Favorite Fall Party - Girlfriends and Gratitude
Updated Fall 2023. This was originally written as something to do during Thanksgiving, but as I have been reminded by so many of my readers, it is great for any time of year.
This is a fall party that I threw several years ago, and especially with the colors and the menu, is perfect for fall entertaining. It was a luncheon to thank a group of girlfriends for being so kind and welcoming after I had moved to a new city. But, you could also use some of these ideas any time you want to honor or show appreciation to a group of friends.
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The Inspiration
When I moved from New York to the South several years ago, I was so fortunate to meet new friends who were welcoming, gracious, and simply lovely. At the time, I had a gorgeous backyard that could seat 20 of us for lunch and was glorious in the fall. So, with my mind in a place of gratitude, I decided to thank these new (and old) friends.
If you've read my post on planning any event, you will know that I ask several questions:
Why? Where? and Who? are the first three and the most basic. Here were my answers:
WHY - to say thank you and to give back to my friends.
WHERE - my backyard.
WHO - new and old girlfriends in Atlanta - limited to 24.
Then, the two most important questions:
How did I want them to feel?
Appreciated. Happy that they had made a difference in my life.
What would I want them to say the next day?
“I laughed, relaxed, drank wine, made new friends and felt wonderful about myself and the day. It was all so beautiful and I felt so fortunate to be there and to be appreciated. This helped me start my weekend off with joy.”
New as of October 1, 2023! A step-by-step 40+ page planning guide for the Girlfriends & Gratitude Luncheon. Music, menus, invitation, etc.
Once the questions above were answered,
it was time to move on to the fun part!
The Style
French Countryside
Fall/Autumn
Elegant but relaxed
Tweeds
Plaids
Olives, brown, tangerine, burlap
Pumpkins, leaves, apples, etc.
Music - it was outdoors during the day, so music was tricky. I put together a playlist of mostly female singers - sexy yet light, and a bit of Michael Buble here and there.
Lighting - all natural! However, I did put candles on the table as I think a party needs candles no matter the time of day.
Flowers - of course we had nature all around us. But, did you know that one of the definitions of "cotton" is "to understand" or "to stick together?" Since this was a party about friendship, I thought that was PERFECT. I used tall cotton sprays on the drinks table and put smaller cotton bolls on the take-away CDs (remember, this was a few years ago).
Tablesetting - I covered the rough table with a heavy olive green tablecloth (which was actually two discontinued curtain panels I had found years ago and never used). Then, I made a runner out of chocolate brown burlap and put that down the center of the table. To provide a contrast to the rustic, I used formal Christian Dior china and sterling silver (that wedding registration from 15 years go came in handy!!)
Placecards - this was one of my favorite parts. WE had quotes from the women that we tied to the little pumpkins at each placesetting.
Menu
We served family style and did a green salad and then had proteins on the side. We also had a savory tart and several bite-sized desserts.
“Hospitality shines the brightest when it is shared”
The Giveaway
I made a CD of my favorite "I am Woman" type songs - all about friendship, support and fabulousness. (this was back in the day when CDs were still a common thing.) You could do a playlist. Or, as I recently did at a women’s retreat where I used this same concept, a print out of all the quotes on a pretty paper stick, tied with an orange ribbon with a cotton boll.
And that was it - a beautiful day filled with gratitude and friendship - and a RIDICULOUS amount of wine.
If you have any questions about the details of this party, please just comment below.
I JUST created a guide to this exact party with menus, recipes, the actual invitation, playlists, links to where to purchase everything, etc. If you’re interested, check it out below - it’s fun!
