Today we have the ultimate Thanksgiving guide for you, our annual take on what to wear, eat, drink and bring for your Thanksgiving celebration!
What to Wear, Eat, Drink and Bring to Thanksgiving
These posts are always fun, we try to do them in advance of each holiday. Because a major celebration often calls for a cute outfit idea and we all know it’s bad form to show up empty handed 🙂
{See our Friendsgiving Post HERE}
Christy already covered some fabulous hostess gifts in this post here. I keep trying to order the Draper James trivia set (it had me at the cute box) but it looks like you all scooped them up. I keep hoping they will restock! I’ll throw in an idea for one my favorite hostess gifts–I like to pick up pretty dishtowels (these are pretty, these are funny) and add a candle or chocolates tied together with a ribbon and it’s a quick and simple but also useful gift.
We are hosting Thanksgiving this year. You can see my post HERE about how we do Thanksgiving for a crowd. My husband has a large family so my kids have tons of cousins, this year we’ll have a slightly smaller group than some other years but still will be close to 20 people. My brother in law has offered to fry the turkey, that pretty much wins for the best in the “what to bring” category don’t you think?
Rattan Chargers | Burlap Pouch
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to download our Holiday Planner, it even has a Thanksgiving Planning page to help you get organized!
Thanksgiving can be a lot of work so I am all about ways to simplify it–I already picked up these pretty paper goods (I found them for less at HomeGoods) for the kids that are coming (all 13 of them!).
See more of this kids’ table in this post here.
As far as what to drink, when we had our largest crowd (30+) a few years ago I filled a glass serving jar with fruit water. It was a nice alternative too wine, soda or cocktails. We always try to offer something for all tastes and this was a crowd pleaser, it’s light and refreshing ahead of a large meal. I simply added cucumber slices, mint and lemon (cranberries are also a great Thanksgiving addition) to a large jar and filled with ice. It was self-serve so all the better!
Of course, we can’t fail to mention our favorite fall cocktail–the Apple Cider Martini. This goes perfectly with the flavors of Thanksgiving, while it’s a little sweet it is the perfect drink to kick off the holiday.
What to wear–this is always a fun topic to talk about. I remember being expected to dress up as a child for Thanksgiving but we do things more casual these days, and of course an elastic waist is always a good idea. We recently had our photos taken, you’ll see them soon in our Christmas Card post, but here’s a photo with the sweater I purchased for photos knowing I’d wear it for Thanksgiving and probably again on Christmas Eve too! I seriously love it, the quality is exceptional and the materials justify the price. This is such a classic I know I’ll get years of wear out of it. If this one is out of your budget, here is one that is very similar for less.
(Similar) Sweater or this pretty one HERE (on sale!)
(Photo via the talented Susan Seidel)
Below is another option I ordered for photos, this is classic dress that is perfect for the holidays, especially if you want to be a little more dressy. The quality and fit of this dress is so nice, this sweater dress would be great on its own with tall boots but you could also wear a jacket or a vest over it.
Another more casual option–I have been wearing this soft sweater below quite a bit, I purchased it this summer during the Anniversary Sale but once it turned cold it’s been on repeat. It is very easy to dress up or down and on sale in a number of colors.
Here’s a similar style tunic sweater but in a lighter fabric, the beige is pretty for this time of year.
A few extra small touches, like cute leftover containers are also thoughtful. You can find kraft paper ones HERE and the wood serving forks/spoons here.
We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!
XO,
Amy,
Where did you find that beautiful beverage dispenser? Thanks!
Isn’t it pretty? That one I actually borrowed from my friend Terry who is a professional event planner. I love it, I have been looking for one like it but haven’t found one. I’ll keep my eyes open, she already had the gorgeous satin ribbon tied on the top which I think makes it that much better! Sorry not to be of more help! XO, Amy