I don’t know why, but hosting your first-ever Thanksgiving seems like the quintessential right of passage to become a full-fledged home cook. Not that hosting dinner parties prior didn’t count. It’s just that once you’ve cooked your first bird you realize you can do anything… Perhaps it’s the sheer weight of it – on average Thanksgiving turkeys weigh 16 pounds – but a traditional Thanksgiving meal is a huge undertaking all around. Arguably one of the biggest family holidays of the year, Thanksgiving is not only highly anticipated, but guests come expecting great food. Fret not for I’m sharing my go-to tips not only on what to serve this Turkey Day but also on how to impress your guests with a stylish tablescape.

Plan Ahead

Seems silly to have to note, but seriously you want to start by making sure you know when Thanksgiving is so that you can plan backward. For instance, you will need to order the turkey ahead of time. Life gets busy and the key to success for your first-ever Thanksgiving is to prep as much as you can before the actual day. 

Write out your grocery list, dividing it into perishables and nonperishables to make shopping and storing easier. Nonperishables can be purchased a week or two in advance and make a trip to pick up perishables a day or two before Thanksgiving day. 

Invite your guests and confirm who can come so you know how many people to feed. Remember it’s not at all unreasonable to ask guests to bring a dish—and often, they will offer to! Also, as far as hosting your first-ever Thanksgiving please know it’s totally acceptable to not have to cook everything from scratch. At the end of the day, what’s most important is bringing loved ones together over a meal. If need be feel free to buy pre-made dishes from your favorite local food shop or even your local grocery store will offer easy-to-heat options. 

I highly suggest you start early on your non-food prep. After all, It’s not just the food that needs to be prepped. The week before pull out serving dishes that need to be washed and be sure to count both your silverware and napkins to make sure you have enough. If you’re a first-time host and do not have a serveware you’ll want to purchase (or borrow from a friend) an oval platter(s), baking dish, salad bowl, and more. I personally made a trip to my local Anthropologie just for the occasion. 

Create a Menu

We all know and love the classics – think garlicky cheesy mashed potatoes, heaps of gravy, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and dinner rolls to name a few – but there’s something equally special about being able to curate and design your own dinner menu. For instance, I wanted to create a menu that was grounded by the classics but better suited for a 4-person family or for an intimate Friendsgiving dinner. For my menu, I also wanted to draw from my coastal-inspired influences and surroundings like Maine lobster and oysters as a homage to living in Portland, as well as to find unique ways to elevate the meal and make this a dining experience that was memorable my for guests. 

Lucky for me (and you) Sopo Seafood offers pickup and nationwide delivery of fresh Maine seafood. I wanted to serve Lobster Stuffed Twice Potatoes and Oysters Rockefeller and it was a breeze to be able to order seafood online for next-day delivery. My recipes called for 1 pound of lobster and 2 dozen oysters. Between a busy work week and preparing my other dishes, it was incredibly helpful to be able to pick up my ingredients from my local seafood market. What’s great if you’re reading this post from out of state you can order Maine lobster and fresh oysters delivered right to your door no matter where you live in the country. 

Set The Table

To save you a little stress be sure to set your table the night before. When it comes to building a Thanksgiving tablescape it only takes a few elements to ensure you have a stunning setup. Some may opt for a tablecloth (usually white) depending on how fancy your dinner is. I find a table runner is all you really need. Personally, I like the visual focal point to be the food so I often gravitate towards using white serveware or at least ones with a minimalist look.

To dress the table I like to use a floral arrangement as the centerpiece. I reached out to my florist friend Katie of Petal and Stem Design to see about getting fresh blooms for the table. We decided on one large centerpiece and then smaller ones to balance and fill the table. Once that was set it comes down to the plates, glassware, silverware, and napkins. My advice is don’t be afraid of color. Given the autumnal theme, I went for gold/mustard plates and used fun printed dessert plates as both a form of contrast and to be a style focal point. I tied in the color of these plates with the tall pink taper candles. For a holiday like Thanksgiving, I find gold silverware to be appropriate, and once again tied in this color with using gold candle holders. Ultimately when setting your table remember to have: a dinner plate, salad or dessert plate, napkin, set of silverware, and wine glass as well as water or cocktail glasses.

What To Wear 

Holidays as a whole are the perfect excuse to dress up or maybe your reason for buying a new outfit. Whatever the case, Thanksgiving is about feeling comfortable and cute. While I honor the more relaxed feel with a sweatsuit set or a more classic look of jeans and a sweater, I’ve always liked the occasion to dress up. For me, that is wearing a dress. I love this new faux leather pink mini dress from Anthropologie with a simple pearl headband and heels. Truthfully, I wanted to match my overarching color theme and to also “dress the part” as a hostess. Even as a stylist I do want to emphasize that there’s no need to overthink this. Dress what makes you feel comfortable and good – this is going to look different for everyone.

If you don’t know what to wear or want help with event styling feel free to email me at Hannah@thefashioncookbook.com to learn more about my styling services.

Photography by Lauren Lear