Thanksgiving is one of our most cherished holidays, with a universal set of traditions that we rarely depart from. But while a classic approach to the most thankful of holidays is always welcome, so too are new ones. Billy Heroman’s Flowers & Gifts is taking a look at how the modern Thanksgiving–and its table–is styled. From embracing a sense of tradition to putting a twist on it, our tables all have one thing in common: the friends and family gathered around them.

If you’ve got the same crew coming to your table this year as every year, you probably have it all worked out. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you may be hosting a Friendsgiving, where your dining room is peppered with friends, co-workers and neighbors, all of whom live too far from family to spend the holiday with them. Assess the size of your Thanksgiving event, and then spend some time scaling your food and table arrangement to that number. Consider whether a formal approach is better than an informal one. Set your table a few nights before, placing serveware and settings so that you can see how much room you have left for flowers and decor. We love Autumn’s Bounty for not being too tall to disrupt talking and passing plates. It also offers a sense of abundance without being too overwhelming.

Enjoy the run-up to the most thankful dinner of the year, styling a table that captures its spirit.