Happy Friday! A few weeks ago, I put together a colorful Salad Social for the new members of our church congregation. I had a few requests to turn the event into a blog post so here it is! I’m sharing all about how to host a Salad Social for a neighborhood get-together, PTA fundraiser, bridal/wedding shower or family party.

It’s a great theme for bringing lots of people together, especially those who don’t know each other. So here’s how I put the salad social together step by step.

How to Host a SALAD SOCIAL

1. First things first…choose a theme and color scheme.

It’s no surprise I’m a sucker for a lemon themed party (PUCKER UP BRIDAL SHOWER, LEMONADE STAND COSTUME and FREE LEMONADE STAND SIGNS).

I decided to run with a more modern take on the lemon theme party with black and white stripes, lots of white, fresh lemons and my most favorite plates ever…..Sophistiplates.

2. Plan your guest list and send out your invites. 

When designing the invitations, I make sure to set the scene for our party/lunch/wedding…etc. I use the theme and colors of the party exclusively and give the guests a little preview of what they can expect from the party.

For the salad social, I designed invitations full of color, lemons and of course, the social information (date, time, location). I made sure to ask the guest to bring a salad of their choice as the social was a pot-luck (I provided breadsticks from a local restaurant).

I make sure to send out invitations two weeks before the event. 3. Prepare for your event. 

Two weeks before the social, I make an over-the-top google spreadsheet detailing everything that needs to be done to pull the event off.

I’ve attached the spreadsheet I used for the Salad Social. Don’t judge my crazy. It’s what works for me and helps me keep all my ducks in a row.

I create tabs for different sections of the party and assign all those involved in helping with the party a different color.

Everyone crosses off their assignments as they pull them together and get them finished. It’s nice to have every detail of the party in one place. I love seeing what’s been done and what needs to be done as the days get closer to the party.

4. Party Set-Up

The day of the party, start setting up EARLY! Like hours early. That gives you plenty of time to grab props, food, ice that you most likely forgot. There is always something!

For this party I used 10 ft card tables covered them with white linens and used black and white wrapping paper for the table runner.

I filled homemade white flower boxes with flowers and used them as the centerpieces and set the table with my favorite…Sophistiplates. Have you ever seen anything more darling than ruffled gingham plates? I think not.

Each place setting also had these darling Plastic Cups and Black Straws and I made “Thank Your for Dropping By’ party favors for each plate/guest.

I also set up a Lemon Treat Station for our desserts, with a green tablecloth, the  black and white wrapping paper, two flower boxes filled with flowers and cake stands filled with Lemon Bundt Cake, Lemon Bars and Lemon Cupcakes.

5. Activity Time

While I’m not a huge activity/game person, the event was planned as a opportunity for a bunch of strangers to meet each other.

I created these ‘Three Things About Me’ cards for each guest to fill out. I had the guests turn the cards into the host and during dinner we read them off and had guests try guess which person matched the three clues.

It ended up being super fun and a great way for people to get to know each other. 
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And that’s it! The was essentially the Salad Social.

For more Lemon Party Ideas, check out these posts:

FREE LEMONADE STAND SIGNS & PRINTABLES 

PUCKER UP BRIDAL SHOWER