Fall Holiday Table

Our FALL HOLIDAY TABLE features beautiful details to make your next gathering with family and friends extra special!

The way we see it, getting together with family and friends is always cause for celebration. These sentiments are especially true up here in cottage country where the setting is so conducive to just kicking back and chilling. Our FALL HOLIDAY TABLE is perfect for Thanksgiving, Rosh Hashanah and other festive celebrations!

Setting a gorgeous table is an absolute must, and this tribute to fall entertaining is meant to inspire you. Frequent visitors to Weekend at the Cottage know we often suggest you make a recipe your own, so in a post like this one, we just guide you on how your china, flatware, glassware, table linens and accessories can come together perfectly!

As you read on and get ready to host your own get together, never lose sight of the most important thing – the people who gather around the table. Consider the tablescape as the icing on your entertaining cake. Whatever you do, your guests will know you’re setting the scene to make the meal that much more memorable. You’re also expressing your love for them, so it’s all good!

This post features a VIDEO where we show you how our fall holiday look came together. We have additional videos of other table settings we’ve created – look for them on our YouTube channel. Make sure to watch our other videos too and subscribe. You can also forward this post to friends too, the more the merrier!

Here are a few things we incorporate into our FALL HOLIDAY TABLE:

SERVICE WARE

The transferware china pattern featured in this story is Heritage by Ridgway. The service was produced in the 1960s, we think in honour of Canada’s Centennial celebration. Each service piece features a different image from Bartlett’s Scenes, a series of etchings made in the 1840s reflecting Canada’s early towns and cities. Often antique and vintage patterns like this are especially appropriate for fall or Thanksgiving meals. The rustic, woodland nature scenes invoke nostalgia.

True story, I found this service tucked away in a ratty old box in a storage room at a favourite vintage shop in a nearby town. Having plucked a dinner plate and bowl from the yellowed newspaper wrap I instantly thought, “Hmmm, this is neat!” The Canadian spin spoke to my pride, so I asked the shopkeeper for details. 

He was kind of cagey on the specifics, wasn’t really sure what the box contained, but felt confident I’d get close to 8 pieces each of dinner plates, cups and saucers. Never one to dismiss a gut feeling, I talked him down in price, picked up the box and made my way back to the cottage. Winner, gagnant! A full service for 12 plus platters, bowls, gravy boat, etc..

Using a service like this with a bit of history always make the food tastes better. Well, it does for me at least!

GLASS

Because the china service featured in this story is so decorative, I decided to keep the glassware super simple. That modern look paired with vintage is always eye-catching. I repurposed stemless wine glasses as water goblets and added a slice of cucumber and lemon into each. This is a welcome and refreshing flavour enhancer you can add for your guests moments before everyone sits down for the meal.

The second glass is a champagne saucer. Coming to a table where champagne saucers or flutes are in place can only mean one thing – bubbly is on the way and we’re celebrating being together. The champagne glasses I use are a family heirloom that belonged to my mom. Best thing about them, they have hollow stems. You’ll see this amazing feature in motion in the VIDEO! Fantastic how the champagne bubbles up for the bottom of the stem to create bubbling ripples on the surface. Beautiful!

FLATWARE

Years ago I started collecting mismatched pieces of silver-plated flatware. Whenever I’m in a vintage or antique store I keep my eyes peeled for forks, spoons, knives and service pieces that have an interesting pattern or design. Having assorted pieces then allows me to set the table kind of willy-nilly, and I’m totally okay with that. In fact, I love the look of every place setting being different. It’s akin to the guests around the table – each one is one of a kind!

One more comment about the flatware, sometimes an unusual or not-often-used utensil inspires a new direction for the meal. Case in point, the bone-handled, ornate fork and knife are designed to be used when eating fish. Who knew? I figured this was the perfect occasion to put them to good use.

Thus, a smoked salmon first course was added to the plan. Sure I got to use this unusual fish service, but the menu is now more balanced and interesting too. Perfect!

FRESH FLORAL

Placing a fresh floral arrangement on your FALL HOLIDAY TABLE as we’ve done is a great idea. This arrangement in particular gets lots of praise. First, it puts the concept of a garden clean-up in play because we’re putting end-of-season homegrown greens to good use. Using them as the foundation for this fresh floral, consider adding dusty miller, lamb’s ear, hostas, coleus, maple, beech and birch.

Another nice component is fresh herbs, and my cousin Linda gets all the credit for this brilliant add in. She brought some from her garden and I loved the gesture and the fragrance they added to the arrangement. Try including lavender, rosemary, sage and even basil if you still have some going in your garden. 

Last element is about a big pop of colour, and sunflowers seem perfect. The bright yellow is so stunning on the table, it’s like bringing the fall colours from outside, in! Other flowers and blooms that work include dahlias, mums, gladiola and ornamental kale. 

ENHANCEMENTS

Once all of the principle elements of your tablescape are in place, final details are like a bonus round and will add layers of interest. Adding a simple collar of sheet moss and a few acorns around a lantern is simple and fresh looking.

Finding a strip of birchbark on a walk inspired me to hand-cut rectangular place cards. They cost nothing and took moments to make. Placing them on the dinner napkins along with additional seasonal finds – think, acorns, pinecones, leaves (my goodness, a rock will work!) is another nice way of adding whimsy to your table.

THANKFUL

Last thing on the table are little take home gifts for each guest. In this case, since these are my nearest and dearest, I had to give a gift I know they’ll love. Individual jars of my famous GARLIC DILL PICKLES are perfect but homemade jams, jellies and preserves will work too.

Once the plan for your FALL HOLIDAY TABLE is complete, don’t forget to spend a bit of time dreaming up a delicious menu. Need ideas? Click the COLLECTIONS button located on the top of our landing page. Look for our THANKSGIVING RECIPES or FALL FAVOURITES. Each collection contains some of our, and your, favourite recipes like ROAST TURKEY, creamy SCALLOPED POTATOES, GLAZED OVEN-BAKED HAM and a fabulous CORN PUDDING. Also, don’t forget to check out what CHCH NEWS affectionately referred to as “the pie that broke the internet”, MOM’S APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST. 

It’s a FALL HOLIDAY TABLE, the perfect setting for your next gathering of family and friends.

Products used

Just click on the below links to purchase items through Amazon.com and add them to your collection. Happy shopping!

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