8 parties to throw this April

1. Pastel Jubilee 🐇

The weeks leading up to Easter are filled with pastel colors everywhere, so why not play off of the season’s color palette with a party dedicated to pastel — in all of its forms! Have guests wear pastels, then lay out watercolor paper and oil pastels for a relaxing (and ridiculously aesthetic) daytime gathering that feels quintessentially spring. 

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How to throw:

• Decor & setup
  
  • Oil pastels and watercolor paper
  • Frames for people to take their drawing home in 
  • Pastel decor
• Party details 
  
  • The menu: Try these adorable (and easy) pretzel bites that use pastel candies!
  • The setup: Since the activity is the star of this soiree, use whatever “main” table you have as the pastel art station by laying out a white paper tablecloth and setting a few pieces of watercolor paper in a stack at each table setting. Then, use any additional counter space or smaller tables you have for your drinks, snacks, and maybe even a pastel flower arrangement! 

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2. Couchella 🎡

We consider this “Coachella”... for introverts. This concept consists of you, your best friends, plenty of blankets and snacks, and the YouTube link for Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella performance. Yeah, this is a festival for the homebodies. 

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How to throw:

• Decor & setup
  
  • Extra throw pillows and blankets 
  • Get a big piece of poster board and write out the “lineup” for the day (AKA the names of what shows and movies you’ll be watching) 
• Party details
  
  • The menu: Think festival food and drinks that are easy to prepare like kettle corn, fresh lemonade… even hot dogs. 
  • The rundown: Tell your guests to come prepared for ultimate R&R. It’s hard to balance decompressing and keeping up with your social life — let your friends know that you’re cultivating a laid back environment that is totally low-stakes. No activities, no expectations, just good old-fashioned quality time — plus, this allows you to relax when planning the party, too! 

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3. Tulips & Tea 🌷

We keep telling you guys… tea parties, tea parties, tea parties. We know the saying goes “April showers bring May flowers”... but what if we’re ready for flowers now? Host your own floral fête inspired by tulips and tea! 

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How to throw:

• Decor & setup
  
  • Fresh tulips 
  • Brown paper to wrap tulip arrangements
  • Twine
  • Bouquet labels
• Party details
  
  • The rundown: This party is the perfect chance to try out one of our fave recent party trends — floral potlucks. Set out bunches of different colored tulips, brown paper for guests to wrap their selected flowers in, and twine to tie it all together. 
  • The menu: The tastiest tea treats you ever did try! Saucers of hot tea, little cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, and stacks of shortbread. 

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4. Gingham Garden Brunch 🧺

Think of this as a fresh spin on a classic Easter brunch — oh, and everything’s dripping in gingham. We will always love this picnic-perfect pattern, and from invitation to day-of execution, your guests will be delighted by the playful-yet-chic checkerboard print and everything it evokes — market-fresh fruit, homemade bread, and quintessential days spent together. 

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How to throw:

• Decor & setup 
  
  • Gingham tablecloth
  • Gingham napkins
  • Gingham plates
  • Wooden salad bowl
• Party details
  
  • The menu: Go full Ina Garten on this one – we’re thinking pear gallettes, quiche, and even crumpets and jam. The fresher, the better. Mix up a big salad with lots of halved cherry tomatoes and lemon, and invite your guests to bring their favorite spring dish to make it a potluck! You can even ask people to sign up for specific food categories to be sure you have the right amount of everything. 
  • The rundown: This is a no-frills (well, not too many frills) gathering. Welcome your guests with a small crudité platter, then let conversation take the wheel. With good food, good company, and great decorations, that’s really all you need for a successful event. 

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5. For the chicks 🐣

Here’s what goes on the invitation: “Let’s paint eggs + watch our fave chick flicks!”. Are you sold? We are. Transform a traditional egg painting party into a full-on modern girls’ day for friends, kids, or parents alike — heck, invite the whole neighborhood! 

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How to throw:

• Decor & setup
  
  • Paint or an egg painting kit
  • Mini egg trays (for guests to take home)
  • Candy eggs — to leave out on the table! 
• Party details
  
  • The setup: Choose your own adventure! First, think about how many people you’ll be inviting. If this is an intimate gathering for friends, you may be able to have the egg painting and chick-flick-viewing happen at the same time. If you’re inviting a large group, plan to have one area designated for a few people to paint eggs at at time, and leave your TV area open (and stocked with snacks) as a way to keep guests who aren’t painting engaged! People will naturally flow between activities. 
  • The rundown: Go for classic dyeing, or try out a modern new egg painting technique!

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6. Paul Rudd-palooza ⭐

PSA… Paul Rudd’s birthday is April 6th and we will absolutely be celebrating this icon. He is America’s sweetheart (in our humble opinion), and when we need an excuse to party, you bet your bottom dollar we’re thinking of Papa Paul’s bday. 

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How to throw:

• Decor & setup
  
  • Paul Rudd face cutouts on sticks
  • Paul Rudd t-shirt
  • Paul Rudd blanket
  • You get the idea...‍
• Party details
  • ‍The rundown: Have all of your guests show up dressed as their favorite Paul character! Then, enjoy a movie marathon of all his greatest hits.
  • ‍The menu: Lean into dad jokes and try out a punny dish like A-Paul pie 🍎or I Love You Man-go ice cream. How about a “Fondue Fountain of Youth” because we swear this king never ages? Oh, and a birthday cake — of course.

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7. Hot Girl Book Club 📚

Whether you’re meeting up with the girls to discuss the genre we hear people are calling “smut” or you’re circling up with some new non-fiction, one thing is clear. Hot girls read… and we would certainly book it to this party.

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How to throw: 

• Decor & setup
  
  • Bookmark party favors
  • Floor cushions for seating
  • The ultimate book lover’s lamp
• Party details
  
  • The setup: Lay out some pillows or floor cushions — we’ve found that you can really get into the plot this way. If you have extra books lying around your house, stacking these with the spine side facing away makes for easy and chic DIY decor! 
  • The menu: Personally, we’re pretty sure your reader friends are going to be *highly* impressed by this tiered brie cake that we can’t stop making (psst… it doesn’t even require any cooking — hot girl hack).  

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8. you, me + You 📺‍

The new season of Netflix’s You is set to release on April 24th, and if you’re on the edge of your seat about whether Joe is going to get away with murder once and for all, like we are... then you should definitely tune into this party idea. 

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How to throw:

• Decor & food
  
  • Popcorn + popcorn bags
  • Custom banner spelling out “Hello, you”
  • Baked goods that are “made with Love”
  • Blood-red cocktails or mocktails
• Party details ‍
  • The rundown: What starts as a viewing party… ends as a mystery. A murder mystery activity, that is. Take a look at how to plan a murder mystery party here! 
  • The setup: Stack a tower of books as your table centerpiece — a stealthily spot-on addition for the book nerd we know and… love? 

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When we say we’ve got range… we mean we just suggested parties inspired by Ina Garten, Paul Rudd, and Penn Badgley all in one article. Which one got your party senses tingling? Find an Invitation that captures the vibe, and start planning!