November is quickly approaching, which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. While it is the perfect holiday for family, friends and pumpkin pie, this time of year can be very stressful if you are hosting a Thanksgiving celebration. Follow these critical steps to ensure the most enjoyable and festive experience this year:
1. Brainstorm
According to Epicurious, if you are having Thanksgiving at your home, you will need to think over a few factors before you take any steps toward the actual planning process. Determine whether you want a relaxed atmosphere or a more formal feel to your dining experience. Also, figure out if you want this feast to be an ‘adults only’ dinner or if you need to plan how to best entertain young ones throughout the party.
2. Plan the Menu in Advance
According to Food. com, figuring out the menu plays a critical role in a successful Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you want the event to be pot-luck style, catered or home-cooked, deciding the dishes will act as a blueprint that you can use to guide yourself through the entire planning of the Thanksgiving celebration. Knowing what you want to do about food can also help you as you determine who and how many people to invite. If you want to cater the meal or prepare it yourself, you may not want such a high number of guests at your home. Preparing a meal for 50 people can be quite the challenge, so keeping the number of invitations below that is a good idea. You’ll also want to decide right away whether you want a classic Thanksgiving feast or if you want to try something a little different or more modern. These decisions will help you as you move through the preparation process.
3. Determine a Guest List
Before you host your celebration, you need to figure out who you’ll invite. Decide if you want to only include family members, friends or a healthy mix of both parties. While you’re likely thankful for all of your relationships, it isn’t practical to invite every person who has ever impacted your life positively. Invite individuals who will have a good time with the rest of the guests. If you decide to have a pot-luck style, you will be able to invite a higher number of guests than if you were catering the event or making all the dishes yourself.
4. Send out Invitations
You don’t necessarily need to send out formal invitations to your gathering but ensuring guests know about the party ahead of time is critical. Send out emails, create a Facebook event or make a few phone calls to make sure everyone knows the date and time of your Thanksgiving celebration. If you do want to send formal invitations, make sure you have the most recent address for all guests and legibly print your return address in case any invites cannot be delivered. This has the potential to combat anything getting lost in the mail.
5. Decorate Your Table
A Thanksgiving table is a fun and festive way to get everyone in the mood for this special holiday, noted the Cooking Channel. Create your own autumn-inspired centerpiece with fall blooms, such as mums or mini pom pom chrysanthemums. Also, place a few pumpkins, squash or other seasonal fruits in your home to bring a little festive cheer to your home. If you need to use a larger table, make room by storing your belongings in a storage unit. SecurCare Self Storage offers a number of affordable storage units. Be sure to check out a local facility before your Thanksgiving feast.