5 Steps to a Brilliant Brunch Party

Brunch, in my mind, is more than just a meal — it’s a holiday. You plan, decorate, build a menu, and celebrate whatever recent accomplishments and joys you wish. You surround yourself with family, friends, and conversation. And you indulge in fruity, bubbly drinks, and sweet, gooey treats. It’s time for you to put together a brunch party, and here’s how to make it happen in five simple steps.

Atmosphere

The first thing to think about when planning a brunch party is the theme or feeling. This choice will impact all the other decisions you make when thinking about your brunch party, so it’s a good thing to settle on early in the process.

When thinking about atmosphere, you will want to immerse your guests into the whole motif with details like place settings, music, and even the menu choices. Let’s say you are going with a spring flower theme. You’ll want to decorate with seasonal blooms and soft pastel tableware.

Guest List

Who you invite to your brunch party can have a real impact on the outcome. For many parties, sending out invitations to all of your friends can work well, but brunch is a more curated event. Think about who you really want there, who would enjoy the event, and don’t forget to consider the size of your space.

Once you have a guest list settled, you can determine how to send invitations. These will set a precedent for formality: mailed invites appear much fancier than a Facebook event. You can also determine if you want to have assigned or open seating. With assigned seating, you can create new connections and guide conversations. Whereas open seating can be more casual and comfortable for guests who know each other well.

Menu

The food you serve should reflect the atmosphere. Going back to the spring floral theme I mentioned earlier, you may want a menu of dishes that feature early season produce. Ingredients like asparagus, strawberries, and ham tend to have a very spring feel. You can also consider the color of your dishes when building your menu, if you’re going for a certain visual effect.

Another option that takes some of the stress of you is to have a potluck. For this, I recommend that you assign each person or couple a type of dish to bring, and do the main entree yourself. For example, tell one guest to bring a fruity breakfast cocktail punch, and another to bring something for a muffin basket. Leaving the details up to your guests gives them a chance to show off their own creativity.

Activities

The main event of brunch is the meal, but there are a few times when it could be fun to have some planned activities. A quick ice breaker when guests first arrive can be a fun way for strangers to make friends. Social games between courses can make everything feel less formal.

Another activity to consider is table conversation. For a group of good friends, the chatter might flow easily. However, if you are inviting guests from different parts of your life, they may need help getting started. Have a few ideas for open ended questions to ask around the table. The answers may spark some tangents!

Timeline

Planning and staying organized is key when hosting any sort of event (check out my series on hosting a holiday dinner for more on that). When planning a brunch, you’ll want to consider when you should send invitations and expect responses, when to go grocery shopping, and what you may need to cook or prep in advance.

When it comes to your day-of timeline, you will want to think about your guest arrival time and what time you are serving each course of the meal, plus any activities in between. Since it’s brunch, your start time can range considerably. However, you’ll want to give a more formal three-course brunch more time than a casual gathering.

The eBook

In A Brilliant Brunch Party, I break down the decorations, place settings, music needed, and sample menus for five fun themed brunches your guests are sure to love! Plus, get tips and tricks for who to invite, how to arrange seating, and what to do in the weeks ahead.

When it comes to the day of your brunch, A Brilliant Brunch Party, has fun conversation starters, the full rules to three completely free party games, and a sample day-off schedule to keep you on track. Get ready to throw the best brunch ever!

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