Thanksgiving Dinner Party

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. There is something about a fire in the fireplace, the smell of yummy food, the decorations and of course the wonderful people that I am surrounded by. It is always a good time to step back, live in the moment and really appreciate all of the wonderful people, places and things that make up your life.

My husband and I host Thanksgiving every year so putting this dinner party together is a piece of cake by now. I have learned a lot throughout the years and feel that I have a good sense as to what is needed to ensure we have a nice, relaxing enjoyable Thanksgiving Dinner Party.

I will always refer back to my master planning the perfect party list, to ensure I have all of my boxes checked.

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To see the items to purchase for your Thanksgiving dinner, see the list at the end of the blog!

Food

The first item on the list that you will need for your Thanksgiving Dinner Party is food. In terms of food, I like to include the following; appetizers, main dishes, side dishes and desserts.

Appetizers

For the appetizers, it is a good idea to include things that do not need to be warmed up. With so much going on in the kitchen and all of the appliances being used, it doesn’t make sense to try to warm up any appetizers. That goes for guests bringing appetizers as well. Unless it can go in a crock pot, I would say no appetizers that need to be warmed up. Keep it simple with cheese and crackers, fresh cut meats, veggie platters, etc.

Main Course

For the main course, I always include the turkey, beef tenderloin and a pasta dish. My sister makes this wonderful pumpkin pasta that is simply delicious and is perfect for those who do not eat meat.

Sides

For the sides, I always have homemade stuffing, dinner rolls, Sweet potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes and typically two veggie casseroles (one green bean and one assorted veggie casserole). We also bake some acorn squash on the grill with some maple syrup. Oh, and we cannot forget the cranberry Jell-O mold😊.

Dessert

For dessert, there is usually a pumpkin pie, apple pie and pecan pie. I also include some cupcakes and cookies for the kids.

Beverages

Alcoholic Beverages

The next item on your Thanksgiving Dinner Party list is Beverages. For alcoholic beverages, we always have four bottles of red wine and four bottles of white wine (we have a rather large party😊). For those who like beer, we also have a couple cases of different kinds of beer . We have a bar, so most cocktail options are also available.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

For non-alcoholic beverages, I make sure to have coke, diet coke, sprite, Dr. pepper and orange pop. For the kids, I buy some juice boxes and sparkling grape juice😊.

Table Decor

Tablecloth

I always start with the table cloth. All dinner parties including your Thanksgiving Dinner Party, need a tablecloth. For this party, I choose to have a solid color tablecloth so that I can always change the look if need be. I usually go for a more fancy look with a touch of rustic. I love the classic traditional look of a table with a few farmhouse accents. This look I like to call, “farmhouse meets fancy”😊.

When choosing a tablecloth, a natural linen tablecloth is a great choice. You can go for the farmhouse look or fancy it up with some elegant napkins and table décor.

Table Runner

A table runner is the next thing you need to add to the table. I love table runners because it adds dimension and warmth to the table. I am obsessing over this burnt orange table runner from Etsy. This runner  is perfect for your Thanksgiving Dinner Party.

Centerpieces

The next element I like to add to the table are centerpieces. For birthday parties, I tend to have one large centerpiece surrounded by two small centerpieces. I repeat that pattern as many times as needed.  For Thanksgiving centerpieces, I prefer lower centerpieces all across the table of somewhat equal height.

When choosing the centerpieces I typically stick to pumpkins, candles and flowers.

For the pumpkins, I have these twig pumpkins that light up. They come in different sizes so  you can play around with the heights.

For the candles, I like to have a variety. These are pretty candle holders to space along the runner in the center of the table.

I also love the standard traditional candle holders all along the runner as well. Depending on how long your table is, you may need to purchase a few packs of these. They are a little pricey, but can be used for all dinner parties and even for year round table decor.

Table Garland

Table garland is really the finishing touch for the table decorations, before getting into the tableware. I found this leaf pumpkin garland and it is the perfect addition to tie everything together on the table.

Chargers

Chargers are a good base for the plates and really add a nice touch to the table décor. I typically go with a classic metallic gold table charger. Metallic gold goes well with almost any dinner party.

Napkins

Moving on to the napkins, you can do one of two things depending on the look you are going for. You can go more traditional and choose red garnet linen napkins or you can go more rustic with some burlap napkins.

Napkin Rings

The next element to your dining table arrangements will be your napkin rings. Below are a few ideas;

You can get creative and make some napkin rings with this garland,

or with these metallic leaves.

Place Cards

I am LOVING these place cards from Etsy. You can reuse them often especially if you host Thanksgiving every year.

TableWare

Plates

For plates and glasses, I usually go very basic. You can always change the look of a party with chargers and table décor but I stick with basic white plates.

Wine Glasses

I purchase these wine glasses from the DollarTree in bulk. They carry both red and white wine glasses. You can also get stemless glasses if you prefer that look. If you want to dress them up, tie some ribbon on the bottom of the stems.

Utensils and Serveware

Make sure you have enough silverware for each place setting.

You will also need platters, gravy boats, bowls, serving spoons, and any other necessary dishes.

If there is a kid table, I usually make sure I have fancy paper plates, napkins, plastic glasses and plastic silverware.

Seating

Make sure you have enough chairs for everyone. We have over 30 people for our Thanksgiving Dinner Party, so we have to use a lot of folding chairs. However you decide to seat people, just make sure there is enough room for everyone, even if they are sitting on the couch.

Summary

This should be all you need to host an amazing Thanksgiving Dinner Party. I have also created a Thanksgiving To-do List as well as a “Day of” List, to ensure that everything is cooking at the right times.

Lastly, I will also have Thanksgiving recipes as well. That should be the full package of everything you need for hosting Thanksgiving! To get the full package of lists you need to host a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner, subscribe to my blog! Your bundle will include;

• Thanksgiving Table Decor ideas
• Thanksgiving Dinner menu template
• “Day of” To-do List/Cooking List
• Thanksgiving Recipes

For a list of items to purchase for your Thanksgiving party, see the list below!

Food

1. Appetizers
2. Main Course
3. Sides
4. Dessert

Beverages

1. Wine
2. Beer
3. Mixers
4. Hard Alcohol
5. Coke
6. Diet Coke
7. Sprite
8. Dr. Pepper
9. Orange Pop
10. Juice Boxes
11. Sparkling Grape Juice

Table Decor

1. Tablecloth
2. Table Runner
3. Pumpkin Centerpieces
4. Fancy Candle Holders
5. Traditional Candle Holders
6. Pumpkin Garland
7. Chargers
8. Red Garnet Linen Napkins
9. Burlap Napkins
10. Grapevine Wreath Napkin Rings
11. Bronze Acorn Napkin Rings
12. Bronze Napkin Rings
13. Leaf Wire Garland
14. Confetti Leaves
15. Place Cards

Tableware

1. Plates
2. Wine Glasses
3. Utensils and Serveware
4. Plastic plates, silverware, napkins and cups

Seating

1. Chairs

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