Planning to host friends this season? Here’s a step-by-step guide to hosting the ultimate retro Friendsgiving.

How to Host Your First Friendsgiving with a Retro Twist

Friendsgiving is the perfect opportunity to gather your closest friends for a night filled with good food, laughter, and gratitude. If you’re hosting your first Friendsgiving and want to make it extra special, why not give it a retro twist? I am very much in my hosting era right now. Dreaming up themes, color palettes, textures and menus is how I’ve been spending a lot of my free time. When I decided that I wanted to get my girls together for Friendsgiving I knew that I wanted to make it a retro theme. I am really loving disco balls and checkered patterns right now. I fell in love with these turkey plates and they really set the tone for the entire gathering.

SHOP FRIENDSGIVING ESSENTIALS

Here’s a step-by-step guide with tips I swear by for hosting the ultimate retro Friendsgiving.

1. Set the Mood with a Retro Theme

A retro Friendsgiving calls for bold colors, funky décor, and a fun atmosphere. Incorporate elements from an era of your choice. The core colors I chose to use were purple, orange, and gold to create a warm and inviting vibe, perfect for fall. With a color palette of purple, orange, and gold, and a fall-themed menu, your Friendsgiving will be both stylish and memorable.

Decorate with vintage-inspired pieces such as patterned table runners or tableware, and candles. I tried to use a lot of things that I already had on hand to keep the cost down. The table runners were from my beach themed birthday party last year. Incorporate mid-century modern tableware or colored glassware to enhance the theme. The table centerpiece I created was perfect for the iridescent vase that I had.

2. Keep the Guest List Small and Intimate

Friendsgiving is all about celebrating gratitude with those who mean the most to you. Instead of inviting everyone you know, focus on keeping the gathering small and intimate. Aim for a guest list of 6-10 of your closest friends to create a cozy, relaxed atmosphere where everyone can engage in conversation and enjoy quality time together. A smaller guest list also makes planning and executing the event much more manageable. I created a guest list of my closest friends and kept it small. It was the perfect amount of guests for an intimate event.

3. Create a Stunning Retro Tablescape

The tablescape is one of the most important elements of your Friendsgiving celebration. Since the theme I decided on was retro with purple, orange, and gold as the core colors, I let these hues shine through in the table settings. I tried to incorporate the colors as much as I could without making it overwhelming.

Here’s how to create an eye-catching tablescape:

• Tableware: Use vintage-style plates or patterned disposable plates and gold flatware to tie everything together. I love these turkey shaped plates as dessert plates. If you’re wanting to go for plates that are reusable, these scalloped plates are a beautiful option.
• Florals: Incorporate fresh flowers in warm tones like marigold, deep purple, and burnt orange. Arrange them in unique vases or even retro-inspired glass bottles.
• Candles: Use taper candles in complementary colors to add warmth and elegance.
• Place Cards: Personalize each place setting with handwritten name cards in a retro font.
• Linens: Opt for patterned or velvet napkins to enhance the nostalgic feel.

4. Plan a Delicious Fall-Themed Menu

A Friendsgiving feast wouldn’t be complete without delicious food. I stuck to a fall-themed menu that’s both comforting and crowd-pleasing. I tried to incorporate menu items that were easy to prep and didn’t require a lot of steps. I made sure to be mindful of any guest allergies when creating the menu. I also used ingredients that were in season. Here’s what I served:

Appetizers:

• Whipped Ricotta Crostini w/ Hot Honey Drizzle
• Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
• Apple Feta Salad w/ Pecans

Main Course:

• Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
• Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta

Desserts:

Charcuterie cups make an amazing option for appetizers. You can create so much variety while combining flavors and textures for guests to enjoy. These charcuterie boxes that I made for my birthday party were a huge hit. I highly recommend something like this if you’re looking for an easy and affordable appetizer option.

5. Incorporate Fun Retro Activities

One thing I love to do is plan activities to keep my guests entertained. Now I’ll be honest, we don’t always get to the activities. We usually start chatting and never even make it to the activity portion but when you’re in a room filled with people you love, the activities really are just for backup. Here are a couple of ideas:

• Polaroid Photo Booth: Set up a photo booth with fun props. You can gift your guests mini scrapbooks that they can use to write what they’re most grateful for. I love having a camera on hand that guests can use to capture memories and add to the scrapbook. This also doubles as the perfect party favor.
• Retro Games: Play nostalgic board games or classic card games like Uno or Scrabble.
• Vinyl Listening Station: If you have a record player, ask guests to bring their favorite classic record and take turns playing them.
• DIY Gratitude Cards: Provide guests with small cards to write down what they’re grateful for and read them aloud at dinner.

6. Make It Cozy and Inviting

I wanted to create a cozy space to welcome my friends. Since we’d be only spending a short time at the dining table, I set the living room up to make it inviting. I used soft throw blankets, seasonal pillows, and warm lighting to create a relaxed environment. Light colored taper candles coordinated with the theme were lit with notes of cinnamon to enhance the fall atmosphere. If you have seasonal candles they are definitely a great way to create a special ambiance. If you have an outdoor space, consider adding a fire pit for roasting marshmallows.

7. Send Guests Home with Thoughtful Party Favors

Party favors are by far my favorite thing to dream up. I kept things simple with the friendsgiving party favors. I found these leftover bags at the Target dollar spot and picked them up. They were perfect for guests to use for their leftovers. I typically try to make extra single serve desserts so guests can take them home. Desserts are always such a huge hit.

If you’re stuck on what you can send your guests home with, here are a couple of fun and thoughtful ideas:

• Mini jars of homemade cranberry sauce or apple butter
• Personalized cookies in fall shapes
• Small fall scented candles in your Friendsgiving color scheme customized with seasonal sayings or guest names

8. Enjoy the Moment

As the host, honestly it’s easy to get caught up in trying to make everything perfect. I really struggle with this but I try to remember that the time that I get with my family and friends is priceless. Don’t forget to enjoy the time! Your friends are there to celebrate, not to critique. Take time to sit, eat, laugh, and soak in the memories being made.

Whether you’re hosting your first brunch at home or your first Friendsgiving, it is a special milestone. Adding a retro twist makes it even more memorable. With the right decor, a tasty seasonal menu, and the company of your closest friends, your Friendsgiving will be an event everyone talks about for years to come.