How to Plan a Friendsgiving Party

Make your Friendsgiving a little more wild!

The holiday season is approaching, which means time for delicious food and time spent with your favorite people. Thanksgiving has become a month-long event with multiple dinners and a seamless transition into holiday shopping season. Whether you long for the simpler days of jellied cranberry sauce out of the can or you’re planning to cram as many servings of mashed potatoes into yourself as humanly possible, we’ve got some tips on how to celebrate this festive and delicious time of year with your friends!

Figure Out Logistics

First, you need to decide when and where you’re hosting, and for what type of group. Are you a student staying on campus over the holiday break and planning a dinner with everyone on your floor? Are you traveling over the holiday and planning a dinner before or after the actual fourth Thursday of the month? Are you coordinating a lunchtime get-together with coworkers on Wednesday? Offering a place to crash for your out of town buddies? The possibilities are endless.

Figuring out the logistics makes planning the guest list an easier task. Also consider if you’ll be doing the cooking yourself, enlisting help to cook at your home, getting take-out, or asking people to bring a dish or dessert pot-luck style. There are no rules when it comes to Friendsgiving, so figure out what you’re able to do and go from there.

Invite Your Friends

Depending on which type of gathering you’re planning, start your guest list. How many people can you host in your home, how many out of towners can you provide a couch for, and are there any frenemies you’ll need to keep distant from each other?

Plan Your Menu

You can’t go wrong with the classics like mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, green beans, and cranberry sauce. But Friendsgiving is the perfect time to try new things and get outside your culinary comfort zone. Be sure to check and see if anyone you’re inviting has allergies or dietary restrictions. We also shared some amazing plant-based recipes last month - check them out again for inspiration!

You can put together a signature mocktail for your event, too. Cranberry or pomegranate juice with ginger ale or seltzer and a twist of lemon, mulled apple cider with a caramel drizzle, or any other tasty fall combo will please your palate and add an extra festive touch. For a fun twist, invite everyone to bring their own drink and have a tasting competition.

Set the Stage

Decorating for your party is half the fun! Bring out a festive tablecloth and the cloth napkins for your oh-so-fancy soiree. While you’re at it, add a few plants to the mix. Amidst all the orange and brown, a pop of green will add a touch of life and energy to your fall decor. When the party’s over, plant it forward and give your centerpiece plants away to share the plant love with your best buds.

We also recommend putting together an awesome playlist for the big day! Ask your guest list to recommend their favorite tunes on Spotify and put together a fun and festive mix of songs.

Get the Party Started

Once the table is set (metaphorically and/or literally), the music is playing, and the guests arrive, it’s time to get the party started! Eat, drink, and be merry.  

Share the Fun

We’re excited to see what you dream up for Friendsgiving this year. Use #wildfriendsgiving to show us how you’re decorating with plants and to share photos of your festivities! Tag us on Instagram, @wild_interiors.