From Thanksgiving cocktails to delicious food all served in a great atmosphere, there is much to decide for your event. This is why doing some advanced planning is so crucial. Whether your guest list is for an intimate few, or includes numerous family members and friends, ironing out the details ahead of time, will ensure your dinner runs smoothly.

Key Things You Need To Decide

Once you know that you will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner, it is time to start planning. The first thing you need to do, is plan the menu. If your gathering is small, you can serve everything at the table family style. However, if you have a large guest list, a buffet style dinner is a better choice. Buffet style meals make it easy for you as the host, because everyone can help themselves, and you can keep all the food in one place.

Find out ahead of time if any of your guests have special dietary needs or restrictions. If you have guests that are vegan or vegetarians, you will want to make sure you have dishes prepared that they can eat.

When it comes to the drinks, you should make sure you have a good selection for everyone. In terms of cocktails for your dinner, spend some time online researching a variety of cocktail recipes. This will let you know what type of  alcohol and drink mixes you need to purchase.

Also, remember not everyone drinks alcohol,  so purchase a selection of fruit juice, seltzer and soda, This will allow you to whip up some virgin cocktails for those guests who are underage or don’t drink alcohol.  In addition, make sure you have a good supply of wine and beer on hand, so you can cater to all tastes.

If you decide to have a sit down dinner for Thanksgiving, make sure your table is decked out for the occasion.. Having any kind of dinner party requires an eye for detail when it comes to the table décor. Use a good, high-quality table-cloth to protect your table and add a colorful backdrop.

Coordinating napkins and little touches of the season help to make the table look inviting and warm. Set the table ahead of time with your best dishes, crystal and cutlery. Crown your table with a fall themed centerpiece and candles.

If you follow this advice, you will see that planning ahead will let you host a Thanksgiving dinner that will be enjoyed by all, including the stress-free host.

This is a collaborative guest post, the views and ideals expressed do not necessarily represent those of Mommy Ramblings.