Spring Bloom Dinner Party
This entry to spring dinner party is the perfect theme for April to welcome blooms and nice(r) weather! The tablescape can double for Easter, and the menu is light, bright, and purposefully seasonal!
The Menu
Cocktail: berry & bloom blueberry lemon gin sipper
Appetizer: white wine braised artichokes with gremolata aioli
Soup: roasted garlic & green pea soup
Main: springy lemon parmesan orzo and roasted chicken thighs with caper pan sauce
Dessert: lemon blueberry yogurt cake with blueberry glaze
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Grocery List
Be sure to check your pantry against the list before you go buying things you may not need. Download the excel sheet and adjust it to your needs, or print the PDF.
Prep Timeline
Full Timeline for EVERY. SINGLE. THING. you need to take care of to make sure this dinner goes off accordingly. Download the editable excel version below so you can adjust it to suit your schedule, or just print the PDF.
I have a really solid sample schedule in the full timeline breakdown, but here are some make-aheads to consider for your own timeline!
Blueberry simple syrup for the cocktail (1 week ahead).
Soup can be made up to 2 days ahead of time - it still keeps its color!
Lemon blueberry cake (1 day ahead) & glaze it the day of the party.
Artichokes can be steamed earlier in the day and left at room temperature or reheated before guest arrival.
Setting The Table
I really wanted a tablescape that screamed spring and had Easter vibes without the bunnies and eggs (since it’s not technically an Easter menu). BUT this could absolutely be used to guide your Easter tablescape and I say go for it!
I used china, flatware, wine glasses, napkin rings, placemats, and votives I already had. I borrowed a number of vases from my grandma’s absolutely epic collection, but I did go for a tablecloth splurge.
Check out the PDF below for inspiration and links to items you may want to grab! As always, I encourage thrifting, hitting up your local auctions, and getting creative with what you already have in your arsenal.
Place Cards
To access the place card template - click the link, then “edit template,” and then type the names of your guests into each card before saving and printing! Note that you will need to sign in to Canva (or create a free account if you don’t have one) to utilize this.
Guests love to take these home as a keepsake, and makes them feels super special!
Menus
Download the menu card below or save the picture (above) and pull it into a Word document to print! Print from your own printer on cardstock/slightly weighted paper, or send it off to print and pick it up. The size is 5x7”, but can be pulled down to 4x6”.
Spotify Playlist
Spring Bloom Playlist - a light, bubbly, happy little playlist to put on repeat for the evening. Make sure the music can be heard, but the volume isn’t so loud that guests can’t hear each other well.
Budget Breakdown
The total I spent for this dinner party was $324.29. Removing decor, this comes out to $92.35, or $11.54 per person for a cocktail, appetizer, soup, entree, and dessert (making enough to serve 8).
Food - $67.46. This also included a small grazing board to supplement the artichokes.
Alcohol - $24.89 - I had to buy a fresh bottle of gin for the cocktail. I already had white wine on hand to braise the artichokes. I also received the bottle of wine in the pic below from a brand the morning of the party, and it was so perfect on the table (not sponsored, just cute)!
Decor - $190 - the blue striped tablecloth did me dirtyyyy in the decor arena, but it was WORTH it and will be a spring and summer staple item for years to come (and it’s such nice quality). A plain white or light blue tablecloth would also look amazing and I’m confident you could find some really nice options at a thrift store.
The only other pieces I bought were the blue water glasses (I grabbed these from the bargain bins in Target & can’t find a direct link to them) and scalloped napkins. I had the vintage china in my collection, and wicker placemats from previous parties.
Florals - $41.94 - I hit up Trader Joes and snagged ranunculus, peony tulips (had no idea these were a thing but I love them), chamomile, and some itsy bitsy billowy guys to make the centerpiece. I used a 3” flower frog and a tape grid to help with assembly.
I borrowed the white vase from my grandma, and also cut a bunch of daffodils and forsythia from the yard to put in other places of the house for extra pops of color.
Party/Prep Notes
I had one gluten free guest so I made the cake with Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. I also used a cornstarch slurry in the chicken pan sauce instead of flour.
A few guests had never had whole artichokes before, and mentioned the leaves were a bit hard to eat (but were quite excited to eat the heart). I did plan ahead for this possiblity by supplementing the appetizer with a very small grazing board, so this is something to consider!
Prep everything for the chicken and orzo ahead of time (have it all chopped & measured out on a sheet pan). These two items need to be prepared fresh, so mise en place (prep & measuring) will expedite the process exponentially.
Ask someone to pour water into glasses and fill wine glasses while you plate and serve the soup course. This will also allow you to do a quick check on the chicken and orzo.
Want to host this dinner party (or encourage someone else to host it for you/alongside you)? Share this with them and dive into the fun!
This theme has my heart hopping around like an Easter bunny, it’s so 😍!! As always, the details are everything. Thank you for these recipes and the STEP BY STEP spreadsheet?! Callan, You’re an angel on earth