How to Design the Perfect Tablescape!
Your wedding day provides unlimited opportunities to show off your personal style that is sure to be the talk of the town for years to come. We see the tablescape design as the true hero of your overall wedding! It is the place where your guests will gather and spend most of their evening celebrating your marriage (that and the dance floor of course!) – so give them something to talk about.
It is the one location where all of your vendors come together including your florist, caterer, stationary, stylist and so on to create magic! A well designed table sets the tone for the entire celebration and the design each guest observes, tells that story of the day you have created.
The tablescape is the reception ambience. So how can you create a stunning table? What elements should you consider? Well we are here to share with you some of our go to tips to styling that perfect tablescape design!
FIND YOUR INSPIRATION
It is no secret that we are completely obsessed with creating inspiration boards, and we can’t stress how important it is to take the time to pull together ideas for your wedding details and tablescape design. This is where you wedding styling really starts to emerge and you are able to narrow down on your overall vision and how it will translate into the finer details.
FOCAL POINT
Imagine a moment within the design where your eyes are instantly drawn to – the eye catcher! Try a print or a rich velvet for a twist on tradition. The glassware – opt for various shades of coloured glassware for a fun, vibrant touch. Or how about your stationary? Think colours, textures, transparency, weight and design!
TEXTURE
Texture can be found in any almost any detail from the linens to the florals and even the paper details. Having a variety of textures creates interest and movement for the eye. In contrast to the idea of making everything match, use textures to your advantage – tangibility is a must! Now I’m not just talking about the items around the plate, think beyond that like the chair for example! What colour is your chair, what finish, what size? Your chair can make or break the design, paired with the perfect linen or timber and you may have yourself a winner!
FLORALS
Florals often unite all of your table elements and create a cohesive look to your final design.
Floral arrangements add accents, texture and colour, are visually pleasing to the eye and add life to your table decor. Think tall, large and full arrangements creating the ultimate statement to your design to single stemmed vases for a minimalistic feel, or even just vines and greenery for something fresh! However, remember to also consider practicality. If you are having shared plates, then room must be left in the centre of the tables. And also be very careful not to block the view of your guests. We certainly don’t want them talking about that for years to come!
LIGHTING
The lighting in your venue will dramatically affect your tablescape. Now I’m not just talking about what is on the ceiling – but think candles, up lighting, fairy lights, festoons, spotlighting to name a few! When in doubt candles are your number one to complete and fill the necessary gaps to your table design. Votives are easiest, but if your setting allows height and other shapes than taper candles, cone candles, pillar candles and sky highs are your go-to! Along with fairy lights, they create a romantic ambience that goes above and beyond.
Up lighting and spot lighting are great ways to add lighting and drama to a room without loosing ambience. They can simply light up moments in the room that may fade away as they night becomes dimmer.
Image via Gaby J PhotographyImage via Gaby J Photography
LINEN
We touched on texture above, but linen deserves a quick mention of its own. Not only will linen bring the warmest and inviting feel to your table, you can introduce a statement colour to your design through a simple woven material that can tie in perfectly. Linen comes in all forms including a tablecloth, table runner, napkin and even stationary elements such as your menu and placecard – creative hey? Pro tip – If your tablecloth linen does not touch the floor of your table, it is to small!
STATIONERY
Ok stationery may be our favourite element to the tablescape design – sorry linen! Your tablescape stationery items will include your table number (or name), menu’s and place cards. Apart from the fact that they are not only super pretty but practically important, with the inclusion of a menu and placecard for each guest be sure to think about your napkin and plate placement before designing your colour and of course size!
For example, if you like the look of your menu, placecard and napkin layered above a plate at the table but you have chosen an alternate serve menu, then the guest’s plate will come out with the food and there won’t be any plate set at the table to start. Or another example, if your reception is outdoors and you have chosen a light weighted menu and placecard to position at each guests’ setting – have you considered a light gust of wind in this situation? Perhaps a heavier alternative including stone or acrylic or even using ribbon to tie to your napkin or cutlery together?
EXTRAS
And last but definitely not least (We could go one for hours!) let’s quickly chat about your styling extras. What this may include is your plate, cutlery, glassware, charger plates and so on. Thank fully, your venue and/or caterer will most likely include a lot of these items into your booking. However, you may like to swap out their equipment to something more in theme. How can you introduce a touch of you into the design? Perhaps you might like to swap out the venues silver cutlery for brushed gold contemporary fork and knife, or maybe using a black dinner plate instead of a white dinner plate. Or maybe you might like to keep their items but add a singular charger plate to each setting to introduce a lovely layer and texture. The options are endless and if budget allows, we always suggest spicing it up a little where possible.
If you are looking to create the perfect wedding, Honey Lane can help bring it to life with careful advice on the right suppliers for you to partner with. As Sydney wedding planners and stylists, we are on hand to help.
Interested in chatting with us? Contact us and get your info pack here.
