19 ideas: reasons to get your people together this week
Something really fun about being an adult with free will is that we don’t have to wait for a reason to throw a get-together. No holiday or occasion required… we can just do it because we want to! That said, sometimes having a theme or anchoring activity makes it easier to plan. Here are 19 ideas you can steal from, and make your own, so that your gathering feels even more intentional:
"You Did That.” A celebration dinner for any kind of win, a new job, a finished marathon, an award, a promotion, a big life change. Ask each guest to be ready to share one thing they admire about the guest of honor before the meal starts.
Welcome Home. For the friend who just got back from a trip or just moved “back.” Gather everyone around and make space for them to tell every story, show every photo, and just be with the people who missed them.
Favorite Things. Everyone brings their favorite dish to share along with one favorite item to swap. Dinner and a gift exchange in one, with a story behind everything on the table.
Potluck Around the World. Assign each guest a country or region ahead of time and have them bring a dish from there. Dinner becomes an eclectic world tour.
Girls' Brunch and Boards. A late morning spread with a build your own vision board station after. Coffee, fruit, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, mimosas, and a little time to dream out loud together.
Recipe Card Swap. Everyone brings a dish tied to a family recipe, written out on a card to trade. Dinner becomes a way to pass down something meaningful to ones you love.
Big News. A cozy sit down meal to celebrate someone's big life news, an engagement, a pregnancy, a move, anything worth gathering for.
Cozy Book Club. Pair your usual book club discussion with a full meal instead of snacks. Build a menu that ties to the book's setting or theme for extra fun.
Friendsgiving, Any Time of Year. Skip the holiday and throw a Friendsgiving whenever you're missing your people. Everyone brings a dish, you provide the table. Who said cornbread stuffing is just a Thanksgiving thing, anyway?
"Finally Settled In.” For the friend who just moved into a new place. Everyone brings a small housewarming item to help them feel at home.
Milestone Birthday. A sit down dinner built entirely around the guest of honor.
Cocktails and Courses. Pair a signature cocktail with each course of the meal. Guests can vote on their favorites and you can provide recipe cards.
Sunday Reset. A standing monthly dinner to catch up before the week ahead. Simple, recurring, and grounding for a group that's always busy.
New Mom Support. Gather around a meal for a friend in the thick of new motherhood. Everyone brings a dish so she doesn't have to cook or clean up.
Teach Us Something. Each guest teaches the table one small skill between courses. A recipe hack, a card trick, a stretch routine, something crafty, anything goes.
Friend Anniversary. Celebrate how long you've all known each other with a dinner marking the friendship itself.
Long Distance Reunion. For the friend group that doesn't get to see each other often.
The Just Because. No occasion, no reason, just a table full of your people on a random Tuesday. Sometimes that's the best reason of all.
A Trip to ____. Pick your destination, and curate a menu that transports everyone there. Italy could mean you serve bruschetta, arancini, lasagna, tiramisu — whatever dishes you like that transport you there.
These are sure to set your gathering up for good times.
Good Fortune Gatherings started with one belief.
If you have the good fortune of loving and being loved by good people, you should bring them together. Often. For whatever reason. Our luxury-feel tablescapes help you set the tone and the aesthetic for your gathering, so you can focus on the rest.