Thanksgiving is a time for gathering around the table, celebrating family traditions, sharing favorite recipes, and making memories with the people we love. It’s a holiday filled with nostalgia, familiar flavors, beautiful tablescapes, and the simple joy of being together.
This year, we’re especially excited to bring a little more holiday magic to our Lake Forest community through a special collaboration between Lake Forest Flowers and The Gallery Family, also known as the Cotton Duck Hospitality Group.
A partnership rooted in our shared Lake Forest community, this collaboration brings together two of the most beloved elements of Thanksgiving: thoughtfully prepared food and beautiful flowers.
We’re delighted to feature Cecilia Lanyon and Dominic Zumpano of The Gallery Family as they share their favorite Thanksgiving traditions, holiday menu highlights, and inspiration for creating a welcoming table. Cecilia and I are both Lake Forest natives, so bringing our businesses together to help local families celebrate Thanksgiving feels especially meaningful.
The Thanksgiving Tradition: A Season of Nostalgia and Anticipation
For Cecilia, Thanksgiving marks more than just a holiday. It signals the beginning of the festive season and a time to reflect on the year while looking forward to what’s ahead.
Thanksgiving always feels like a true kick-off into the holiday season but also the beginning of the end of the year—a nostalgic and joyful celebration that is comforting but also buzzing with anticipation.
Like many families, some of her favorite traditions are the simplest ones. Watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving or enjoying a John Candy movie are annual favorites, along with enjoying leftovers the following day before heading out to the tree lighting ceremony.
It’s these familiar traditions that make the holiday special year after year.
The Thanksgiving Menu: Let Us Help with the Cooking!
One of the greatest compliments, Cecilia shares, is when families choose to celebrate their holiday with food prepared by The Gallery Family.
Their Thanksgiving offerings feature plenty of customer favorites, including Brussels sprouts with bacon, along with their popular à la carte brunch selections. Their quiche and cinnamon rolls are always a hit!
And there’s something new to get excited about this year: Lake Forest Flowers centerpieces are joining the holiday offerings!
Now you can order your Thanksgiving dinner, favorite sides, pies, and floral décor all at once. It’s a wonderful way to simplify holiday planning while making sure your table is ready for the celebration.
Whether you’re hosting the entire family or contributing a few dishes to someone else’s gathering, having delicious, thoughtfully prepared food makes entertaining that much easier.
Setting the Perfect Table: A Celebration of Family History
When it comes to creating a beautiful Thanksgiving table, Cecilia loves incorporating pieces that have been passed down through generations.
I love incorporating serving dishes, plateware, glasses, and linens from previous generations. Oftentimes the table may have china pieces from great-great-grandparents. It is a beautiful way to honor family and tradition, while also creating a beautiful tablescape.
We couldn’t agree more!
Some of the most memorable tables aren’t necessarily the most formal or elaborate. They are the ones that tell a story. A grandmother’s china, vintage serving pieces, treasured linens, and special glassware all add personality and meaning to the gathering.
And what are Cecilia’s must-haves?
Candles and fresh flowers!
A few well-placed candles and a beautiful seasonal centerpiece can transform an ordinary dining table into a warm and inviting setting.
Food Meets Flowers: Making the Thanksgiving Table Beautiful
For Cecilia, the Thanksgiving tablescape is truly the centerpiece of the holiday.
When you host Thanksgiving, your tablescape is the centerpiece of the holiday. I still remember how my grandmother used to set the table.
Those memories are often what inspire our own traditions. The colors, textures, flowers, and special details we incorporate into our homes become part of the memories our families carry forward.
Cecilia loves beautiful florals, candles, and linens that reflect the colors of fall. Together, they create a joyful and celebratory atmosphere without making the gathering feel overly formal.
And, of course, there’s always room for a little personality! Cecilia admits that Thanksgiving is the one day of the year she gets to bring out her turkey salt and pepper shakers!
At Lake Forest Flowers, we love helping families create a Thanksgiving table that feels uniquely their own.
Have a special container you’d love to incorporate into your centerpiece? Bring it to us!
Whether it’s a ceramic turkey, a favorite bowl, a cornucopia, or a treasured serving dish, we’d love to transform it into a custom floral design that complements your table settings and holiday décor.
Perhaps it’s a family heirloom, a favorite seasonal piece, or something you’ve collected over the years. We’ll work with the container’s shape, colors, and character to create something beautiful and personal.
We also offer seasonal Thanksgiving centerpieces featuring rich autumn colors, beautiful blooms, and natural textures. Whether you prefer traditional fall hues or something more understated and elegant, we can help bring your vision to life.
Because the best holiday tables aren’t necessarily the most formal or elaborate. They’re the ones that tell a story and reflect the people gathered around them.
Making Thanksgiving Easier & More Meaningful
With so much to coordinate during the holidays, what’s Cecilia’s best advice for hosts who want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying their guests?
Her answer is simple:
Plan ahead—and outsource as much as possible!
Pick and choose what you want to cook, create, or work on for the holiday, and take the rest off your plate!
The Gallery Family makes this easy with à la carte sides. Maybe you love preparing your own turkey but would rather skip making stuffing and mashed potatoes. You can choose exactly what you need to complete your holiday menu.
The same philosophy applies to your table.
Cecilia recommends selecting your serving pieces and tableware well in advance, then ordering flowers to pull everything together. A little planning makes a big difference when Thanksgiving Day arrives.
As she puts it, the best way to honor the holiday and its traditions is by enjoying your family while you host them.
We couldn’t agree more.
Bringing Thanksgiving Together: Food, Flowers & Family
At Lake Forest Flowers, we believe flowers have a special way of bringing people together. They make everyday moments feel special and holiday gatherings feel even more memorable.
We’re thrilled to partner with Cecilia, Dominic, and The Gallery Family this Thanksgiving to make holiday entertaining a little easier and a lot more beautiful.
Whether you’re looking for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, homemade pies, favorite holiday sides, or a beautiful floral centerpiece, you can bring everything together through this special collaboration.
And don’t forget to bring us your favorite container! We’d love to create something special that makes your Thanksgiving table uniquely yours.
Because Thanksgiving isn’t about doing everything yourself. It’s about gathering around the table, celebrating traditions, enjoying wonderful food, and making memories with the people who matter most.
From our families to yours, wishing you a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with good food, fresh flowers, and plenty of reasons to give thanks!
With gratitude,
Eileen Weber, AAF, PFCI
Lake Forest Flowers