladies luncheon for Mother’s day is just one of them. This one has lots of pretty details! Of course you could also host a Mexican Fiesta dinner party for Cinco De Mayo, because who doesn’t love Mexican food?

Host a Summer party outside

• June is the official start of summer so a brightly colored summer dinner party tablescape & menu were in order. This one has a few easy diy’s and tasty recipes.
• The days are long in July so a sunset supper was the perfect party to host at the edge of dark. The relaxed and casual vibe invites guests to linger. However, if you’re more in the mood to celebrate the 4th of July then this red, white & blue dinner party may be in order.
• One of my favorite dinner party ideas came in August as we see the merging of summer and fall influence. This late summer party with iced tea bar is filled with pretty inspiration and a pretty menu to match.

Enter Fall with seasonal celebrations

• For September I wanted to create something that would be apropos for any girls gathering. It’s the time of year I get together with my own longtime girlfriends and celebrate our birthdays together. The ideas can also be applied throughout the year for bridal showers, or other occasions as this celebration tablescape with floor seating can be set up indoors or out depending on the weather.
• As we head into the holiday months, we have a Halloween themed dinner party in black that is very festive but chic at the same time. I like to think of it as how grownups celebrate Halloween.
• As November rolls around it’s time to plan with this  black & white tablescape for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. It’s got everything you need for a gorgeous celebration. Including some of our all time best tried and true recipes for holiday entertaining.
• In December, rise and shine with this red & white Christmas tablescape & brunch menu. This is classic colors with a hint of black for a modern touch. And you’ll love the holiday brunch recipes!

There’s something so satisfying about sitting down to a pretty table among friends, and eating and drinking until our heart’s content. Let the wine, conversation, and laughter flow!

How do you feel about hosting a dinner party? Too much work or a great way to spend time with people? For even more help you can see 101 tips for preparing to host a party.

cheers!