5 Tips to Help You Style Your Wedding Reception Tables Like a Pro!

If you’re planning a sit-down wedding, your table settings will play a key role in the overall atmosphere of your celebration. Details like napkins, stationery and glassware may seem small, but can actually make all the difference for a memorable dining experience.

So, what do you need to know about curating the perfect tablescape? From textures to colour palettes, keep reading for our top 5 tips to help you style your wedding reception tables like a pro (along with some of our favourite table settings to inspire you!).

1. Have a Clear and Cohesive Vision

Before you start playing around with your table settings, it’s important to make sure you have a clear “vision” in mind for your wedding day. Whether your vision is coastal, modern, eclectic or bohemian, you’ll want every element to flow harmoniously together – from your ceremony furniture right down to your flowers and stationery.

Once you’ve decided on an overall vision and colour palette for your wedding, use this as the foundation for your table settings. If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to sit down with your partner to figure out your wedding style and create a mood board that captures the vibe you want to create on the day. Then, refer back to this mood board often when planning your reception details to help you make cohesive styling decisions!

2. Create Interest With Layers

Using plenty of layers on your reception tables is one of the easiest ways to achieve a beautiful tablescape. A mix of different textures and materials will give your table settings depth and detail – without them, your table settings may look flat or one-dimensional.

Think of your table as a blank canvas, and consider how you can “build” your table settings up with different layers. For example: charger plates, linen napkins, table runners, statement glassware and cutlery, menu cards, place cards, florals and candles. 

Reflect back to your wedding vision and consider how you can use your table details to bring this to life, too. For example: clam shells and coconuts can work beautifully for a coastal theme, while fresh lemons and limes would help you achieve the perfect Amalfi-inspired tablescape! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative – the options are endless!

3. Play With Heights

Another way to help your tablescapes feel lush and interesting is to play around with different heights. Consider incorporating a mix of varying heights when it comes to your flower arrangements, table numbers, candles and votives. These different heights or “levels” can actually make the entire room feel fuller, and will also photograph better in your reception snaps, too.

4. Keep It Practical

Along with the beautiful styling details, don’t forget to think about the practical stuff, too! Remember, you want your tables to look amazing but also remain functional for your guests.

Some of the practical things to consider would be:

• Table width. If you’re opting for a share-style menu, you’ll want to choose a table over 1m wide (like our timber feasting tables) rather than the standard 86cm.
• Decor placement. Again, if you’re opting for a feasting menu, make sure you allow enough space between your centerpieces for platters of food. If you need to free up more space, you might want to create centerpiece “clusters” rather than spreading them down the entire length of the table. Or, opt for hanging floral installations rather than individual table arrangements.
• Centrepiece height. Make sure your centrepieces are an appropriate height so that your guests can still chat across the table without having to strain their necks!
• Essential items. You’d be surprised how many of our couples call us needing to add last-minute items like entree cutlery, napkins or dessert spoons. Use our reception hire checklist so you can tick everything off your list and ensure nothing is overlooked!

5. Don’t Overcomplicate It!

Our final tip – don’t overcomplicate things. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your table styling, consider investing in a few statement pieces like a beautiful timber table, coloured linen napkins, gold cutlery and decorative glassware. Sometimes it’s best to keep things simple with just a few key pieces that make a big impact, rather than trying to fill your table settings with a bunch of decorations “just because”. 

Want some help designing the perfect table settings? Our friendly team can suggest the perfect combination of styling items to bring your vision to life. Give us a call on (86) 139-2850-3987to chat through your wedding plans, or get in touch via our enquiry form right here.