Friendsgiving: Setting the Table

I'm sharing how to create a beautiful (and functional) design for your Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving event

I knew that I wanted to do something extra special for our guests this year at our annual backyard Potluck Friendsgiving event.

My husband and I love to entertain, and look forward to having all of our closest friends gathered together every year.

I'm here to share some of my Friendsgiving essentials and how I created this design, which can definitely be used at Thanksgiving too!

On another note, I am so grateful that you are here and am looking forward to a wonderful 2022 wedding season filled with lots of love!

The planning & design process:

Step 1: Determine your decor budget and how many guests you'll have (the more guests you have, the less you have to spend on your design [this is true for weddings too]).

Step 2: Begin working on your design (get creative!)

I used Canva.com as a tool to create a mood and design board with inspiration photos I gathered from blogs and Pinterest. I went a little rouge on my design photos because I couldn't find anything that matched what I had in my head, so I really just used the photos to depict the "vibe" that I was going for: homey and comfortable with some juxtaposition between traditional and modern elements. I also knew I wanted to add visual interest to the table with multiple heights (be careful not to block people's view if someone is sitting across), and textures (like the cheesecloth runners, different colored pumpkins, and textured napkins).

I really loved the color of these "Adobe" napkins from one of my local favorite rental companies Bella Festa. I used the napkins to create the rest of my color palette (adding complimenting and similar colors to my arrangements). I love these napkins because in the light, they have a beautiful slight orange tint. I knew I wanted to tie in orange with the mini pumpkins for table decor and large pumpkins to create my floral centerpieces. *You could totally spray paint the pumpkins and go with a less-traditional color palette which is something I may do next year!

If you really have no idea where to start with your design, see if you can visit your local rental showroom to play around with ideas!

Step 3: Begin sourcing your rentals or purchasing decor

Start looking at rental companies to see if you can find anything similar to your design. Since I live out in the country, any trip into town is an hour long excursion. I prefer to stick with one rental company that has most of what I need and make any small purchases that I could possibly use again (like these clear votives and tea lights that I got from Amazon).

*Pro tip: Set the table in odd numbers! For example, I had 3 centerpieces, 13 mini pumpkins, 9 votives, etc. If you have time, you can save on delivery fees by picking up and dropping off rentals yourself too.

At this point, you'll also need to have a more exact idea of your guest list to avoid ordering too little or too much.

Here's what was on my rental / purchase list for table decor:

• Farmhouse style tables

• Folding padded chairs

• Cheesecloth runners

• Chargers

• Plates (set on the table)

• Napkins

• Water & Wine glasses (Champagne Flutes were at the drink station)

• Forks & Knives (spoons were placed in the buffet line with bowls)

• Votives & tea lights [purchased]

• Tapered candles

• Candle sticks [purchased]

• Place cards (I got these delicious sugar cookies from local favorite Above Average Cookie Co) [purchased]

• Mini pumpkins [purchased]

• 2 medium sized pumpkins (I cored and created these floral arrangements with flowers from our local grocery store) [purchased]

• 1 large sized pumpkin (centerpiece) [purchased]

You could also add:

• Balloon arch

• "What I'm Thankful For" card placed on or next to the plate

• "Happy Friendsgiving" sign (I placed inside my house)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you are interested in design or planning services for your next event, you can inquire here.

Happy Planning!

~Danielle

Planning & Design: Details by Danielle

Rentals: Bella Festa

Cookies: Above Average Cookie Co

Photos provided by: Taya Renee Photography