Feast of Fancy | Our 2021 Thanksgiving Tablescape
Welcome to our second annual Thanksgiving Tablescape feature.
This time of year is synonymous with home, gathering around tables filled with feasts, sharing stories of the past year and aspirations for what is to come. We understand that hosting any dinner party, let alone a Thanksgiving Feast, is no small feat. So we are doing our part to provide the helpful advice and some of the accoutrement that is required for opening your homes to others to enjoy - from Thanksgiving Tablescape Trends, to Hosting Tips (coming Sunday), to a recipe round-up of Special Dishes from our Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty family - and finally, this post. Within you’ll find inspiration for Thanksgiving in a modern hue, and Printable Menu and Placecard Settings for you to edit to showcase your feast and share with your family and friends.
So take a seat as we dive in to what we’ve created for you this year…
A Modern Event
This year, we wanted our Thanksgiving Tablescape to evoke a more modern gathering, focusing on the people who are seated at the table as much as the place settings, as we joyfully return to in-person events. From the mudcloth-inspired woven tablecloth, to the bold typography-centric menus and place cards, to the vibrant lilac accent in velvet ribbons and brightly hued candlesticks, we’ve created an inviting space that calls for you to pull up a chair and share in the feast.
We opted out of elaborate florals this year (more room for food on the table!) and instead added a few artful touches of dried heirloom corn with jewel toned kernels, and chic white squash. It is Thanksgiving, after all!
Walnut & Whimsy
The minimal color palette is accented with pops of purple and walnut wood, from the cheese knives to the mid-century modern tray, holding a squirrel nutcracker, no less! To each their own preference, but we love to pepper in tiny hints of whimsy through our designs from itty bitty hands that help you select an olive (above) to the squirrel enjoying almonds (right), it’s nice to create space for delight in the discovery of these things during dinner.
When designing your tablescape, it’s important to keep in mind the space your guests will fill, as well as food on the table. Make decisions on how formally you’d like to set the table, and align that with the number of courses being served. We do a plated salad course, a plated soup course, and then all the rest served as family-style mains. We typically arrange each setting laden with bowls (top), salad plate (middle), dinner plate (bottom) and peel away to the final course where we clear and provide cake plates. We coordinate this with a formal setting of silverware of two forks, a soup spoon above, and two knives on the outer edge. For a refresher on which utensil goes where, we love this post.
We also pre-set the table with the serving dishes intended for each family-style main course, during the week prior to make sure there’s clearance and coordinating trivets for all.
Room To Graze
We have grazing boards of cheese and charcuterie out with aperitifs for when guests arrive, so no one is anxiously awaiting the seated-dinner. For the sake of the photoshoot, the Aperitivo Hour bites have taken center-stage, while typically, those are served on a counter height bar so people can mingle while nibbling.
If it’s your first time assembling a cheese board (or encountering one) the rule of thumb is that items placed near each other should go together, so ensure the little additions are placed appropriately around the board. A bit of jam with the brie, candied pecans with a sharper wine-rind cheese, a smidge of mustard with cheddar, and so on.
This year’s printable bonus are little Cheese Placards to help identify the Bleu from the Brie, or the cave-aged Gruyere from the Humboldt Fog (if you’re a true cheese connoisseur).
One of our favorites to serve is a Baked Brie, where puff-pastry encrusts the creamy brie and is complimented by a tangy bite from the pepper jelly encased within. It makes a big impression with minimal fanfare.
The Free Printables
And finally, the much awaited release - the Printables! This year, we designed a modern ‘logo’ of sorts proclaiming “Give Thanks!” in bold artful letters. This little letter lockup adorns the reverse of the menus and the placecards alike, and looks mighty cheerful tucked on each plate.
What’s included:
Front and Back Menu Designs
Editable Text on Front
Front and Back Placecard Designs
Editable Text on Front
Bonus! Cheese Placards
3 Fixed Designs + Editable Text Template
Click below to edit and print!
Password: Jameson2021
