You have always dreamed of hosting Thanksgiving dinner, bringing together family and friends, feasting on all kinds of goodies, playing games, and watching football. Leading up to the festivities, you are feeling confident and ready. Your invites have been sent, the menu is selected, and the table decorations are almost finished.
You know it is a busy time of year and many people may already have plans, so to ensure a good turnout, you send out a few extra invites. After all, you have done so much preparation, it would be a shame if no one came!
Then the unexpected happens. You have a Thanksgiving disaster. Everyone seems thrilled that you are hosting your first Thanksgiving dinner and they have RSVP’d with a “yes!”All of them. A few have even called to see if they can bring in-laws, friends or other family members that may not have a place to go. Its Thanksgiving and you are grateful for being able to provide a gathering place for your loved ones. Of course, you cannot turn anyone away.
Even though you are stressing out about this Thanksgiving disaster, and how to accommodate the crowd and make the day a success, a little creativity and planning can leave everyone stuffed, smiling and thankful, including yourself.
Below are a few ideas to make your Thanksgiving a memorable time (especially when you are overflowing with guests)!
Food Planning
Having enough food for everyone is essential in preventing a Thanksgiving disaster. However, cooking for such a large crowd can be overwhelming. Lucky for you, you have a plan. Take time to contact each of your guests and request that they bring a side dish, dessert, beverage, etc. if they are able to. Reducing the number of recipes you need to prepare can take a load off of your shoulders. Not only will it lessen your cost drastically, but it will also reduce the time you will need to spend in the kitchen.
Make sure to organize what part of the meal you have decided to tackle. Create a list of the dishes, cooking times, temperatures, and cooling times. See if there are items you can prepare in advance and re-heat prior to dinner.
Rent a Tent and Go Outdoors 
Due to the number of guests, you realize that you are going to have to make some serious adjustments to your home to accommodate everyone. Sure, you could have a get-together that requires guests to eat in shifts. But that just isn’t your idea of a Thanksgiving dinner.
Another option would be to line your whole house with portable tables. Everyone would be able to eat at the same time, but your guests wouldn’t have much room to maneuver through your home and it could be a bit uncomfortable. This isn’t the most feasible option, is it?
However, you can rent a tent for more space and prevent a Thanksgiving disaster! Unless you have an event hall or other space you could utilize, your best solution could be to move the party outside and rent a tent. Tent rentals come in so many types, shapes and sizes that you will surely be able to find one to fit your needs. For example, a frame tent rental with side walls and heaters to keep the weather at bay and flooring (instead of grass or mud), can provide an intimate setting for your Thanksgiving feast. Not to mention that a large tent rental gives you a huge open space to decorate for Thanksgiving and make it welcoming and open for all your guests.
Organize to Avoid a Thanksgiving Disaster
The potluck idea was a success with your guests and you plan on having an entire smorgasbord of food. You also decided to rent a tent, providing lots of space for you and your guests. Now you are left scratching your head, trying to decide how you are going to make the dinner event flow smoothly. Here are a few tips:
- Place name cards on tables. This sits guests where you want them to sit, rather than everyone fighting for the table closest to Aunt Betty’s double-chocolate fudge pie.
- Create a buffet. Line up tables of food and allow the guests to take as much or as little as they’d like.
- Buy takeout containers. These are perfect for guests to take food home at the end of the dinner. It will also help you manage the storage space in your refrigerator! Another option would be to ask guests to bring their own containers.
Put Your Guests to Work
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Be assertive and assign tasks such as setting the tables, collecting garbage, or assisting in the kitchen. Many guests are willing to come early to help you prepare or stay and help cleanup. Just be sure to ask in advance – no one wants to be surprised with cleanup duty after stuffing themselves with a turkey feast and a couple helpings of dessert.
Game Time
Have a plan for entertainment. Sure, mingling is perfect, but having a few ideas to hold your guests’ attention can lead to laughs, bonding moments, and created memories. Games or scavenger hunts are always fun. Keep it simple.
Every family get-together always has a designated kid’s dinner table. How about taking it a step further and creating an area to treat the little ones while the adults socialize? Providing board games, coloring books, Legos, etc. can be a great way to keep them occupied.
It is Thanksgiving. It is the time of year to be grateful for all the blessings you have, not a time to be stressed when obstacles come your way. Take your potential Thanksgiving disaster and run with it. So, your small get-together turned into a huge gathering? Be thankful that you have so many people who want to spend Thanksgiving with you! It is important to remember that no matter how prepared you are, things are going to happen. Silverware is going to end up in the trash, drinks are going to be spilled, and you are most likely going to run out of dinner rolls. Don’t try to control the party, just enjoy yourself. Rest assured, your impeccable planning skills will lead to a beautifully decorated tent rental space, a successful dinner, and new bonds formed with your family and friends.