Q: Where’s the balance between blah and overdone when it comes to table decor?
A: That age-old battle of form vs. function comes into play on this one. Since most people we work with seem more concerned with function than form, we take that stance as well.
Our philosophy is that you hit the mark when the table design dovetails with the rest of the event. We’re blessed with such an abundance of breathtaking rural venues in this area. Some of the best table designs we’ve seen have played a supporting role to the event’s setting, either complementing the site with linens of blue and green or contrasting with violets and cherry red.
Kayla Lynn Photography just shared photos — including the one above — with us from a recent event for which we provided red and white check tablecloths (check back for an wedding gallery next week!). It was a humble decor choice, but the result was terrific: an all-American summer feel that complemented the couple’s reception, where they served fruit in carved watermelon baskets, jars of cookies and glass bottles of root beer. It was simple and appropriate, and to us that’s a well-designed tablescape.
Stay away from precarious towers of candles and baubles. It’s a hopeless situation for people who talk with their hands, and really, no guests can have a relaxed conversation with lit tapers tottering between them.
One way we’ve found to keep tablescapes from feeling cluttered is to keep the decorations below guests’ eating and talking spaces (or, alternately, above them).
Use beautiful linens and chargers layered under the dinnerware or on the chairs. Similarly, keep floral arrangements and favors low, or at least in scale with the table, to avoid crowding guests. Short vases stuffed with monochromatic flowers like mums work well with a modern, urban style, while keeping the scale intimate.
Photo by Kayla Lynn Photography
Resources
- Check our Galleries next week for photos from the wedding pictured above, photographed by Kayla Lynn Photography.
- “5 Ridiculously Over-the-Top, Extravagant Celebrity Weddings” at TreeHugger
