5 dinner party themes to make you the hostess of the summer

We are elevating our girls nights this summer with garden parties. Here’s our favourite theme ideas so far.

The nights are starting to get warmer, you and your friends are officially out of your winter cocoons, and the group chat is buzzing. You all want to start planning some cute summer hangouts, but if you’re being honest with yourself, you’re kind of over the same old thing. You want something elevated. Something themed. Something that makes your friends say, “Wait, this is actually so cute.”

And the good news is? One of the best parts about summer is that even if you don’t have an apartment big enough to host in, you can make use of the closest park. Because this summer, we’re hosting garden parties.

Throwing an elevated garden party doesn’t have to mean spending your whole pay check on florals and fancy cheese. Just pick a theme (the more dramatic, the better), give the girls the heads-up, and turn it into a potluck with personality. And it doesn’t have to be anything crazy. My friends and I started with an incredibly low barrier to entry: a circle food picnic. Meaning you could bring anything from donuts and bagels to watermelon cut into circles, as long as it was shaped correctly. Low effort, high reward, because for some reason bringing something creative to match a theme is so satisfying.

Now that we’ve successfully kicked off our themed picnics, we’re ready to kick it up a notch. Below, I’ve rounded up five garden party themes that’ll make your summer hangouts feel extra special, without feeling extra expensive. Each theme will include recommendations for decor, menu, and outfit aesthetic.

Note: All images are sourced on Pinterest.

Theme No. 1: Tomato Girl Summer 🍅

Starting off with the most obvious theme for 2025: Tomato Girl Summer. You may already be over this discussion, but we have never felt more inspired.

The decor

For the decor, we’re going tomato-Italian-garden. Use your empty tomato sauce cans as flower vases and fill some with uncooked spaghetti noodles. A red checkered table cloth fits the vibe perfectly, but we highly recommend a giant piece of paper that the girls can colour on. This is the perfect time to write down place settings right onto the paper table cloth or you can make your own place cards.

Bonus tip? Save some plain pizza boxes in advance and make them your own!

We are obsessed with these boxes we saw on Pinterest where they’ve achieved the exact tomato girl aesthetic we’re going for plus they’ve personalized it with the date of the dinner. Literally so cute.

The menu

This is the perfect opportunity to do make your own pizzas and then send the girls home with leftovers in their custom pizza boxes. Tell the girls to each bring their fave toppings, you’ll supply the dough and sauce, and you can all share while you mix and match your toppings. 🍕

For drinks, we’d recommend some Italian sodas and/or wine for the perfect pairing.

The dress code

Tell the girls to get creative and come in their best tomato girl aesthetic. Think summer dresses, red accents, bandanas, and of course if they can find something with a tomato on it then all the better.

Theme No. 2: Amalfi Coast Aperitivo 🍋

If you’re liking the Italian direction, but are more of a lemon girly, then this theme is for you. This theme is perfect for a golden hour dinner. Think Italian coast energy with fresh citrus everything.

The decor

Channel your Italian coastal grandma and find everything in blue, white, and yellow. Use lemons as decor, put some flowers in old wine bottles, and you can even re-use the paper table cloth idea, but this time pre-draw the design in blue (see Pinterest photo below for inspo).

The menu

Again, tell the girls to bring anything they want to meet the theme, but some of our ideas include Caprese skewers (such an easy but effective option!), lemon pasta, or white-sauce pizza with arugula, mozzarella cheese, and sliced lemons on top. For drinks, we’d recommend limoncello, of course, and a lemon sorbet would be the perfect desert. Oh and bread. Lots of good bread.

The dress code

Again, we’re thinking everything white, yellow, and blue, and if you can find something with lemons on it, you’ve won the night. Tell the girls that the key is to just dress like you are, in fact, on the Amalfi Coast and they’ll know what to do.

Theme No. 3: Midsummer Night’s Dream 🌙

Looking for something a little more whimsical with an excuse to use fairy lights? This is the theme for you. The energy this will bring to the function? twinkling lights, wildflowers, and quiet giggles after dark.

The decor

Twinkle lights and wildflowers are your best friends for this theme. Toss a white bed sheet over a table, pop some wildflowers in old wine bottles, and pull out your candlesticks for the perfect table scape. You can even tell the girls to each bring a bunch of wildflowers and a bottle to put them in for a group effort.

The menu

Since this garden party is after dark, tell the girls to bring their favourite summer dessert. We’re thinking angel food cakes with berries, tarts, or fruit salad. As the hostess, you could supply drinks and make a batch of this Summer Solstice Elderberry Mocktail by hany’s.

The dress code

Summer dresses and flower crowns are the perfect combo for this theme. You could even have a flower crown station set up for the girls to make their crowns when they arrive (see inspo below).

Theme No. 4: Wonderland 🍄

Yes, by Wonderland we are in fact referring to that Wonderland.

The decor

The decor for this is an easy choice: try to emulate the iconic Alice in Wonderland tea party. Again, a white table cloth, a tea cup for each of the girls (you can ask them to bring their own if you won’t have enough), and again, wildflowers would be the perfect touch.

The menu

For food, we’re doing everything bite-sized. Think of the mini “EAT ME” cake that Alice eats and channel this into all of your food items. Tell the girls that whatever they bring, it needs to be miniature. For drinks, we’re of course thinking tea. Each gal can bring her own fave box of tea or your can supply some options as the host! Whatever you choose, we’re thinking the fruitier the options, the better.

The dress code

Just tell the girls to lean into whimsical outfits! No need to dress as a character, but colourful dresses or outfits with a floral print would do perfectly.

Theme No. 5: Garden disco 🪩

For this theme we’re channeling our retro and funky sides. To set the tone for this one, you’ll have to create an iconic disco playlist, of course.

The decor

The more disco balls, the better. String them up wherever you can and maybe even have some mini balls as your centre pieces. Stick to retro colours and if you can find some funky glassware at the thrift store, you’ve won this round.

The menu

Tell the girls to bring tapas-style bites, their favourite canned cocktail (or mocktail), and you’ll supply a 70s-style dessert like Baked Alaska or Jell-O in aesthetic cups.

The dress code

Tell the girls that it’s a disco theme and they’ll get the picture, but we’re thinking flared pants, bold prints, and groovy patterns.

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So whether you’re sipping limoncello in the local park or giggling in flower crowns in your backyard, keep in mind that magic isn’t in perfection. It’s all about you and the girls committing to the bit. A good theme gives purpose to a girl dinner and the potluck approach keeps things exciting and budget-friendly.

You don’t need a villa, a yard to host in, in or even matching plates. Just a little imagination, some outdoor seating (blankets count), and a group of girls who are down to follow a theme and bring a dish. Consider your summer girl hangs officially upgraded.

Send this post to your group chat and ask the girlies to vote on their fave theme. Ready? Go. 🌼 ✨ 🍋

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About the author

Christina is a marketing and communications professional based in Kelowna, BC. She founded The Girls Column as a passion project and creative outlet alongside her full-time career. A lover of swimming, traveling, and snowboarding, she’s deeply passionate about self-development and wellness—but she never misses a chance to mix in some pop culture nostalgia, especially from the 90s and 2000s.