Throwing a Friendsgiving is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the holidays and intentionally celebrate the friends within our lives.
From Friendsgiving games to food and decor, here’s a simple guide on how to plan a Friendsgiving dinner.
How to Plan a Friendsgiving
1. How many people do you want to invite to the Friendsgiving?
This will give you a rough draft of where to have the event and how much food is needed. In order to accommodate everyone comfortably.
2. Where do you want to have your event?
The event can be anywhere you want. Such as your house, park, beach, etc.
3. What date do you want to host the event?
Ask your potential guests for their availabilities/preferences.
Also, gain feedback on whether they would like to do the event before or after Thanksgiving (Especially if they’re spending the holiday out of town).
Finally, come to a collective agreement on the best day for the event.
4. What dining style do you want for your Friendsgiving?
Will it feature a potluck, catered food, or homemade food by one or more people?
Related: Fun Potluck Themes to Spice up Your Gathering
Friendsgiving Invitation Ideas
Once you’ve settled on a date, location, and event style, you can begin sending invitations.
You can create a quick and beautiful digital flyer to help you go above and beyond a simple text invite.
Make sure to include an RSVP option within your invite. So that you can have an estimate of how many attendees will be at the party.
Food Ideas
One of the key things regarding food is to gain input from your anticipated guests. This will help reduce food waste and increase the overall guest experience.
To limit decision fatigue and option overload, present your guests with a limited number of options and have them vote.
Overall, do not feel pressured to have “Traditional” Thanksgiving dishes. This is a time when you and your friends will come together to celebrate friendship and gratefulness. So have food that everyone actually wants.
If you plan on having a potluck type of dining, create and share a list of what each person will be bringing (So that no one brings any accidental duplicates).
Check out: Fun Potluck Themes to Spice up Your Gathering
Friendsgiving Decor
You can find great decor and Friendsgiving table-setting visual inspiration on Pinterest. If you’re having your Friendsgiving outdoors make sure to add weights to your lightweight decor items.
There’s no need to break the bank in order to achieve a cute and impressive ambiance.
- You can find affordable decor items on Amazon, Walmart, or Dollar Tree
- DIY the decor
- Use existing items that you already own
In terms of the decor and food, plan on where you’re going to place all of the food (Create a separate food table). So that the eating table doesn’t overcrowd and become uncomfortable.
Lastly, consider clean up when it comes to your table setting. Although real plates are cute and give a fancier vibe, disposable plates may be a better option if you want a quick and easy clean-up.
Game Ideas
From music to card games, Wrap up your Friendsgiving dinner party with some fun entertainment.
Here are some fun activities to keep everyone entertained:
- Bingo
- Scavenger hunt
- Board games
- Watch a movie
- Photobooth station
- Jenga
- Card games (Uno, What do you Meme, Taboo, etc.)
- Family Feud
- Karaoke
- Trivia about one another
- Create thankful cards for one another
