Ideas for Banquet Themes

Annual banquets and celebrations can become boring and predictable year after year. Using a different theme can help spice the event up, as well as help people become more excited for the event. There are many different themes that can be used for banquets and a variety of ways to incorporate those themes into the event.

For your next banquet, consider choosing a popular TV show or movie to base the event around. If the banquet is in the winter or spring, consider choosing a movie theme based on a recent Academy Award winner or nominee. If the banquet is in the fall, choose a hit new show that just began its new season as a theme. Ask guests to come dressed as characters in the show or movie. Be sure to decorate with items that could be part of the set, and play music from the production itself.

Music is a fun theme for any banquet. Consider narrowing your banquet down to a specific decade of music. For instance you could do the roaring '20s and have a jazz band or an '80s hits party and have the DJ play all the best songs from the 1980s. Consider hiring a cover band to play 1960s Rock and Roll or Motown music. Choose a decade that best caters to the guests attending the banquet. For a younger crowd, choose the 1980s, 1990s or even the New Millennium. For older people, choose the decade they spent their youth in.

A simple but timeless theme for banquets is to base the event around the season it is in. For instance, in the springtime a gardening banquet or April Showers theme can be used. Consider throwing a winter wonderland or holiday event during the winter months — complete with snowflakes, ice sculptures and hot cocoa. Throw a summertime beach bash or backyard barbecue banquet for a celebration in June, July or August. And of course, in the fall a fall harvest theme is a great idea. Decorate with pumpkins and serve fall favorites such as apple cider, caramel apples and pumpkin pie.

To give a banquet a different feel, consider choosing a world culture theme. Choose a certain country or ethnicity to base the event around. Consider turning your banquet into a french bistro, serving baguettes, croissants and french pastries as well as french wine. Another culture that can be used is Mexican. Create a taco bar and serve chips and salsa, complete with margaritas or the best Mexican brews. Ask guests to dress along with the theme and consider having cultural musicians play at the banquet.