There's a moment, maybe when you're lighting the last candle, or maybe when you're standing back looking at your table, when everything just feels right. Not Pinterest-perfect. Not magazine-worthy. But a table perfectly set for the people who matter most.
Start With The Feeling You Want
Most decorating advice tells you to buy first, arrange second. We've learned something different at Willow Tree and Company. The gatherings people remember? They start with knowing what you actually want.
Think about last Thanksgiving. What worked? More importantly, what didn't? Maybe the centerpiece was too tall and nobody could see each other. Maybe you spent three hours on place cards nobody noticed. Or maybe, and this happens more than you'd think, everything looked beautiful but somehow felt cold.
This year… let’s flip the script.
Why Candlelight Changes Everything
Walk into any room lit only by candles and watch what happens. Shoulders drop. Voices soften. People lean in instead of back. It's not magic, but it's close.
Our Industrial Style Open Lantern Set has become something of a signature piece for customers who get it. You know: the ones whose homes always feel warm, even on ordinary Tuesdays. They discovered what we've been preaching forever: buy once, use everywhere.
In November, they fill them with pillar candles for Thanksgiving, and in December, add pine branches and battery lights. And starting in January, white candles and eucalyptus. Or whatever makes you happy!
Place the tallest lantern where people enter your dining space. It draws the eye and sets expectations. Medium height goes on the table (more on that in a minute). The smallest? That's your wild card. Powder room. Kitchen counter. That lonely corner everyone ignores.
The Mix That Works
Matching everything is what catalogs do. Real homes? They're built over time, piece by piece. That's why pairing Open Lanterns with Mixed Metal Open Lanterns creates something catalogs can't: authenticity. The wood speaks to the metal. Old conversations with new. Just keep your candles consistent (ivory or beeswax, always) and let the lanterns tell their own story.
Your Table (The Real Heart of It All)
Forget everything you've seen on social media for a second. Your Thanksgiving table has one job: bring people together for food and connection. Everything else is extra.
The Foundation
A runner instead of a full tablecloth. Revolutionary? No. Smart? Absolutely. We love linen in rust or wheat, colors that whisper autumn without shouting. Your table shows through, which means less fabric to wash and more of your home's character on display.
Our White Distressed Lanterns down the center create rhythm without blocking sight lines. Two to five depending on your table length. Fill each with different height candles. Add a few pillar candles outside the lanterns. It looks intentional without trying too hard.
The Detail That Gets Remembered
You want to know what people actually keep from Thanksgiving? Not the turkey recipe. Not the wine pairing. They keep the small card where you wrote why you're grateful for them. Tie it to their napkin with twine. Add rosemary if you're feeling it. Skip it if you're not. Either way, they'll probably cry. In a good way.
The Rest of Your House Matters Too
People don't stay seated at Thanksgiving. They wander. They cluster in doorways. They help in the kitchen (whether you want them to or not). Each space needs just enough attention without overwhelming.
Our Large Rustic Wood Lanterns flanking your front door say welcome before you do. Battery candles on timers mean they're glowing when guests arrive, no matter how behind schedule you're running.
Inside, a wooden bowl near the door holds mini pumpkins today, Christmas ornaments next month, and lemons come Spring. It's practical for keys and phones to land too. And it looks organized, like you have your life together.
Where the Real Party Happens
Your kitchen. Accept it. Embrace it. Decorate accordingly.
Our Bronze Tribeca Lantern works overtime here, with mason jars tucked around, holding herbs that look decorative but are actually functional. Grab thyme while stirring gravy. Clip rosemary for cocktails. Pretty meets practical, which is exactly how we like it.
Making Every Seat Special
Kids' table getting the shaft? Not this year. Drape throws from our Fall collection over chairs. Use real plates (the sturdy ones, not the precious ones). Add one small lantern with a battery candle. Suddenly it's not the kids' table. It's the fun table.
Actually Making This Happen
Let's talk timeline. Not the fantasy timeline where you're done three days early. The real one.
Two Weeks Before: Order what you need. Clear surfaces. Half of decorating is editing what's already there. Look at your dining room at the time you'll actually be eating. That 2 pm sunshine might mean you don't need as many candles as you think.
Week Before: Place lanterns. Arrange furniture. Set up the bar area because nobody needs to watch you scramble for the corkscrew. Move what doesn't work.
Three Days Before: Fresh elements only: branches, greenery, those herbs for the kitchen. Set your table completely. Every fork, every glass. Cover with a clean sheet. You're done with that room.
The Day: Light candles 30 minutes before anyone arrives. Turn off overhead lights. Put music on low. Take one photo for yourself. Then put your phone away.
What's Worth It (And What's Not)
Years of helping customers prepare for gatherings taught us something: you don't need everything. You need the right things.
Always Worth It:
- Lanterns that work in every season
- One serving piece that makes you smile
- Real napkins (trust us on this)
- That one special thing nobody else has
Skip It:
- Matchy-matchy everything
- Trendy pieces you'll hate next year
- Anything that requires special storage
- Decorations that only work one day a year
Finding Your Thanksgiving
Here's what we know: The best gatherings don't follow rules. They follow instincts. Your home already has character. Your family already has traditions. We're just here to help you pull it all together.
Our Cozy Fall Collection isn't about transforming your space. It's about revealing what's already there. Lanterns that cast the right light. Serveware that feels special but not untouchable. Pieces that feel like your home.
The Essentials:
- Lanterns & Candlelight
- Gifts for the Hostess
- Fall Favorites
Quick Reference for Lantern Styling:
- Living Room: Large lantern + books + small fern
- Entry: Two matching lanterns, different candle heights
- Dining Table: Odd numbers, always odd numbers
- Kitchen: Lantern + herbs + battery candle
- Mantel: Graduate heights left to right
The only rule? If it makes you happy when you walk by, you got it right.
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Your home already has a story. This Thanksgiving, we're just helping you tell it better.
