If you’ve ever wished you could sip cocktails with Belly on Cousins Beach, you’re not alone. Hosting a The Summer I Turned Pretty party is the ultimate way to bring Jenny Han’s dreamy series to life. Envision gorgeous blue hydrangeas, pomegranate margaritas and nautical details that scream summer love triangle. Here are 11 ideas to throw the perfect Cousins-inspired bash of the season.
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1. Set the Scene with a Coastal Dream
Create the chic backdrop for your Summer I Turned Pretty party with a palette of crisp whites, coastal blues and sandy neutrals that instantly channel Cousins Beach. Keep it breezy with white linens, add pops of blue through florals and/or décor and ground the overall look with natural textures like woven baskets, seashells or driftwood accents. You can also hang string lights or lanterns to glow like a summer night by the shore. Make your guests feel like they’ve stepped into Susannah’s beach house minus the sand in their shoes.
What you’ll need:
- White table linens – just like Belly’s breezy summer whites.
- White salad and dessert plates – a clean canvas for seaside bites.
- Woven seagrass dinner plates with hydrangeas-patterned liners – a nod to Susannah’s favorite blue blooms.
- White cloth napkins – simple but beach-house chic.
- Starfish napkin rings – because every detail deserves a splash of seaside charm.
- Blue hydrangeas – the flowers that fill Cousins with romance.
- Woven baskets, seashells, or driftwood – décor that feels straight from the shore.
- String lights or lanterns – glowing like a summer night on the deck.
2. Print Place Cards and Menus Inspired by the Book
Bring the story to the table with custom place cards and menus styled like the cover of The Summer I Turned Pretty novel. Guide seating with personalized place cards for each guest, and turn functional menus into a playful plot twist by listing dishes with clever names like “Lobster Roll Love Story” or “The Cake That Stole Summer.” This detail nods to Jenny Han’s series while making your Summer I Turned Pretty party tablescape feel straight off the page.
3. Fill Vases with Blue Hydrangeas
Scatter blue hydrangeas across tables, mantels and entryways. These blooms are gorgeous, photogenic and the floral mascot of Cousins Beach. Your Summer I Turned Pretty party won’t feel complete without them.
4. Shake up Belly’s Pomegranate Margaritas
Serve the signature drink of the series: pomegranate margaritas. Tart, sweet and dangerously crush-worthy, these cocktails belong in every Summer I Turned Pretty party lineup. Salt the rims, raise a glass and toast to teenage heartbreak and summer love.
6. Build a Nautical Cheese Board
Serve brie, cheddar and goat cheese with grapes, nuts and Swedish Fish. Add oyster crackers and arrange everything on a whale platter. Finish with seashell décor and rosemary for extra charm. This nautical cheese board will make your Summer I Turned Pretty party as gouda as Jeremiah’s smile.
7. Serve a Peach Salad
Bring in a playful nod to season three with a fresh peach salad made with spinach, creamy goat cheese and candied pecans. Sweet, tangy, and light, this dish is the perfect summer bite that superfans will instantly recognize as a clever Easter egg from Cousins Beach.
8. Dish out Lobster Rolls with Cape Cod Chips
Follow the salad with a main course that screams New England: buttery lobster rolls from Luke’s Lobster paired with crunchy Cape Cod chips. Together, these dishes highlight the sweet and savory flavors of the coast and give your Summer I Turned Pretty party menu the kind of seaside charm only Cousins can inspire.
9. Order a Custom Cake from AnnTremont
Commission a cake designed with buttercream waves, edible hydrangeas and nods to the cover art. AnnTremont’s creations are legendary and will make your dessert table unforgettable. A custom cake at your Summer I Turned Pretty party is the icing on the summer. We served an Earl Gray Cake with Blueberry Jam filing.
10. Gift Brooklyn Charm Nautical Favors
Send guests home with Brooklyn Charm nautical charm favors: think anchors, shells or starfish charms on silver chains. These keepsakes are chic reminders of your Summer I Turned Pretty party and are shore to be treasured.
11. Encourage Outfits that Say Cousins Chic
Invite guests to wear nautical stripes, white dresses or hydrangea-inspired prints. Sandals, flowy skirts, and soft waves complete the look. At your Summer I Turned Pretty party, everyone should dress to shell-ebrate summer.
Throwing a Summer I Turned Pretty party is part romance, part nostalgia and 100% fun. From white linens to custom cakes, every thoughtful detail tells the story of a summer worth remembering. And just like the show, your guests will leave wanting more seasons. Need more birthday ideas, click here.
It was a summer I would never, ever forget. It was the summer everything began. It was the summer I turned pretty. Because for the first time, I felt it. Pretty, I mean.
— Belly Conklin
OMGOODNESS, I love this party setup, so pretty and very easy to do. I love visiting your blog seeing all your party table creations. I need to bookmark this page.
Oh, wow! That is one amazing setup. I love the colors and textures you used. It’s perfect for the theme!
This is such an amazing party setup and a wonderful theme. I read that whole book series last year and loved it, so the party is such a great way to bring out the vibes of the books. As a book nerd, I love it!
I’m stealing the pomegranate margarita recipe for my girls’ night. Also love the nautical cheese board with Swedish Fish—so fun!
Your “Summer I Turned Pretty” party ideas are absolutely enchanting—from the coastal-inspired décor to the pomegranate margaritas and nautical cheese boards, every detail captures the essence of Cousins Beach perfectly.
That is such an awesome theme I have started watching that programme recently and love it!! The table setting is beautiful. I love the costal theme and the hydrangeas. Those margaritas sound wonderful – I remember those from the show!
The decor is so pretty and I really love the way the table layout was styled. The little touch with the starfish gives it such a nice nautical feel that makes the whole setup stand out. I loved that show by the way!!
This is a fab idea! We enjoyed the series, and yes, we’d love to organize a Summer I Turned Pretty Party. Appreciate the suggestions and the attention to detail you included in this guide. You just made our lives easy.
By the way, the cake is so cute and yes, with a blueberry jam filling.
The blue hydrangeas, the pomegranate margaritas, even the nautical cheese board (with Swedish Fish!? genius) — everything feels so dreamy and thoughtful. Now I just need a reason to throw my own summer love triangle party.
Oh my gosh this is super pretty I love a good cheeseboard so the nautical themed one you have created is superb! I love the sound of a pomengrate margarita sounds yummy and I will be giving these a go as the colours work for the autumn and winter season too xx