For the past 30 years, I have hosted Thanksgiving dinner and I love doing so. Every year my family looks forward to getting stuffed on brined turkey, homemade stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes. It has become a tradition to serve the entree and sides and I wouldn't change a thing. But why I enjoy hosting this special holiday aside from the family is putting a table together fit for royalty, and you can do the same!
Place Cards and Place Card Holders
Sure my family knows each other, but I step it up a notch with place cards. To avoid guests from trying to figure out where they should sit and by whom, put Thanksgiving-themed place cards on the table. This will allow for guests to be seated quickly and avoid the confusion of where to sit. You can find pretty place cards at your local craft store, or you can download a
template from the internet.
Now that you have printed out those pretty place cards, you need to put them in something. Some suggestions are turkeys, acorns, pumpkins or fall cornucopia.
Pier 1 has stylish holders for any dinner style. Another fantastic place is
Crate and Barrel.
The Centerpiece
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| Autumn Centerpiece |
Although the turkey is the main centerpiece of dinner, don't forget a beautiful centerpiece to accent your table. In the past, I have had a cornucopia, fall flower arrangement, and candles. Anyone of these adds elegance and sophistication to the table. You don't have to spend much either! Your local grocery store like Kroger have beautiful arrangements that you can purchase around $30.
The Table
As I mentioned, I love setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner. I put a lot of thought into making everything look perfect, and each year I make sure to add something different (this is very subtle) to see if anyone notices! In previous posts on the blog, I discussed plate chargers and their purpose. I never host a dinner without a plate charger because I think that it brings a certain charm or "fanciness" to the table, and maybe guests aren't used to being so catered too! Your guests are special, so why not make them feel that way!
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| Elegant Thanksgiving place setting. |
When setting the table, think about everything; from the tablecloth to the place card holders. For my dinner table, I always use my Thanksgiving/fall themed table linen. It is just perfect because I can bring out any color I want to match in my table setting. The tablecloth also has matching napkins, and I always use them instead of paper napkins, which are a no-no for dinners like this. One thing I would like to point out is to avoid your very ornate tablecloths that have the bright orange and decorative fall themes. These do not set the elegance and stylish tone of your dinner. Instead, a subtle color Thanksgiving themed tablecloth is the way to go.
Since this is a formal dinner, I bring out all the good china, silverware and stemware and make sure that everything is set properly. My blog on the proper place setting comes in handy for events like this. Properly tablescaping your table will awe your guests, I know it does mine!
The Details
Like with any party you host, the details are important. A few things that I have mentioned so far in regards to details are the tablecloth, name cards, centerpiece, china, silverware, and stemware. All of these together set the tone and ambiance for dinner, especially the napkin ring that you chose to place the matching napkins in. There are so many choices available and each sets a different tone to your tablescaping. Since we want to have an elegant and stylish one, make sure that you chose a napkin ring that reflects it. Stores like Pier 1 and Bed, Bath & Beyond have simple, holiday-themed rings to make your table extra special.
These are just a few tips you can do to make your Thanksgiving dinner table a stylish one. Whatever you chose to do, remember not to overlook the final touches and details; this is what makes it stylish! Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Stylish Entertaining!
