When you are planning your wedding, one of the things that you need to consider is your table layout. Depending upon where you are holding your wedding reception, the tables may be square or round, or you may have them laid out in longer rows with perhaps ten or a dozen people on each side.
Obviously, the table centrepieces are important, and we have written about this elsewhere, but there are several other things to look at for your tables as well. Just to begin with, there are the tablecloths themselves. Of course, you can keep that simple by using white tablecloths, and using bold accessories. However, it doesn’t have to be plain white. You can get a tablecloth with frilled or scalloped edges.
You might prefer to have a patterned option, and there are plenty of those available. You could have a light-coloured tablecloth decorated with yellow or blue or pink flowers and greenery. Embroidery and applique are also making a comeback, and according to one wedding planner there are some great vintage linen tablecloths available on Etsy.
You also have to consider your napkins for your wedding table décor and matching them to your tablecloth is always a safe bet. If you can afford to, it ‘s always best to use natural fibres rather than polyester, and the aforementioned wedding planner says that linen is best, followed by cotton.
You Could Do The Opposite
Of course, you could go completely the opposite way with tablecloths and napkins, perhaps opting for a dark blue or dark green for the tablecloths and then balancing with a light blue or green for the napkins.
As for the crockery, you can have fun mixing and matching plates with patterns on, rather than plain old white plates. A different wedding planner says that she likes to use colours that are “joyful” and that she often styles the flatware in alternating colours along a long table which gives a “jewellery-box” effect. She adds that mixing and matching can be useful if you are short of a full set of something.
As for the glassware, you can do much the same thing with that. Using different types of glass for each drink can add interest to the table and you can mix and match the glasses for water, wine, and flutes, or you can keep them consistent depending upon your style.
The other thing is the placemats, and these can add some visual interest as well, because they become visible at various times through the meal as each course is served. Patterned and colourful placemats are certainly something to think about.