How to put together an Autumn Luncheon

It's no secret that I love to entertain and throw parties.  I just think it is so fun to get to gather with close friends and share a delicious meal together where you can all sit and visit without worrying about getting interrupted.  For me the beauty is all in the details so I love creating a pretty table setting with all the coordinating details.  I actually have all of these things on hand so it's fun to have an excuse to set the table all up [and I really do think you should bust out your nice dishes for everyday use - don't wait for once a year to get the good stuff out].  But as much as I love the space to look and feel inviting, I want the food to be just as amazing so putting together a menu that fits the time of year and hopefully is something that everyone will love is something I enjoy.  I started the tradition of girls luncheons when we moved into our house last year and have tried to keep it going even with different friends moving away and new ones coming in, it's always fun to add different people to the table each time.  I hosted this Autumn Luncheon in my backyard a couple weeks ago and wanted to share the recipes I made because they are some of my favorite things.  The menu consisted of an artichoke spinach dip appetizer that my cute friend brought, a harvest chopped salad with poppyseed dressing, tomato basil parmesan soup, warm poppyseed turkey and swiss sandwiches, and the drinks were a grapefruit mint water and raspberry peach juice.  One of my other darling friends brought a pumpkin cheesecake trifle for dessert that was really delicious and it looked so pretty in the large bowl.  I always worry about having enough food whenever I have anyone over, but this ended up being a perfect amount and the combo of everything was so good.  If you're wanting to throw together a little luncheon yourself to celebrate this fun time of year, I would totally recommend using this menu and I also added a few tips below to get you started.  

| LUNCHEON TO DO LIST |

-Send out invitations [I like using Paperless Post and usually can find one to match the decor for the luncheon.  Follow up with a reminder the week before]

-Plan the menu [drinks, appetizer, main course, and dessert - and if anyone offers to help bring something then assign them an item to help you out with]

-Pick a color scheme and gather all decorations around that [I start to lay out my tablecloth, placemats, and napkins/napkin rings the night before and set up what one place setting will look like just to make sure I have everything and that it all goes together]

-Add a personal touch for your guests [you can do this with handwritten name tags for each place setting or with a small gift they can each go home with]

-Get fresh flowers and branches the day before [I always try to decorate the table with fresh flowers as the centerpiece to fit the color scheme and then I'll gather branches to fill in down the table and cover the beverage stand or any others areas.  Greenery is an inexpensive way to make it look beautiful]

-Clean your home the day before the party so all you have to worry about before the event is the kitchen [it's also a nice touch to have flowers and a candle in the guest bathroom that everyone will be using]

-Do any food prep the night before [such as homemade sauces or salad dresses and have all the food ready to go for the party so you don't have to run to the store for anything]

-Day of the event get yourself ready before doing anything else because you will run out of time as the event gets closer  [trust me I know from experience - if I don't get ready earlier then I get busy setting the table, cooking and cleaning the kitchen and barely have time to throw some lipgloss on]

-Have the table all set an hour before your guests arrive then get drinks and appetizers out first [you can get the other food together as guests arrive and it will give them time to sit and visit]

-About 30 min before guests arrive make sure lights are on, candles are lit, and music is playing 

-Now sit back and enjoy yourself, but don't sweat the small stuff!