Host A Friendsgiving That Will Make Your Guests Feel Treasured

Hosting a Friendsgiving is basically an excuse to feast a second time with your chosen family. You can throw out all the rules, classic dishes and awkward convos with your weird uncle- and celebrate the people who pulled you through the highs and lows of the year.

When it comes to hosting any type of gathering for the people we love, we have some basic rules for success. Here are our top 3 tips for hosting a gathering that will make your guests feel treasured (cause that’s what it’s all about):

Gather, Borrow + Thrift

Don’t run out and spend a million dollars on fancy decor. Mismatched plates, plants from around the house + candlesticks passed down from Grandma will make your gathering a reflection of YOU! If there are items you need, ask your friends if you can borrow them- it makes your guests feel good to be asked for help! Still in a pinch? Hit up your local vintage shop to fill in the blanks. This is where the “make your guests feel treasured” comes in: Sourcing items from local shops takes time and care- each item tells a story. Pulling together a mix of gathered, borrowed and thrifted creates conversation and a feeling of warmth.

Remember What Made You Friends

My core group of friends has a couple big things in common: We love plants, vintage, tarot cards (or as we say “witchy shit”) and local food. Figure out what your group loves and present them with THAT! I pulled together plants from my garden + a few small house plants for the table, sourced some vintage pieces from one of our favorite shops, set some tarot cards on the table and ordered a charcuterie from a local small business (who also happens to be my friends cousin). Nothing fancy, but these are the things that make the gathering feel tailor made for your chosen family.

Ditch Traditional Food + Drink

Don’t be a control freak! Everything doesn’t have to be Instagram-able. When friends ask me, “What can I bring?”, I say, “Whatever you want!”. I usually create the base of the celebration with a cheese board (because it’s a mix of protein, carbs, fruit + sweets) and then I love seeing what everyone else brings to fill the table. Mismatched pie dishes and random dips are a display of straight up LOVE! I always provide a favorite specialty beverage, because it’s another fun way to bring the table to life! This year I put out Olipop’s Blackberry Vanilla (a limited release) which legit tastes like your favorite seasonal cobbler in a can. It’s SO GOOD!

At the end of the day you are gathering with the people in your life who love and support you for you! Whether you order a pizza for your handful of besties or Zoom in pajamas with favorite Facebook group- know that whatever you do is enough! Wishing you all a wonderful Friendsgiving!