Be Our Guest: Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas

Fruit & Flowers > Create instant floral arrangements. Stack fruit in a compote. Add water and tuck in leaves and rose blooms. Change water daily.

Giving thanks is a deeply rooted ritual in the lineage of New Hampshire history. In fact, the look and style of the national holiday was conceived right here in the Granite State. It’s true that the pilgrims and American Indians held the very first feast in the colonies, but it was many years later when Sarah Hale, author and magazine editor from Newport, used her writing skills to lobby President Lincoln to establish a national day of thanksgiving.

In September 1863, Hale’s plea to the president described a unifying thanksgiving dinner that could be created in any part of the country. And what a description it was, where every family member was gathered around a well-appointed dining table with all the abundant trimmings of the season. A magnificently roasted turkey accompanied by an array of freshly harvested vegetables as well as homemade breads, rolls and, of course, pumpkin pie were the focus of the event.

Hale’s depiction of the meal was so moving and unifying that it solidified Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation that the last Thursday of November be observed as a national day of thanks. With that idyllic setting in mind, the entire nation adopted Hale’s approach to the lavish meal and the celebration of Thanksgiving as we know it was born.

Sarah Hale or “the mother of Thanksgiving,” as she came to be known, shared her vision that a dressed table and attractive place setting for the meal was as important as the food itself. A perfect table to her includes “a table set with linens and special goblets and glasses with each place arranged with attention to detail.” Her instructions meant that the celebration would be a delightful and memorable experience. Her hope was to bring people together, share ways to replicate the gathering and inspire the country to do it every year.

For our Thanksgiving 2023 tablescape, we gathered complementary serving pieces from thrift shops and local antiques stores, and dried herbs and flowers and fresh pumpkins from farm stands. We found delicious pies and breads from local bakeries, or made simple Thanksgiving desserts right at home.

For a brighter appeal, we choose maize-colored linen napkins and a white rustic country table. An inverted copper tray creates an elevated table runner to hold a mix of yellow bowls, piled with gourds and pumpkins, as well as roses and dried blooms. Amber-colored drinking glasses and autumn-toned flatware add seasonal color notes to the tablescape and pair well with a scattering of pressed autumn leaves that dot the table top.

Table Tips

A week before the big feast, make sure your table necessities are all at the ready.

• Iron all table linens.
• Select serving vessels and utensils for foods.
• Gather taper and pillar candles for the table.
• Assemble centerpiece elements and corral dried flowers and gourds/squash.
• Create place cards.
• Clean flatware and drinking glasses.

Where to shop
Dried and Fresh Flowers
The Flower Kiosk
Inspiring and unusual fresh and dried blooms
61 Market St., Portsmouth

Pumpkins and Squash
McQuesten Farm Stand
A mix of fresh seasonal produce both edible and ornamental.
330 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield

Pies and Baked Goods
Wicked Sweets Cakes and Treats
Holiday pies and breads in a wide selection of flavors.
2370 NH-114, Bradford

Dishes and Glassware
Etcetera Shoppe
A large selection of vintage serving dishes, plates and glassware.
65 NH-25, Meredith

Linens
Main Street Kitchens
An array of tablecloths, napkins and dish towels in colors and patterns.
6 Allen St., Hanover

Candles
Der Markt at Marklin
A wide selection of candles in multiple shapes, sizes and colors.
28 Riverside Drive.

Nuts About Design > The abundance of food at harvest can inspire all kinds of engaging displays. Place taper candles in nut-filled juice glasses to create a luminous centerpiece for a sideboard.

Bottled Up > Autumn-colored glass is a perfect way to decant water or wine, while its warm tones add sparkle to the tablescape.

Table Talk > A centerpiece needn’t be a single arrangement of flowers, but rather a more eclectic grouping of candles, vases and glasses filled with a mix of dried flowers, nuts and gourds.