If you’ve been around for awhile, you know that I love every reason to celebrate. Whether it be big or small, there is nothing better than a celebration. This year is all about romanticizing your life (check out all my tips here). It’s time time to embrace all the joy we can, enjoy the little things, and celebrate the lives we’ve built for ourselves without shame.
One of the best way to celebrate is by hosting. I LOVE hosting and love any excuse to have people over. If you’ve been seeing a lot of dinner parties on your TikTok and Instagram feeds lately, you’re not alone. It seems like everyone is getting together for a night of delicious food, wine, and quality time. Hosting a dinner party may seem highly involved and complicated to plan, but trust me—it’s actually pretty manageable and, most importantly fun.
Here are 8 spring hosting ideas perfect for all the small celebrations during this season.
Floral Arranging Party
Nothing says spring like flowers. There is not great serotonin boost than getting a bouquet of fresh flowers. I think hosting a floral arranging party would be the perfect welcome spring gathering. This would be a super simple thing to host too.
Stop by your nearest Trader Joe’s (frankly because they have the cheapest and best array of flowers) and go crazy. Get a bunch of different types, colors, sizes, greenery, etc to make some beautiful bouquets. Best rule of thumb make sure everyone has around 7-12 flowers each for their bouquet. Fillers like greenery and baby’s breath are great to add in as well to make it look fuller. I would also pick up some cute ribbon and tissue paper so everyone can bring their masterpiece home.
For food and drink I would keep it simple with a charcuterie board. That way everyone can pick as they create their bouquets. For cocktails, a floral cocktail would only make sense. I think a lavender lemon drop, a raspberry hibiscus cocktail, or a lavender French 75 , would make great choices. I have 15 spring cocktails to try here!
Tea Party
Who didn’t love tea parties growing up? Now that I am an adult I think I love them even more! With the new season of Bridgerton premiering May 4th, no better time to have a tea party.
When it comes to decor for tea parties, it is all about the table presentation. Go thrifting for some vintage tea cups to find the perfect tea cup for each of your guests (doubles as a great favor). I love a mix matched tea party, so feel free to mix prints, patterns and colors on your table setting. Pull it all together with some colorful flowers (hydrangeas and roses give off all the tea party vibes).
When it comes to your menu, I would do like a typical high tea where there are 3 levels. If you have a tier for serving that would be ideal, but not necessary.
On the bottom you start with the savory: 3-4 items would be perfect and make enough so everyone can have at least 1. Think little sandwiches, and finger food (that is the whole point of a tea party). The middle tier will be your breads/biscuits. Have some jellies and curds to go with these to munch on. The top tier will be for your sweets. Think cakes, cookies, fruit
Cinco De Mayo
Cinco De Mayo will be here before we know it, so it is time to get planning your fiesta. Instead of fighting the crowds on this day, why not throw your own fiesta at home. Everyone loves a taco night!
Pick a yummy margarita recipe – my go to is a spicy watermelon marg. Whip up some guacamole, and get all the fixings for a taco bar.
One of my favorite ways to add a little decor without breaking the bank is cocktail napkins. There are so many cute ones out there that will fit your theme. It is an easy way to fit your theme without purchasing a bunch of things!
Take your fiesta up a notch and fill a piñata with candy or shooters and it will be a fun activity for everyone!
Kentucky Derby
Working in the horse racing industry for 3 years, the Kentucky Derby quickly turns into an event that you celebrate for the rest of your life. The most exciting 2 minutes of sports, the Kentucky Derby is a spectacle in itself. If you can’t head down to Louisville for the running of the roses, host your own watch party!
I have a whole post about hosting a Derby party here, but here is the quick summary.
Have your guests dress up in their best Derby attire, including hats/fascinators. It will add to the fun I promise!
Derby Recipes:
Candle Decorating
I saw this idea on TikTok and thought it was the cutest idea! It would be a super simple fun gathering to host. All you need is to buy a box of taper candles, and a bunch of different paint colors and it is time to get creative.
Whether you paint flowers, hearts, a design, little strawberries, the possibilities are endless! Grab a couple bottles of wine, put on a fun playlist and you are good to go. This can also be done outside, so make it a picnic or take it out to your patio
Garden Party
One of the best part of the spring is the return of farmers markets! They are all gearing up to be starting in a few weeks and no better excuse than to check out your local one is to host a garden dinner party!
I think the perfect guest size for dinner parties are 4-6. An appetizer, entree, starch, veggie, and a dessert is an easy menu when having a dinner party. Head to the farmers market to see what goodies you can get and build a menu off of!
Think berries, asparagus, arugula, peaches, green beans, and more! I think pasta dishes are the easiest option for dinner parties. For a garden party that I would host I would have the following menu:
Strawberry party
I am unsure what it is, but I have always wanted to host a little strawberry party! Maybe it is because strawberries are one of my favorite fruits, or that there are so many recipes that feature strawberries, whatever it may be I think it would be the perfect spring gathering.
Start with a refreshing strawberry cocktail like a strawberry shortcake mimosa or a strawberry basil margarita.
I found this article that has 41 strawberry recipes. The strawberry cheesecake dip or the ricotta, walnut and strawberry crostini would be on my menu!
Wine and food pairing
Cheers to rosé season! I love the pink wine whether it be sparkling or still, I am a big supporter of drinking pink. You will catch me bringing rosé to all my gatherings now until October. I think this would be a fun gathering and to make it kind of like a potluck.
Have each one of your guests bring a bottle of wine and a dish that will pair well with it. Then have each person “present” their wine and food pairing. This is a great way to try new brands of wine, and catch up while snacking.
What spring hosting ideas do you have for this season?
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