10 Green Dinner Party Tips

Hosting a dinner party can be great fun, especially when the evening follows a central theme. With so many people making changes to live a greener lifestyle, what better theme than "Going Green?"

Everything from the menu to decor can be planned and executed in an eco-friendly manner, making your event not only environmentally correct but a great conversation starter for your guests as well.

With one part research, two parts creativity, and three parts fun, you can throw a party that your guests will love.

Here are 10 Green Dinner Party Tips to get your eco thought processes started.

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1. Green Invitations

If you still want to send formal invitations, there’s no shame in going digital now.

There are many online options for invitations, so skip the paper and send e-vites instead.

Often these are free and many platforms have great designs which are already perfect for your event or you can tweak the colours and fonts to suit you.

We love Canva, Evite and Minted but there are many more.

2. Green Decorations

Less is more with a Green themed party. Keep the decorations simple and inspired by nature.

A lovely centrepiece of wildflowers accented by some multi-coloured autumn leaves or gorgeous green Spring foliage is an excellent choice and easy on the budget as well.

You could find this in your garden or out on a walk. You don’t necessarily need to buy from a florist.

Also, consider if you can ‘shop your home’. Do you have some pretty faux flowers, candles, vases or accessories around the house?

Moving these to the table centre for the meal can be a great way to give them a new lease of life and it’s only temporary.

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3. Green Menus

Going green doesn’t mean you have to be vegetarian but think about buying smaller portions of high quality, organic meats from a butcher who can trace where the animal was farmed.

If serving fish, make sure to serve only those that are harvested sustainably. Wild-caught pink shrimp from Oregon and Alaskan wild-caught salmon are both excellent choices.

Should these two options be too confusing serve a vegetarian dish with seasonal vegetables from your local farmer’s market.

4. Green Side Dishes

Make your first course a raw one so you’re using less energy. A nice gazpacho or Thai slaw salad would make a wonderful starter.

Shredded Brussels sprouts and hazelnut pesto with fresh tomatoes not only adds a bright, delicious element to the menu but make an awesome presentation as well.

Tomatoes with basil, mozzarella, olive oil and sea salt always look beautiful. Serve with some crusty bread brushed with garlic cloves and keep out of the fridge so it’s warm not chilled.

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5. Green Desserts

There are so many delicious desserts that don’t need cooking and can be made ahead of time.

No-bake cheesecakes or beautiful fresh berries with cream.

We love the simplicity of fruit with cream and a drizzle of liqueur.

6. Green Portions

No one wants their guests to leave hungry, but try not to cook more than you need. Leftover food is wasteful and uses additional resources to store (usually plastic) and reheat.

Placing food on the table buffet style is said to make people eat less and have ‘just a little’ of everything. Food rules for catering also state that the more different dishes you have the less you need of each one.

7. Green Cooking

When thinking about what to cook. Be mindful that the less energy used in the cooking process, the better. Something cooked quickly on the stovetop or hob will use less energy than something that braises for three hours in the oven.

8. Green Drinks

Try to avoid serving anything that comes in a single serving can or bottle, especially plastic.

A nice organic wine or home-brewed iced tea with fresh mint would both be great complements to an eco-friendly dinner.

Water placed in big jugs on the table with slices of cucumber always seem more exciting than tap water but take no time to make.

Invite guests to bring a bottle of a wine / or spirit they love and share together. Then make sure any leftovers are either taken home or put into ice cube trays in the freezer for cooking with at a later date.

9. Green Dinnerware

Glass or ceramic is the way to go here however don't feel the need to buy anything new.

Even if your crockery is mismatched make use of what you already have. It’s really popular now to create an eclectic table full of character and no one will be thinking about the plates once they are enjoying themselves.

If you really don’t have enough plates and bowls for your guests head to your local charity shop and grab some brilliant quirky finds. Even interior designers swear by not buying new crockery.

For table linen use cloth napkins in lieu of paper. If you don't have enough that match for the entire party, purposely mix them up for a fun, casual feel.

Another option is to leave the tables bare and rustic and then add lots of candles to the centre and small branches of foliage.

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10. Green Gifts

A lot of times, guests will ask, "What can I bring?" If you really don’t need another bottle of wine, suggest they bring a potted herb or native plant that can be transplanted to your garden when weather permits.

This is a lovely idea and something to remind you of them at a later date which has a sweet sentiment.

We hope you found these ideas useful. As soon as you start making little changes like these you will notice so many other ways to keep that green theme going and do your bit for the environment.