How to Host a Back To School Party [Mom’s Champagne Brunch]

These ideas for How to Host a Back to School Party will help you celebrate the kids getting back in the classroom!

With a mimosa and iced coffee bar, along with a delicious menu with quick and easy brunch recipes, your mom friends will thank you for kicking off the new school year in style.

With the kids headed back to school, it’s the perfect time to get together for a fun brunch!

I was super flattered when Abigail of Paper and Cake asked me to collaborate (along with Kristin of Meringue Bake Shop) with her on a styled post she wanted to do for a back-to-school brunch idea.

Abigail is a very talented graphic designer and party stylist who makes hosting parties at home easy for moms with her printable party themes. (She also helped me create some decor for my Ice Cream Party!)

Back to school is a reason to party

Especially after the last year, this back-to-school year is so much more celebratory. While the school experience might not look exactly like it used to, things feel like they are getting back to normal.

A Back to School Party is a fun way to gather your mom friends and celebrate the new year. After so much time feeling disconnected, this is a fun way to catch up and re-build that community that makes the school year so much fun.

Hosting a brunch to start after drop-off is a great idea. You can prep the day before and when the party wraps up, you’ll still have most of your day. It’s a great way to see friends in a low-stress way.

Plus you can download the geometric themed set for a back to school brunch which will help create a fun atmosphere with very little effort.

How to Host a Back to School Brunch

Plan Your Menu

With the decorations taken care of thanks to the printable package above, it’s time to plan the brunch menu.

These ideas are easy and delicious and won’t take too much time to make. You can even make it a potluck if you prefer.

What to Eat

A breakfast bruschetta is a fun idea that you can turn into a DIY station. Just toast some bread, scramble some eggs and set out delicious accompaniments to jazz it up. Goat cheese, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes are a tasty way to dress up standard eggs.

You can also set out avocado since avocado toast is still super trendy. It’s probably never going away…and I’m ok with that.

If you want to make things even easier, just set out a Cinnamon Toast Buffet! It’s a sweet idea. Get it?

Cereal Milk Panna Cotta is the move. I fell in love with panna cotta when I had it at my birthday celebration shoot. And it’s actually pretty easy to make!

This particular panna cotta was breakfast cereal flavored! SO YUMMY! The milk was infused with frosted flakes and rice krispies and then used to make the custardy treat. I wish you guys could taste it!

Did you know that a Donut Trifle is a thing? It is and it’s a perfect recipe to include on you back to school brunch menu.

This is an easy way to serve donuts, which you know, everyone loves! Some cream and fresh raspberries makes this look extra special.

I love to make a Pumpkin Trifle in the fall, but this donut version is great any time! Or use donut holes to create a Faux Croquembouche if you want to make a really showstopping treat.

DIY Beverage Station

For the beverage station, there are two options. A make your own mimosa area and an iced coffee area. I always like to set out a printed menu to give my guests ideas of what they can make.

Mimosas are a go-to for any brunch. They are easy to make and you just need two ingredients. Setting out orange juice and champange in an ice bucket means the guests can serve themselves and make their drink to their liking (just a splash of OJ for me).

Take it up a notch and serve Kombucha Mimosas as well! It’s a fun twist that your guests will love. Or try Watermelon Mimosas!

If you prefer to not serve alcohol, you can create a non-alcoholic mimosa bar. It’s still a super fun way for guests to make their own drinks.

Or you can serve another signature drink that is perfect for brunch:

• A White Russian with Coconut Rum would be super fun to serve.
• A Grapefruit Spritzer is a fun way to serve sparkling wine that isn’t a mimosa.
• This Gin and Tea Cocktail is super refreshing and feels just right for this time of day.
• Vodka and Orange Juice makes a lot of sense. You can jazz it up with fresh herbs and edible flowers.
• Or make a Moscow Mule Mimosa! It’s two of my favorite cocktails in one drink!

Iced Coffee is a must for any brunch party. You can either brew your own coffee (extra strong!) and serve it over ice or buy a store-bought version to keep things super easy. Trader Joe’s has a delicious cold brew concentrate.

If you brew your own, consider making my spiced iced coffee! It’s a detail that will create tasty memories for your guests.

Sure, you could serve regular cream for the coffee station. But you can also make your own homemade coffee creamer! It’s super simple to make and you can make it in a ton of delicious flavors.

Or just set out a few store-bought creamers. Putting them into your own containers keeps your brunch feeling more homemade and keeps the look cohesive.

Brunch Decorations

The printables do the heavy lifing for this party, for sure. It keeps things feeling very styled and planned out but is so simple.

Depending on how much energy you want to put into the decorations, you can pick and choose which items you want to create. Clearly, the geometric wall decorations will take longer than just cutting out some triangles.

Adding in some fresh flowers in complimentary colors is an easy way to add more interest. Even a bundle of baby’s breath adds some life to the party but is super inexpensive.

I thought these orange flowers went perfectly with the geometric feel of the party.

Ruffles from plastic tablecloth are another fun and easy party decoeration idea. And using big balloons is always a fun idea.

Do you guys love this back to school brunch and printables as much as I do? You can find them right here.

And it’s up to you whether you use all the pieces or just a few of them. Adding a simple shape to the straws can really play up the overall brunch party theme.

But I understand that some people don’t want to put (or don’t have the time to put) that much energy into a quick back to school party for adults.

Put on a chill playlist for some background atmosphere and you’re all set!

With these easy ideas for how to host a back to school party, you can create a fun event for you mom friends that will kick off the school year right!

Tips and Tricks

• Premake as much of the food as you can the day before to keep the morning of stress-free.
• As you will want to probably take your kids to school on the very first day of school, make sure you set the start time late enough for you to do that. Or plan this for a few days (to a few weeks) into the school year.
• Make it a potluck to keep things super easy.
• Use as many store-bought items as you can to cut down on prep time.

Related Posts

• Not near the beginning of the school year? Host a Toast and Jams Brunch instead.
• Host a Mom Friend Lunch Date, with an easy Arugula, Goat Cheese and Beet Salad.
• Not a morning person? Plan a Mom’s Night Out instead.
• Easter brunch recipes are delicious any time of year! Browse this post if you need more menu ideas.
• Set up a Cinnamon Toast Buffet and keep your brunch menu super simple!
• Are you looking for an easy and fun girl’s night theme to recreate at home? Look no further than the Chicks and Dip party idea.

This post was originally published on September 12, 2013 and has now been updated with more ideas and better instructions for how to host a back to school party for adults.

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