12 Unique dinner party theme ideas (2024)

Dinner parties are fun all on their own, but they can be even more fun with a theme. When you incorporate a theme for a party, it feels as though everything makes sense, and planning becomes simpler. Food, decor, favors, dinner party invitations, all of the little details that go into planning—as long as everything matches the theme, you can’t go wrong! But what kind of theme should you choose? Keep reading for some unique dinner theme ideas that are sure to make your evening a night to remember.

1. Backyard bohemian

With a bohemian vibe, the secret is flowers and lots of them. Also, we recommend incorporating funky, vintage décor and layering textiles. That means you can arrange flowers in vases all over the house, incorporate plenty of throw rugs, floor cushions, and blankets everywhere. Set the table with an eclectic mix of dishes and call it a day. Bohemian vibes are casual and off-beat, with no room for perfection.

2. Breakfast for dinner

Your guests will love this quirky dinner party theme. Because who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? Make it a pajama party and invite guests to wear their favorite PJs. Serve pancakes or waffles, and invite everyone to bring their favorite toppings and syrups to pass around. Top off your menu with drinks that pair well with your breakfast, such as orange juice mimosas. A breakfast for dinner theme is a fun, quirky way to switch up your typical dinner party.

3. Soupapalooza

Even if you’re not a skilled chef, soup isn’t that hard. There are so many great soup ideas; you can throw a party and have everyone bring their favorite soup potluck style. It’s the perfect idea, especially for cooler months like fall and winter. Set up a soup bar with all the choices so that everyone can take a little sample of each. One of our top hosting tips that works well for this theme is adding lots of candles to set the mood. There’s nothing like a cozy atmosphere and bowl of soup to warm everyone up on a cold day. You can pair the soups with sides like salads and bread and offer a simple dessert like apple pie, once everyone has eaten.

4. DIY pizza party

Making pizza is fun, but making pizza with friends is even better. You can do a little prep beforehand to make the sauce and the dough, and then have guests bring their own toppings. Everyone can set out what they brought buffet-style and make their own pizza to pop in the oven. Serve up a great bottle of wine and add a delicious dessert like cheesecake, and everyone leaves happy and full. To get into the pizza party theme, provide your guests with cloth cooking aprons that can easily be bought online for an inexpensive price. Not only will aprons be a great addition to the theme, but your guests won’t have to worry about spilling tomato sauce on their clothes.

5. Casino night

A casino night is one for the books and is one of our favorite themed dinner party ideas. You won’t run out of activities or ways to keep your guests entertained because gaming is the theme of the night. Pick games that your guests feel most comfortable with or go with casino classics like blackjack, poker, and roulette. Go all out with decor and food options and serve up things like homemade playing card cookies for dessert, along with casino fare entrees and appetizers like ribeye steak and shrimp co*cktail. Set up a mini bar for everyone to help themselves to drinks, and let the games begin!

6. French picnic

Why not try a French picnic theme? The French are renowned for their culinary prowess, and it’s easy to do a picnic-style dinner party at home. Lay out blankets and cushions to recline on in the living room and pack a wicker basket full of goodies with French flare. Or take the picnic outdoors if the weather is nice.

Ask your guests to bring something to nibble on. For instance, one person could bring a cheese board (don’t forget the Brie), another could bring crusty bread with tapenade, while someone else could bring chicken liver pate and baguettes. Put another guest in charge of bringing sweets, like eclairs and macarons. And of course, no one will be sad if you provide hot, fresh croissants, preserves, and plenty of butter. Just make sure the wine and Champagne flow freely.

7. Taco fiesta

Almost everyone loves Mexican food and there are lots of delicious foods to consider if you go with this theme. You could set up a mini taco bar—Taco Tuesday style—and have everyone serve themselves. For those that prefer a taco salad, you can add mini taco salad bowls. Ask your guests to bring a side dish for everyone to enjoy, such as rice and beans, or chips and salsa.

Decorate the table with colorful ceramic plates and bowls, and make a watermelon margarita punch for everyone to drink. Be sure to provide all the toppings, like sour cream, cheese, and zesty pico de gallo. Set a party mood by playing Mariachi music in the background and dimming the lights.

8. Beach party

Who doesn’t love a good beach party? Set the mood with some old school beach tunes, use seashell shaped plates to serve up different foods and treats, and serve a spread of delicious seafood. Make a signature co*cktail with little umbrellas in them and ask everyone to wear their favorite beach attire. The best part is that you can get creative with this theme as there are plenty of details to incorporate.

9. Adult tea party

Dinner party themes and ideas abound, but an adult tea party takes the cake, so to speak. Set a table with your best china, serve tea sandwiches and warm scones, and don’t forget the star of the party—the tea. Tea parties are fun because you can make them as prim and proper as you like. You can even have your guests dress up in their Sunday best, hats and gloves included.

10. Retro diner party

There’s nothing quite like stepping into a 1950s diner and enjoying hotdogs and hamburgers. You can deck the table out with a checkered tablecloth and serve up milkshakes and root beer floats. To bring the retro diner theme to life, consider renting a cotton candy machine and playing jukebox tunes in the background for ambiance.

11. Sushi extravaganza

A sushi night is one of the most interactive dinner party themes because you can invite all your friends over, and everyone can pitch in to help make it. Make sure you provide all the basic equipment to actually roll the sushi like bamboo rolling mats and Nori seaweed sheets. You can make the rice and ask your guests to bring their favorite sushi ingredients for the filling, potluck-style. Decorate the table with traditional Japanese decor like bamboo placemats and tiny bowls for dipping sauce. Create a playlist with traditional Japanese music, like Gagaku, and you have a dinner party adventure your guests won’t soon forget.

12. Family heritage

This theme allows everyone to learn a bit about each other’s family heritage. Make the party a potluck and have each person make a dish from treasured family recipes. Break things up and make sure there’s a good mix of people bringing entrees, sides, and desserts, so the meal isn’t all one or the other. Have guests bring their family recipes on cards to share with everyone. When it’s time to eat, everyone can make plates with a little bit of everything, and you can set up a bar with samples of different wines and spirits from each country.

Embrace your dinner party theme

So many ideas for themed dinner parties, so little time. We hope these ideas help you make your next themed dinner gathering a smashing success. Be sure to fully embrace the theme as you’re planning a dinner party. From choosing the decorations to figuring out what to write in a dinner party invitation, having a clear theme makes it easy to plan every detail of your dinner party.

Ready to embrace a Taco Tuesday? Or perhaps, a French picnic? Get started planning and create beautiful online invitations that will get your guests excited for your themed party.

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