10 trending party themes for 2025
Whether you’re celebrating your 30th birthday, hosting a bridal shower for your BFF, or just having a party for no reason at all, a theme can elevate any get-together. There’s no wrong way to gather and share moments of joy with loved ones, but honing in on a specific activity, vibe, or aesthetic will get guests even more excited to attend and make the event stand out from the rest.
Set a theme for your next birthday bash, cocktail party, or girls’ night in, with inspiration from our list of party trends that are having a major moment. From knitting circles to dirty martini nights to pink pony parties, read on for the 2025 party trends we’re seeing and loving right now, with ideas for matching invitations, unique activities, menu items, and more. Get ready to be the host of the party everyone will be talking about until 2026 (and beyond!).
Table of Contents
1. Intimate dinner party
Dinner parties are a trending party theme for a reason—there may be no better environment for intentionally gathering to connect with friends in real life. A well-planned dinner party at home is both celebratory and relaxed, fostering the perfect setting for socialization. For an intimate environment full of flowing conversation, we recommend keeping your dinner party’s guest list on the smaller side, around 10-15 people maximum. But even for a small soirée, putting effort into every planning detail—from the décor to the menu—will make it feel like a truly special occasion (which it is!).
Whether you’re a seasoned chef or want to host your very first dinner party, invite guests with elegant dinner party invitations that match your menu’s theme, from taco nights to DIY pizza parties to sushi soirées, or whatever else you’re craving.
For a fun detail, set up place settings with name cards for assigned seating. Mix things up by seating guests near other guests they may not know well to allow new friendships to blossom. Enable Guest Questions to ask about any dietary restrictions or allergies to help with your planning, and get ready for a cozy, delicious night that will have everyone wanting to leave a five-star review.
2. A ’tini bit of fun
For a sophisticated and spirited party theme—with a twist—host a martini night at home. From extra dirty to espresso, martinis are undeniably the drink of the year. Show off your homemade cocktail crafting skills by setting up a bar in your kitchen and mixing up made-to-order martinis for your guests. Alternatively, set up a DIY martini station with options for vodka, gin, vermouth, olives, and lemons, and allow everyone to mix their own perfect sips.
Send a themed cocktail party invitation to let guests know the details and set a cocktail attire dress code to elevate the evening—and don’t forget to communicate this to guests in a Details Block on your invitation so everyone can plan their outfits accordingly.
If you and your friends are looking for an alcohol-alternative get-together, try hosting a mocktail night. Embrace the cocktail party vibe, without the hangover. Try this non-alcoholic dirty martini recipe from This Vivacious Life, or an espresso martini mocktail from Entirely Elizabeth that provides a delicious pick-me-up without the buzz.
Whether you’re hosting a booze-free bash or the libations are flowing freely, you’ll want to provide appetizers or light bites for guests to snack on. Think cheese and charcuterie plates, small tartines, shrimp cocktails, or a tasty dip. Bring some caviar into the mix as well to make it a truly decadent night, or try this clams casino recipe from Serious Eats for a retro vibe.
3. Italian-inspired evening
Whisk guests away (metaphorically) to the Amalfi coast with an Italian-inspired soirée. This trending party theme works perfectly in tandem with an al fresco dinner party in the spring or summer, or as a twist on an engagement celebration—especially if you’re teasing an upcoming destination wedding. Host this party in a backyard or garden for the Italian countryside ambiance, and tell guests to don their warm-weather-best: think breezy linens, long flowing sundresses, an all-white palette, or channel full Sophia Loren old-school glamour.
Decorate your tablescape to match the Italian party theme: lay out a beautiful tablecloth in sleek white or festive checkered red, place bowls or clusters of lemons or tomatoes as centerpieces along with complementary florals, and incorporate plenty of tall taper candles as both an elegant lighting idea and decorative detail.
The two most important elements of any Italian-themed party are: wine and bread. Provide plenty of bottles of bold red, refreshing rosé, or crisp white wine, depending on the menu items you want to pair with—or mix up a delicious Aperol or Campari Spritz. And what is wining without dining? Set out restaurant-inspired baskets of bread, along with olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. For the main course, prepare a hearty cacio e pepe pasta dish, a crowd-pleasing margherita pizza, or a fresh Insalata di Mare. Say grazie to your guests for joining your Italian-themed evening in a broadcast message after the party wraps up.
4. Country Western hoedown
It’s not our first rodeo—but if you haven’t thrown a Country Western-themed party before, it might be the perfect time for yours! Embrace this trending party theme for a birthday full of line dancing and pink pony-inspired attire, a wild bachelorette party with your best cowgirls, or a bustling backyard summer BBQ.
Make it a chili cookoff and recipe swap with a prize for the tastiest dish, or fire up the grill for a cowboy-approved menu of pulled pork sliders or barbecued ribs with sides of cornbread, coleslaw, and potato salad. Fill coolers with beer and offer a limited cocktail menu with Texas-style ranch water (recipe by Love & Lemons) and a whiskey smash (recipe by The Spruce Eats).
Set up games like a horseshoe toss, or even a lassoing competition to see who can channel their inner rodeo champion. Adorn your space with rustic elements like wooden barrels as tables, cowboy boots as table centerpieces, and cacti as decorative greenery. Get everyone excited to saddle up with Western-themed invitations, and include a Photo Gallery Block with examples of hoedown outfit inspo.
