Lately I have been in my Martha Stewart era. I’ve been obsessed with making and consuming content about cooking, homemaking, gardening and of course - hosting. Hosting is so fun, I love getting to be creative with my decor and menus. It’s something I don’t do enough because I have a very small home so not a ton of room to host, but I want to get more into it and find creative ways to make do with the space I have (maybe that will be it’s own post!). Today I felt inspired by the current season and wanted to put together some ideas for spring themed dinner parties that I would love to host! I love putting together a theme and mood-boarding it out.
Any of these ideas would be ideal for outdoor dining, but of course the one thing about spring is the weather is unpredictable!
Whenever I put together a theme in my mind I love thinking through the little details like table setup, and menu! One of the most fun parts of coming up with dinner party ideas is designing a menu. I used canva to make mine, and they also have a ton of pre-made templates you can use and customize as well.
Spring Dinner Party Ideas & Themes
STRAWBERRY DINNER
Strawberry is such a cute theme for spring. It’s fresh, sweet and fruity, and personally I always think of strawberries and picking berries in spring time. It kind of gives me spring picnic vibes.
Recipe Ideas
Here are some ideas you can pick from and combine to create a strawberry themed dinner menu.
Appetizers:
charcuterie board with strawberry jams and spreads, sliced strawberries paired with cheeses, meats and breads
Main Courses:
barbecue grilled chicken and corn on the cob (lean into a barbecue theme, strawberries make me think of spring/summer grilling! Also a good choice if you don’t want every single thing to have strawberry in it.)
Sides:
Dessert:
strawberry shortcake (duh)
Drinks:
I put together a little menu on canva; I went with a little whimsy and cuteness for this one.
Menu:
Tablescape & Decor:
For the tablescape I’d probably keep it classic with a red and white gingham tablecloth, because thinking of being out picking strawberries always makes me think of picnics. Depending what you choose to put together you could even make this a picnic garden party. Put together pink red and white floral arrangements. I love adding white babies breath to more colourful flowers for more volume. I would also add some cute baskets of washed strawberries out as well. Layering patterns with napkins, placemats and dishes - like pairing gingham, lace, linen etc. You could also make little strawberry name cards on canva to add to each table setting.
SPRING VEGGIES
Another theme I love for spring is a rustic, herby, spring vegetable theme. Think peas, carrots, potatoes, radish. Classic root veggies and roasted meats with herbs and spices. This one really gives me vegetable garden vibes - like I could imagine picking these veggies and herbs right from the garden and throwing together a dinner with them.
Recipe Ideas
Here are some recipe ideas for a herb and vegetable themed spring dinner. When in doubt - bread with herbs and butter, and roasted meat with herbs and veggies!
Appetizers:
focaccia with chives and parsley (or focaccia with another pairing - rosemary and thyme, garlic, herb garden focaccia, etc.)
Main Course:
Sides:
Desserts:
Drinks:
chardonnay would be a great pairing with the herbs and spices
Menu:
Tablescape & Decor:
For this table I would go super rustic. All natural and deep and moody earth tones. I would also stick with natural fabrics like linen, gauze and crinkled cotton, and use natural serving dishes and accents like wood, stone, and ceramic. I would probably do a wood table with a gauze runner (if you have one, if not I would use a linen tablecloth). For the runner I would have it be loose and airy so i can lay it kind of ‘messily’ on the table (like not super flat, more weaving around the centre pieces and serving dishes). Of course decorate with natural elements - flowers for spring, preferably a wildflower look. Lavender also would look gorgeous on the table. Sprigs of rosemary and figs make great little additions to a table or around dishes. Woven placemats would be perfect. Lots of candles for ambient lighting.
Additional Themes:
Some other amazing spring themed gatherings you could host:
FRUITY AND FLORAL SPRING BRUNCH
I’m not actually a huge brunch girl, but I do see the appeal of hosting brunch because you get to have yummy breakfast foods but no one has to get ready too early. I think a fruity floral theme would work so well for a spring brunch because brunch food usually includes lots of fruits already.
I would make everything fruity or floral - you could serve things like goat cheese & honey Crostini with edible flowers on top. Whipped feta crostini with a berry jam, or even like an apple or clementine jelly.
For actual food I would serve things like peaches and cream parfaits, fruit topped waffles. For savoury you could do a quiche with herbs and veggies, and top it with a few edible flowers. I would also make floral and fruity syrups like a lavender syrup, and maybe an apricot one
Decor would just be tons of flowers and spring-y pastel colours. Fruit bowls and little figs or berries around would add to the fruity element.
SPRING GRAZING - perfect for small space hosting
I actually don’t have a dining room right now, so living in a small home we have to get creative. I love setting up the coffee table for appetizers and grazing. Think charcuterie boards, finger foods, etc. This would also be perfect on a kitchen island.
Boards with seasonal vegetables, fruits and spreads. Garnish with things like rosemary, dill sprigs, edible flowers. For appetizers I would do this 3 cheese bruschetta, Brie Phyllo Cups with Blackberry and Thyme, and then a desert board with mini apple crumble cups, and lavender scones with cream.
The smaller the space, the more limited the decor but you’d be surprised how much you can fit on a coffee table. You can still do a tablecloth, just fold it up smaller so no one trips. Small floral arrangements in between the various boards and trays is also really pretty. You can also dress up some basic things like having bread baskets rather than just plates. I also have been obsessed with the idea of a butter board lately so I would definitely make a little one!
GARDEN PICNIC
Another idea for small spaces would be take it outside with a picnic. The obvious theme here would be garden party floral vibes.
For this I would keep everything pretty light - baguette with a seasoned butter, sandwiches, maybe mini quiche cups, a salad with fruit. Strawberry shortcake jars would be a really cute and easy to make ahead and pack dessert!
Picnic blanket would be essential of course, but I’d pair with some cushions to sit on, trays for the food, and of course lots of flowers. I love the look of a picnic basket open with lots of flowers and greenery coming out of it. Depending where you are hosting this it’ll change how in depth you can go with the decor.
LAVENDER DINNER
You could lean into spring blooms with a lilac and lavender themed dinner. Kind of like the strawberry dinner, there are a surprising amount of recipes you can incorporate lavender to. You can also lean into the theme in terms of color (for example, purple potatoes, onion, purple cauliflower, purple cabbage, eggplant etc. all have a purpley hue).
I would do a baked brie with lavender honey, or a baguette with blueberry whipped goat cheese (looks light purple so perfectly on theme). For a main course you could lean into purple vegetables and pair with whatever protein you prefer. Or do a lavender honey glazed chicken. Lots of lavender options for dessert, and same with drinks!
For decor obviously lots of lavender around - both sprigs and dried. Lavender and lilac bouquets for centrepieces would be perfect.
I feel like I could think of a million themes that would be so fun. Don’t be afraid to get creative with it, or pick a theme that seems really narrow (like strawberry) - you’d be surprised how many different recipes and variations you can make!
Happy Hosting!
Love, K