Wrestling Belts & Whipped Brie: How I Fell in Love with Themed Dinner Parties

The first dinner party I held was technically a WWE Wrestlemania Watch Party. It was myself, my roommate, and four boys packed into my living room. We did not take bets, but we did have a prediction list of who we thought would win. Whoever had the most correct guesses won their very own WWE champion belt…replica purchased from Walmart, of course.

We had themed foods, balloons, wore t-shirts, and had an absolute blast. By the end of the night, my roommate, who had never watched a single match in her life won the whole thing! I’m sure the boys appreciated all of the work, but they didn’t care about the punny foods like Hulk Hoagies or The Rock Candy. They didn’t care about the decor or if we had a belt or not. They just wanted to eat and have fun.

But I loved it. I loved having a theme to pair with my dinner party. I learned that I have fully transitioned into a true Southern woman and have been bitten by the hosting bug. While I haven’t mastered it yet, I’ve definitely collected a few tips to help you plan your next themed dinner party.

Themes don’t have to be complicated. In fact, the more fun or random, the better. If you’re part of a book club, why not center your dinner around the book you're reading? A great read where food plays a major role is With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo, a heartfelt story about a teen mom with serious culinary skills.

If you want to keep things easy, a cookbook-themed party is a great route. Let the book do the work for you and invite everyone to make a recipe from the same collection. Two fun options to try are Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, which is both educational and inspiring, or The unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook  by Dinah Bucholz. You can build a theme around a TV show like Bridgerton, a movie, a favorite color (hello, all-pink Barbie-que), or even a hobby like tea-tasting. Here at the library, we even have a Cookbook Club that occasionally hosts “Chopped”-style challenges. It’s chaotic, delightful, and usually delicious.

Once you’ve picked your theme, it’s time to make your guest list and choose a date. After you’ve invited everyone, don’t forget to follow up and ask about dietary restrictions. Think about how you want to prepare the food. Will you be cooking everything yourself? Ordering from a restaurant? Going the potluck route? Whatever you choose, just make sure to give your guests or vendors enough notice to plan accordingly.

Now for the star of the show: the food! Use your signature recipes, but don’t be afraid to have fun with it. In fact, I firmly believe that puns make everything better. If your theme is TV-based, here are a few pun-filled ideas to get your creativity flowing: Lady Whistledown’s Whipped Brie for your Bridgerton bash, A Pie Has No Name for your Game of Thrones gathering, or McDreamy Mac & Cheese for your Grey’s Anatomy soirée. Silly? Yes. Effective? Absolutely.

Decor doesn’t have to be extravagant to make an impact. A few thoughtful touches can elevate the vibe without emptying your wallet. Try using thrifted tablecloths in your chosen color palette or centerpieces made from books or magazines that fit your theme. Print out fun quotes or trivia related to your theme and use them as table accents. Lighting matters too. Dim the overheads and add string lights, candles, or a themed playlist to make everything feel intentional and cozy.

The most important tip of all? Be flexible. Things will not go exactly according to plan, and that’s okay. Maybe your themed cocktail tastes like cough syrup. Maybe your cousin shows up with store-bought cookies after promising to make a 7-layer dip. Maybe your pie doesn’t have a name because it burned. That’s life. Laugh about it, pour another drink, and keep the party going. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s connection.

So whether you're serving Stone Cold Chili at a wrestling night or Crème de la Cringe at a reality TV dinner, the best parties are the ones where people feel welcome, fed, and full of stories afterward. Host the party. Burn the rolls. Laugh anyway. If you ever need inspiration or help picking a theme, come visit us at the library. We’ve got cookbooks, clever ideas, and probably a pun or two with your name on it.