If you're a diy bride hosting your evening reception in a rustic style wedding venue, like a charming barn, a magical tipi or an enchanting woodland forest, you maybe super keen to create jaw dropping tablescapes for your guests to dine at. You really care about your guests experience and you're maybe a tad obsessed with the little details, so pulling all the elements together for your tables, feels really exciting and creative. The only problem is, you don't really know how you're going to pull it off! You see all these stunning table designs on Pinterest as your scrolling, which really inspire you, and you really wish you could create something spectacular yourself, but it feels out of reach to achieve the same effect. How do the experts do it?
Luckily for you, my favourite area to style at a wedding is a tablescape! Give me some new crockery, some textured linens and some coloured glassware and you won't see me for the rest of the day! Seriously though, it's my speciality. As a wedding stylist, I love coming up with new colour combinations and combining decor together to create unique looks, particularly for creating relaxed vibes for rustic wedding styles and boho themes. Being a wedding stationer as well, I love incorporating the little finishing touches that make a table feel complete, from styling menus on the plate to tying name tags
to the napkins. Attention to the details is my thing!
In today's blog post I am going to be sharing 10 helpful tips for how you can approach styling your tables so you can create an amazing design you just can't wait to show off. Along with sharing creative ideas to help take your tablescapes to the next level.
If you can't wait any longer, grab your notebook and pen, because we are diving into the tips right now;
Commit to a theme
There are lots of wedding styles to choose from, so it's important to choose something which feels aligned with the kind of couple you are and that matches the kind of venue you have decided to tie the knot at. There have been many occasions when I have seen couples get this so wrong and everything clashes! For example; if you want to create relaxed rustic style tablescapes, you can't to expect it to work in a luxury hotel setting. It just won't have the same effect!
To create stunning tablescapes you need to decided on a theme. This will help guide your design choices when it comes to choosing table decorations. So ask yourself, are you looking for modern, quirky, rustic, whimsical, romantic, bohemian, vintage, elegant, industrial, or natural? If you are not sure, then a great place to figure this out is wherever you have been saving your ideas (maybe on your Pinterest board) You'll be able to see what you have been most drawn to. Pick out your favourite images and narrow down what it is you like about them. This exercise will help you narrow down what style you prefer. It's really common to have relate to a few words that describe your theme. So for example, you might have elegant, natural, and bohemian as your wedding style. Once you know what they are, you will find it much easier to build your tablescape vision.
(I would call this theme below, moody, romantic and a wild woodland)
Commit to a colour palette
Choosing your colours to work with is a vital part of tablescape designing. The best way to create something that works like a dream, is by creating a mood board for yourself, so you can clearly see how they look together. You can use pre-made templates on Canva to build up your own colour palette. Useful tools you can also use are a colour wheel which can be super helpful ,or you can search colours you love via Pinterest which will give you lots of ideas for what to pair them with. When I am styling tables I have a general rule of using three to five colours. Less than this and your design can look a little flat.
It's also important to consider the tones and shades of the colours you choose, as they will each give off a completely different vibe. For example, pastel shades like lilac, sage and lemon create a calm atmosphere on the table, perfect for a dreamy spring weddings. Where as choosing vibrant tones such as hot pink, vivid purple and peacock blue provide a bolder statement that has party vibes written all over it, perfect for festival style weddings.
Once you have your colours chosen, you will find it much easier to choose table decorations. Colours that work particularly well in a rustic style venue are earthy tones as they compliment the cosy space.
Shop arch table menus
Consider your vibe
As we have just talked about above, the colours and style you choose are all going to create an atmosphere. So ask yourself, when your guests sit down to eat how do you want them to feel? If making your guests feel welcome and relaxed is a priority to you, will the colours and style you've chosen help you achieve this? If you want your tables to feel intimate and romantic, what decor can you use to create this vibe? First thing that comes to my mind, is candles, a flickering flame will instantly create a cosy, intimate vibe. Decor has the power to set the tone, as soon as your guests are seated, so by considering the overall atmosphere, this will help you achieve next level stuff! All you need to think about here is the mood you are trying to create with your tableware.
Table decor that works particularly well with rustic styles to create a relaxed vibe, are items made from natural materials, such as wicker charger mats and cheesecloth table runners.
Consider your quantities
An important part of styling tables for your wedding reception, is knowing exactly how many tables you are using and how many place settings to lay out for your number of guests. This will stop you over buying props or under hiring tableware. Logistics like this are key to a successful tablescape designs. A great way to keep track of important details like this from your venue, is to create yourself a spreadsheet. This way you can see clearly how much of everything you'll need when working out how much of each item to order.
Consider the size & shape of your tables
Depending on what size and shape your tables are, will depend on what kind of decorations will look best for them. For round tables, which are suited for a more formal dining experience, you will have more room in the middle for larger table centrepieces. Therefore you can use height to create a stand out feature. Table linens for round tables are also very different, most venues who have these kind of tables for the reception are not very pretty, they have metal legs and basic tops, which are not for show. So they will need to be covered. Usually you will have to hire them from a linen or catering company, which can add expense as you'll be paying a cleaning fee too.
For long trestle tables which are great for a relaxed dining style, you will need smaller table decorations as your guests will be facing each other, therefore they will need to be at a lower height. Lots of couples prefer this banquet style set up as it's great for a more sociable, intimate wedding. Couples love the bare wood of a trestle table therefore you won't need to cover them if you don't want to, or you can add a subtle pop of colour will a simple table runner.
