Each year, as leaves turn golden, apples turn to cider, and clocks turn back, a collective buzz begins to electrify the air — it’s Martha Stewart season. Pinterest boards get a proverbial dusting, food blog tabs get moved to the front, and voila…it’s time to plan Thanksgiving.

Whether Thanksgiving hosting plans have been made with two feet planted firmly in reality, or perhaps in a more aspirational realm, one thing will always ring true: what works in theory may be somewhat of a struggle in reality. Not to fret, like all aspects of life, whenever possible, learn from the experience offered by professionals. From table settings and centerpieces to tips on how to keep the highly-coveted Parker House rolls warm, CultureMap has it covered.

Chef Maggie Glaser, founder of Sky High Chef, spent a recent Saturday morning with Marija Babic, founder and creative director of La Fête Florals and Events, to celebrate the art of the holiday tablescape, hassle-free hosting, and delectable meals shared with friends and family.

Glaser’s company Sky High Chef is a private chef management and concierge company based in Houston. From homes to villas — and even yachts — Glaser places private chefs wherever the clients require them to be.

“We place and manage private chefs for households on a short-term or long-term basis, from holiday dinners and events to full-time household chefs,” explains Glaser. “We serve Tanglewood, River Oaks, West University, and Memorial, and travel with clients to New York, Miami, Aspen, and beyond.”

As a private chef, Glaser has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience on the best ways to prepare a successful holiday dinner party. However, her mastery of domestic elegance started out the old fashioned way — Glaser’s inspiration is her grandmother.

“It may sound cliché, but it's true: she was a fashion icon, and throughout my childhood everything revolved around food,” says Glaser. “Whether it was Sunday at her house or the Jewish holidays, she made it all beautiful. Even takeout was served on silver platters. A framed photo of her entertaining sits in my living room, and it inspires me whenever I’m feeling dull.”

Prior to attending culinary school, Glaser hosted "Thanksgiving in the Summer," an elaborate dinner for all her friends: “I threw it for about four years and it grew bigger every time; people looked forward to it all year. Young and without much money, I still rented tables, chairs, chargers, and floral arrangements, and everything had to be served on glass. Paper plates and plastic are always a no-no: not at my table. Those dinners are what inspired me to go to culinary school. I still have a photo from the very first one — to me it's where it all started.”

While Glaser may be miles away from the starry-eyed novice playing hostess to her friends, she’s never lost sight of the thrill — or the jitters — of hosting Thanksgiving for the first time. Social media pressure will, of course, heighten the tension for any new host or hostess, but Glaser’s approach to hassle-free hosting is sure to make the experience more about the company and less about the fuss.

Chef Maggie Glaser’s Top 10 Thanksgiving Tips and Tricks:

• Set the table the night before: Thanksgiving morning belongs to the oven, not the linens.
• Label every serving vessel: Put a sticky note in each dish naming what goes in it, with its serving utensil inside. Anyone can help plate, and nothing lands in a bowl that's too small.
  
• Mismatch on purpose: Give vintage pieces new jobs. Mix family china with vintage and antique finds so the table looks collected, not bought. Then put old pieces to work: a silver sugar bowl for flaky salt, teacups for cranberry sauce, an antique ice bucket to keep rolls warm.
  
• Leave a gift at every seat: A small box of chocolates or a hot cocoa packet to take home. It's a little thing, and it makes everyone happy the moment they sit down.
  
• Place cards: Read the room. Going casual? Skip them and let everyone settle in. Going formal? Bring them back, because as Larry David would say, not everybody's a middler. Write names in gold pen on magnolia leaves, pears, or persimmons so they double as decor.
  
• Open with a plated bite: Seat everyone with a small plated first course before the family-style spread. It makes the whole meal feel like an occasion.
  
• Put the sides on the table: When guests have to get up for food, they skip seconds. Keep it within reach and they linger and go back for more.
  
• Keep it hot without the oven: A towel-lined cooler holds finished sides hot for an hour or more, and gravy stays piping hot in a thermos until it's poured into the vintage boat.
  
• Double what matters: Gravy, butter, and salt at both ends of the table, so nothing gets passed the whole length.
  
• Send everyone home with leftovers: Keep a nice stack of to-go containers ready by the door so guests can pack up whatever they love. Nothing goes to waste, and it's the favor everyone thanks you for the next day.

Setting the table

Babic is in agreement with Glaser’s third tip: mismatch on purpose — whether it’s pewter chargers with brass place settings, or floral arrangements that feel organically sourced.

“I always say, ‘I love a table that feels a little collected, a little imperfect, and completely personal,’” says Babic. “Something that looks like it evolved naturally rather than being planned down to the last detail.”

Babic’s La Fête Florals & Events may specialize in luxury arrangements and posh parties, but it’s the relaxed elegance of her work that keeps clients coming back for more. Indeed, the La Fête signature style is difficult to resist with its refined simplicity that often leaves clients thinking: why didn’t I think of that?

“I think people put so much pressure on themselves to create a tablescape that looks like it belongs in a magazine, when really, the most beautiful tables are often the ones that feel a little undone,” explains Babic.

“I always tell people to start with what they already have. Open your refrigerator, look in your pantry, walk into your backyard. A bowl of pears, a few artichokes, fresh herbs, or even a handful of grapes spilling across the table can be just as beautiful as an elaborate floral arrangement,” she says. “I love mixing unexpected elements with flowers because it makes the table feel more organic and lived-in. Not everything needs to match, and not every stem needs to sit perfectly in place. Sometimes it's the little imperfections that make a table feel interesting.”

Getting the La Fête Look at Home

• Choose flowers with personality: Chrysanthemums and carnations are two of the most underrated flowers, in my opinion. They're affordable, they last beautifully and for many weeks, and they come in incredible antique colors that feel so much more interesting than the traditional holiday palette.
• Greenery should have movement: I love magnolia leaves, olive branches, and anything with a little natural movement. Sometimes all you need is a few branches running down the center of the table, a handful of flowers tucked between them, and some fruit from your kitchen.
  
• Stop thinking of everything as a centerpiece: Let things spill, overlap, and feel a little imperfect. You want your table to look like it came together naturally, even if you put a little thought into every detail.

“At the end of the day, your guests aren't coming over to critique your centerpiece. They're coming to gather, eat, laugh, and spend time together,” says Babic. “The table should feel like an extension of that, not something you're afraid to touch.”

Photo by Marija Babic

Don’t be afraid to mix heights with floral arrangements.