The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Fun and Festive Friendsgiving

Do you have friends that feel like family? Show how grateful you are to have them in your life by hosting a Friendsgiving party. You’ll spend the evening chowing down on delicious fall foods, laughing about your silliest moments, and making new memories.

Here, you’ll find everything you need to plan a Friendsgiving full of gratitude, laughter, and fun. From choosing the perfect date to nailing down a tasty menu for everyone, these Friendsgiving tips make planning easy. 

How to Plan the Ultimate Friendsgiving

Like all party planning, laying the groundwork for an epic Friendsgiving party is all about details. Here, we’ll share a handy six-step guide to planning Friendsgiving. From tips on choosing a date and location to Friendsgiving food ideas, hosting the event will be easy as pie. 

1. Pick a Date and Time

The holidays are notoriously busy, so start planning by picking a date that works for your friend group. With so many events on the schedule around Thanksgiving Day, start thinking about dates in late summer or early fall.

While many Friendsgiving parties are hosted in the evenings, consider doing brunch or an early morning breakfast if that works better for people’s schedules. The more flexible you are, the more likely it is that everyone on your guest list can join the fun.

Think of a couple of potential dates and ask friends if one works for them. Pick the date that fits everyone’s schedule. As soon as you have the day pinned down, send out invitations so people can mark their calendars.

2. Choose a Cozy Venue

Friendsgiving celebrations are often held at someone’s home, but you can also head to a local restaurant if you want less work when it comes to cooking. If you’d like to plan the party at home, pick a hostess for the event. You can host the party at your home or ask a best friend or family member if you can use their space. 

If you decide to celebrate at a restaurant, be sure to make a reservation. After all, it’s the busiest time of the year, so you want to ensure you have room for everyone on the guest list. It’s also a good idea to ask about the restaurant’s split check policy if you have a large group and plan on paying separately. 

When choosing a venue, look for a space with good vibes. If you want a cozy atmosphere, choose a home with a fireplace and plenty of soft seating. If you want everyone to sit together, ensure the venue has a long table that fits your guests.

3. Send Holiday-Inspired Invites

Design: Laura Bolter Design

Now that you know when and where you want to host the Friendsgiving celebration, it’s time to invite your guests! You can save time by sending digital invitations instead of traditional paper invites. 

Make a guest list and decide if you want guests to bring other people. Many people have family visiting from out of town that you may want to meet! Be sure to get a final headcount before making reservations — and choose a place large enough to accommodate surprise guests. 

Make it clear in your Friendsgiving invitations if guests are allowed to bring their kids with them. If many of your friends have kids, consider hiring a babysitter to watch them in another room while you celebrate.

4. Decide on a Friendsgiving Menu

Food is the star at most Friendsgiving celebrations. You can serve traditional Thanksgiving recipes or dream up fun new concoctions to wow your friends. You also need to decide if you’ll be making all of the food or if you want it to be a Thanksgiving potluck event where everyone brings their favorite dish. 

Some classic dishes you can serve include:

• Green bean casserole
• Cranberry sauce
• Mashed potatoes
• Sweet potato, pecan, or pumpkin pie

If you want this get-together to be a potluck, make that clear in your invitations. Create a list of popular dishes and have guests sign up for a main or side dish to bring. That way, everyone brings something different. 

Remember, the holiday season is a busy time, so keep things simple so your party doesn’t become a hassle for guests. Also, consider guests with dietary restrictions and ensure you have plenty of food for any friends who are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or who have food allergies. 

5. Deck Out the Space with Festive Decor

As the party date approaches, decorate the space to make it cozy and fun. Add natural elements like pumpkins and gourds around the room for a fall feel. Lighted leaf strands add ambient lighting and an autumn vibe.

Make your Friendsgiving dinner more formal by setting out place cards and using fine china. Metallic silverware adds glamor, while cloth napkins and an embroidered tablecloth create an elegant look.

For place cards, use pinecones, mini pumpkins, and pine boughs to set the Turkey Day mood. Create DIY centerpieces by filling vases with sunflowers and greenery like eucalyptus. Mason jars with pictures of your friend group are another great decor element and an opportunity to stroll down memory lane. 

6. Plan Joyful Entertainment

It’s the most wonderful time of year. Make it more magical by playing games that will fill your heart with joy and your soul with laughter. Board games like Pictionary and Telestrations are sure to have you in fits of laughter over everyone’s drawings. 

If your close friends are avid fans, watch football games after the Thanksgiving meal. You can even play your own flag football game in the backyard. 

Another way to keep guests busy is to watch TV shows. Many programs have Thanksgiving episodes that’ll help bring joy and laughter to the room. 

6 Joyful Friendsgiving Invitations

Ready to start inviting guests to your Friendsgiving celebration? At Greenvelope, you’ll find dozens of Friendsgiving invitation designs. From fun and festive to formal and endearing, there’s a vibe for every type of Thanksgiving dinner with friends. 

Here are a few of our favorite Friendsgiving invites to get inspired by.

1. Friendsgiving Invitation

Design: Jen Montgomery

Celebrate the classic American holiday with friends using this festive invitation. Featuring a holiday cornucopia and lettering in classic autumn colors, it’s the perfect way to kick off this joyful season. 

2. Friendsgiving Pumpkin Invitation

Design: Loree Mayer Design

Invite your close friends for a Thanksgiving-inspired celebration before the Christmas season with this joyful invite. The design has several different gourds and pumpkins and a fall color palette for a cozy feel.

3. Give Thanks Invitation

Design: Signature Greenvelope

Gorgeous autumn florals on this sophisticated invite set the tone for an elegant and whimsical Friendsgiving celebration. It comes in five soft color palettes, including green, blush, brown, and orange.

4. Friendsgiving Feast Invitation

Design: Robinson Creative House

Sit down for a feast with your best friends using this artistic invite. The invite is fully customizable, so you can change the background, envelope, and text to make it truly unique. 

5. Friendsgiving Gold Invitation

Design: Stacy Meacham Design, llc

Good friends are more valuable than gold. Show how much you appreciate your friends by inviting them to an elegant Friendsgiving celebration with this magical invite. Featuring gold foil accents and three autumn-hued colorways, it’s sure to get guests in the mood for celebrating friends and food.

6. Stuff Our Pieholes Invitation

Design: Jen Montgomery

Want a funny invite to get guests ready for a lively evening? This comical design is just what you need. Use it to ask guests to bring along a dish and set the scene for a quirky evening.

Spend a Grateful Evening with Friends

Friendsgiving is a wonderful celebration where you can eat your heart out and feel it bursting with joy, thanks to the wonderful people in your life. Plan a memorable Friendsgiving celebration with this step-by-step guide. 

For more holiday-inspired ideas, continue browsing our Stationers blog. You’ll find ideas for Thanksgiving celebrations with friends and other ways to get into the holiday spirit. From decor and games to food and party ideas, there’s a vibe for every personal style.