When you visit your venue, make sure you get the measurements of your tables, this helps you make sure your chosen decor will fit correctly which is key to a professional finish. And it all gives you a chance to lay it all out before the day to practice what you want it all to look like.
Shop slim table menu cards
Consider your wedding venue
What room you have to play with for styling your tables, will determine what decor will look right in the allocated space. Wedding venues with high ceilings like rustic barns will allow for decor that has height. You will need to be mindful of styling tables for a smaller reception space though, as you wouldn't want it to feel too cluttered. You might also want to take a note of what you are working with when it comes to the interior. If you're working with white walls then you will find it easier. Where as if you have lots of different colours and fixtures, you may need to work them into your colour scheme and table decor so that they blend into the background.
Shop copper menus
Try not to Overload Table Décor
It is quite easy to get carried away with your table decorations as there are so many beautiful and inspiring décor ideas, so you may have to rein yourself in! Especially when searching on Pinterest, we've all been down that rabbit hole! Overloading your tables with lots of beautiful pieces will look very busy and full. Remember you have to fit all your cutlery, crockery and the glassware on there too, so don't go overboard! Remember less is more. Make more of a stunning impact with selective décor that will be a feast for the eyes and create the atmosphere you dream of.
You will also need to think about, if you are adding food to the table when the caterers enter, if you're having afternoon tea or grazing platters these items will need quite a lot of room, so it's important not to over crowd the tables with too much decor to start with.
Add show stopper stationery
No wedding table is complete in my eyes, if it doesn't have some pretty stationery pieces to add the finishing touches. Table stationery can help you add elements of your colour scheme to tie everything together, and inject some personalities and tell your love story through the essential design details. This is where the magic happens!
If you are having a seating chart, you will definitely need table numbers and place cards so your guests can easily find their way to their seat. Table numbers often get forgotten about until the last minute and end up standing out like a sore thumb, but for those amazing table results you see, making them part of your design is key. I have some really creative ideas (including fun table flags you can pop into your centrepiece) for helping you display your table numbers here. I know you'll gobble up all the inspo!
Shop table number flags
Menus are a lovely little addition too, especially if they are personalised with the guests names. They are great for adding the all important layers and depth to a table design. I design wedding menus perfect for rustic wedding styles and boho themes, helping you elevate the dining experience. You can take a closer look at the collection on offer here.
Shop elegant torn edge menu cards
If you're clever with your stationery pieces it can really elevate your place settings in an instant and transform your tables into an immersive dining experience for guests. In my experience, guests love interactive elements. My stylish paper napkin wraps are great for a unique touch. Use them to wrap around your neatly folded napkins to present them in a distinctive way. You can get creative with your placement of cutlery or add a simple flower stem and name tag for a delicate detail. You'll love this blog post that has lots of cool ideas for styling napkins.
Shop fern leaf napkin wrap
What about styling your glassware?
I love creating fun options for styling your guests place settings. My popular drink straws with personalised flags are a fantastic alternative take on the standard place card. Take your styling up a notch by giving your guests a brand new experience.
Tropical drink straws
Another fun option to style your glassware is these stylish name tags that sit on the rim of your glassware. It gives a complete different look.
Shop drink name tags
You can see with the set up below, by adding name tags to the rim of the glassware, it gives a pop of colour at a different height. It welcomes your guests to their seat in a fun way.
Shop Drink Tags
You you can even add small gifts for each guest with wedding favour tags which allow you to add personalised touches, to make your tables feel and look extra special.
Hire your table decor
Hiring table decor is much cheaper and eco-friendly than buying decor yourself. It also means you haven't got the hassle of storing it all before the day and dealing with it all after the wedding either. If you use a wedding stylist or prop hire company they will be able to offer you a wide selection of props that are on trend and quality pieces. They will also be able to offer you a set up and take down service too meaning less stress for you on the lead up. You also won't have the hassle of packaging it all up so nothing gets broken in transit and you won't have to wash and press linens before and after the wedding day which can take up a lot of your precious time.
Now for my last tip;
Have fun with it!
Use your imagination and be creative. If that doesn't come naturally, the internet is a great source to start to inspire you. Look at an idea and adapt it to suit you, using what you already have. This is after all the fun part of the wedding, where the style of the day will have it's most impact on your guests. You want your décor to be a talking point, to wow them, make them wonder how you achieved it, and where it was all from. Have little elements of surprise perhaps, this maybe in your favours, or a personalised gift for them. They are sat there for the entire meal, so going above and beyond to make them feel special will not go unnoticed.
Want some more help?
As I mentioned at the start, being a wedding stylist, styling tables is my speciality, and I love helping diy brides achieve their dream vision. I created a helpful tablescape guide that walks you through my exact step by step process for creating the most beautiful table designs. You will be designing like a pro in no time! To download the pdf guide just visit my digital shop here. Have fun styling your wedding tables!
Want some more inspiration?
If you enjoyed this inspiration and you would love to hear more from me, why not join my email list 'The Nook'? I love sharing creative ideas and helpful tips with couples, to help them plan their wedding with ease. There will also be a couple of freebies included which I know you will find super useful!
Get to know me
If you're new here, let me introduce myself, I'm Rea, a wedding stylist, stationer and dried flower florist. I'm a country lass, who is totally obsessed with being in her garden, collecting house plants like there's no tomorrow and going on treasure hunts to find vintage gardenalia to style my greenhouse. To read more about my story, grab yourself a cuppa and head here.
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