How to Host a Friendsgiving

This past weekend I hosted a lovely Friendsgiving with four of my close friends at my house. It was very successful and an overall wonderful evening. I wanted to share the process of hosting and some helpful tricks and tips that I learned along the way.

To create an elegant mood, we placed a gold charger plate at every spot along with a gorgeous brown toile pattern china entree plate and bread plate that were from my great grandmother. The combination of gold and brown was very autumnal. Additionally, we lit some pumpkin candles and put them in two glass hurricanes with a gorgeous flower arrangement from Trader Joe's to top it off!

The most important aspect to any dinner party is good food, especially for a Friendsgiving. Right now many grocery stores are selling pre-made holiday sides and turkeys making it super simple and easy to curate a delicious meal. The majority of the items I got were from Trader Joe's. I chose the creamed greens which was a mix of kale, brussel sprouts, and parmesan, and the mashed sweet potatoes which I added marshmallows to the top. Additionally, I grabbed an orange cranberry relish, turkey gravy, sparkling apple cider, and sparkling plum cider. From HEB grocery store, I grabbed a small pre-cooked turkey breast which I garnished with rosemary, and it ended up being the perfect amount of turkey. Lastly, I picked up some Mac and cheese, crescent rolls, cornbread swirls, and half a pecan pie.

I set up an appetizer, drinks, and dessert station on our kitchen island. Here I arranged six glasses for the sparkling cider, set out the rolls, and burned a fir and firewood candle from Anthropologie. I also set a cup of cranberry relish and placed the pecan pie in a dome dish. The island also served as a space for us to visit while eating the charcuterie board and a place for the desserts my guests brought.

I used four different dishes to bake the sides and turkey in including a green Le Cruset pot and three white ceramic dishes. We put the assorted rolls in a cute white ceramic ribbed bowl with a towel around them to keep them warm. I cooked each side individually and then let them sit in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit while we visited and ate appetizers. Once we were ready to eat, I took them out, and we served ourselves buffet style!

Make sure to leave dishes such as appetizers and desserts up to your friends! Most of the time they will enjoy bringing something and be excited as well. My friend Olivia brought a gorgeous charcuterie board, Megan brought a brownie dessert, and Josie brought an apple pie. I would recommend only buying half of one dessert because most likely your guests will bring a dessert too!

Once we all sat down to eat I made sure the lights were dimmed to set the mood and that the music was turned down so we could have a nice conversation! I also made sure to place handwritten name cards at each spot, so everyone would know where to sit.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and learned some tips for your own dinner parties and Friendsgiving's! Happy Thanksgiving!

- Gabrielle