5. Make it musical
Set the stage—literally—for an unforgettable night with a karaoke party. Whether you’re bringing everyone out to your favorite karaoke bar or transforming your home into a festive performance venue, this trending party theme is soaring to the top of the charts. If you’re hosting at home, create a designated “stage” area in your space and make it sparkle with tinsel-draped streamers, a colorful balloon arch, and shimmering disco balls—all of which you can find at our Paperless Post Party shop.
Send karaoke-themed invitations via email, text, or shareable link, and enable a Comment Wall so guests can stake a claim on their go-to belting track. Warm up those vocal cords and sing a variety of tunes together, or narrow the setlist to a ’90s throwback theme, complete with nostalgic boy band bangers and outfits to match—hit the thrift store (or maybe even the back of your closet) to find some acid-wash denim, oversized flannel, and scrunchies galore.
Provide bowls of popcorn and other easy-to-prepare snacks like mini pizza bagels or pigs in a blanket, and ask guests to BYOB in a Details Block on your invitation.
6. Get crafty
Crafting parties have been popping up recently as a creative 2025 party trend where friends can come together and connect over a hobby or activity. Craft-themed get-togethers can bring an existing friend group together to try their hands at a new skill or serve as a space for new friends to meet and bond over a shared love of a certain artistic outlet. Whether you’re all beginners at the craft-of-the-night or have been at it for years, a crafting party is perfect for making memories—and take-home keepsakes of whatever you craft, as a bonus!
Host a craft circle for anyone you know who loves to knit, crochet, or embroider—or learn a skill together in an expert-lead class or with easy-to-follow instructions at home. You can also invite guests to come over and collage vision boards, make DIY terrariums, paint your own plant pots, bead friendship bracelets, decorate individual cakes, or infuse and decorate mason jar candles with herbs and flowers.
Match the DIY vibes in your party décor details as well—hang handmade paper streamers, decorate your tables with tissue paper flowers, and set up an at-home photo booth with an instant camera and colorful backdrop to document everyone with their finished craft creations.
7. Apartment café
Turn your home into a coffee shop with this trending party theme perfect for a lowkey daytime gathering. Channel your inner barista and make your living room or kitchen into a café complete with homemade lattes, cappuccinos, matcha, or any other pick-me-up, along with homemade treats (or ones you pick up from a local bakery) like scones, croissants, cookies, and sandwiches.
Personalize your at-home café with a handwritten menu elegantly displayed on a bulletin board or whiteboard, place baked goods on decorative serving trays or cake stands along with handwritten labels, and customize your own to-go cups with a cute sticker or unique design.
Let guests know the hours of operation for your apartment café party in a Schedule Block on your invitation—and specify whether you prefer everyone to arrive at a certain start time or if you’re happy to host drop-ins throughout the day.
8. Cinematic viewing party
Roll out the red carpet for a cozy movie night, a watch party for the season premiere (or finale) of your favorite show, or a star-studded live event viewing. Invite friends to tune in together for a night of snacks, wine, and entertainment—with viewing party invitations that give everyone a sneak preview of the main event.
For a special screening of a classic favorite film or a watch party for a popular TV show—provide snacks on theme with the night’s programming. You can let guests know whether they can bring other guests when you send your invitations, but we recommend keeping the guest list limited to ensure everyone has ample seating and the party’s volume doesn’t compete with the movie or show. You can also order pizza or even make it a slumber party for peak childhood nostalgia vibes.
If you’re hosting guests for a live award show viewing party, print out ballots, have everyone make their predictions for each category, and offer prizes for whoever has the most correct guesses at the end of the night. Encourage everyone to dress in their best red carpet glam, or go for comfy vibes in pajamas and loungewear.
9. Let the games begin
From classic board games to video games to narrative role-playing games and more, a rousing game night is a great party theme to inject a little friendly competition into your next get-together. Invite guests over to your home—or a board game café or bar—for a thrilling night with all your childhood favorite board games for a throwback vibe, performance-based guessing games like Charades or Salad Bowl for a lively event, or a Poker tournament for all the card sharps in your life.
Include a Links Block in your game night invitation with a spreadsheet for guests to sign up to bring their favorite game to the party. Provide handheld bites like this pizza on a stick recipe from Taste of Home, or snackable chicken taquitos from the Pioneer Woman. Or embrace the playful feel of the party and set out bowls of assorted candy and (optionally spiked) fruit punch. Set games up on a folding table or coffee table, or clear a “stage” space for guessing games. Whether they leave with the reigning top score or not, everyone will go home from this fun-filled game night feeling like a winner.
10. Floral arranging fête
For a unique springtime soirée, host a floral arranging party in your backyard or public park. Guests can arrange their own one-of-a-kind bouquets that not only adorn the party space with gorgeous visuals and aromatic scents, but everyone can bring their arrangement home as a souvenir or gift them to a loved one once the party has ended. Invite everyone to B-Y-O-blooms to encourage a wide variety of flowers for everyone to choose from, or provide a garden of options from your local florist.
Combine this botanical activity with a picnic, tea party, or other fresh spring party theme that would pair well with beautiful florals, or incorporate it into a festive spring birthday party. Serve dishes that incorporate seasonal fruits and vegetables, on-theme sweet treats like Martha Stewart’s recipe for cupcakes topped with edible flowers, and bottles of rosé to match your roses.
Plan it all with Paperless Post
Browse our wide range of elevated invitations for any occasion—whether you’re hosting a kids’ birthday party, baby shower, or elegant wedding—Paperless Post has the easy-to-use customization tools you need to make your design match any style, theme, or season. Wondering when to send party invitations for your next event or ideas for thank you cards once it’s over? We’ve got you covered there as well.
Bring friends together for a fun night of bonding—from wine tastings to watch parties and more.
