Tips for Hosting Friendsgiving

So you want to host a friendsgiving, eh? I’m right there with you! I’ve always wanted to host a friendsgiving, but never felt I had the space, right group of friends, whatever…excuses excuses really. So this year I was determined. Didn’t know the where, how many people, when, etc. until Harry & David reached out and offered to send over some holiday-esk goodies! Done and done. From there, I had a game plan.

Mind you, I grew up eating Harry & David…their Pepper Relish was legendary in our household. One year my Mom literally gifted a case of it to my Aunt for her birthday. Haha, so yes, we like Harry & David. When given the opportunity to work with them, AND host a friendsgiving one could be proud of – the answer was YES. So I invited a handful of my nearest and dearest over for a dinner party. I had every intention for it to be ‘fall season’ themed, but didn’t really call it ‘friendsgiving’. However, in true Charleston fashion, everyone asked if they could bring something. A questions normally I would respond with ‘no worries, I got this covered – just bring yourself!’ blah blah. This time I thought, actually this would be the PERFECT excuse to round up an impromptu friendsgiving! Everyone, without even really knowing it until they arrived, was super on board. It wasn’t overly planned, I didn’t over calculate like I often do. It was natural, and the loveliest of evenings around the dining room table.

Now that you have the backstory, I wanted to share a few tips I learned along the way in my un-intential effort to host my very first friendsgiving! If you’ve done this a time or two {successfully or as an epic fail}, I’d love to hear about it! Never to early to start plotting next year’s success…

3 TIPS to Host a Friendsgiving

1. Cover The Mains | As the host, I think it’s best to make sure you have your bases covered when it comes to your ‘mains’. Meaning, if something goes wrong or someone cancels last minute and was in charge of a dish, the show would still go on. Thanks to Harry & David, I was able to provide the table with an incredible spiral ham as the main entree for dinner. Not to mention, as leftovers for days to follow haha. Loved it. It was incredible. I also always make sure I have at least 1-2 bottles opened and up on the counter when guests initially arrive, along with a few appetizers to start the nibbles. This California classics cheese collection, along with brunch bites {still perfect for dinner pairings} were the perfect pre-made additions for the evening. No fuss, and oh-so-yummy.
2. Let Your Guests Participate | Guests {especially around Thanksgiving time} want to be included and feel like they’re bringing something to the table {literally…pun intended}. So let them! It can be so easy to just take everything on as the host, but just know you don’t have to. I find it best to go ahead and assign each person something different if/when they ask. That way there’s no confusion over what may or may not be coming through the door. Dessert, side green, side starch, or wine are perfect items your guests can handle! Give them a heads up on your ‘main’ that way they can pair accordingly.
3. Keep It Simple{r} | This is always a tough one for me to follow. Only because I love hosting so much, and am extremely detailed oriented, I typically overthink it all. Everything from the concept to execution to clean-up. However, I’m trying to remind myself that it’s not all about the table setting or how pretty everything is. It’s about the people you bring together and the interactions they experience that matter. So do yourself a favor, keep it simple {or simpler then you might normally} and just focus on being present and enjoying yourself.

photos by Julie Livingston Photography