How To Design A Wedding Tablescape

Instantly elevate your wedding tablescapes

Pink & orange wedding table decor at The Giraffe Shed. Image by The McHendry's

Thanks to social media, it has never been easier to find wedding inspiration. A quick scroll on Pinterest will show you thousands of options for wedding colour palettes, wedding decor, wedding florals, wedding stationery, and wedding tablescapes. Yet sometimes, having so much inspiration can make figuring out what you want to do for your own wedding even harder! If you're at the stage of figuring out what style of wedding you want, then take my fun 'What Style Wedding Are You' quiz now.

Do you have a Pinterest board full of gorgeous, dreamy wedding inspiration but you don't quite know how to bring your own vision to life? Are you unsure how to incorporate colour into your wedding table decor in a way that is cohesive and sophisticated? Do you want to elevate your design whilst maintaining its integrity?

If you are going YES to some or all of those questions then you're in the right place. Here at Evermore Event Studio we are experts in creating intentional, curated wedding designs for our clients, including wedding tablescapes, and this blog post contains our top tips for creating your own dream wedding tablescape.

Creating a cohesive wedding tablescape might feel daunting but these simple tips will make it much less intimidating. When I first started designing wedding tablescapes I found it pretty daunting, but now it's one of my absolute favourite things to do. So let's get to it!

The Foundation Of Design

Creating authentic designs starts with the things that inspire you the most. One of the hardest things is learning to trust your own design instincts. It is so easy to feel intimidated or to worry that you'll make the 'wrong' choice, which is a big reason why so many weddings stick to very classic designs and colour palettes that we've all seen thousands of times. I want to encourage you to embrace your own individuality and creativity. There is no reason why your wedding tablescape can't be talked about for all the right reasons. Don't be afraid to look past the traditional wedding colour palettes and go for something a little bolder. Make a list of things that inspire you. What colours and textures are you drawn to? Maybe you're thinking, "but I have no idea where to find inspiration for my wedding". If that's you, check out my blog post on where to find inspiration for your wedding outside of Pinterest & Instagram here.

Pink Marquee Wedding Tablescape - Image by From The Smiths Photography

Choose Your Base

When designing a tablescape, I always start with my base, as this is the foundation of the whole design. Whether you've chosen clean white linen or a rustic exposed wood trestle table, this underlying surface will impact on every other design decision you make. I love designing with a variety of bases but just keep in mind that everything that you add should complement and contrast with your base. Coloured linen will create a bolder, high contrast look, or choose a neutral tone for a sophisticated, more minimalist style.

Plates & Tableware

After you've chosen your base, you want to think about your plates. After all, a tablescape is ultimately just creating a very beautiful space for people to come together and eat! The plates are also one of the most visually striking elements on your table - if you look down from a bird's eye view the plates will take up the most space. I like to choose plates in either a complementary colour or in one of the main colours from your palette.

Build Texture

Now you can start layering up by adding different textural elements to your tablescape. Remember to choose elements that complement what you have already set. Napkins and linen are a great way to add layers of texture and a pop of colour to your design.

Avoid choosing a runner in the same colour and texture as your napkin, you don't want them to blend into each other. They should complement each other without being too matchy matchy - this will make your design look more interesting and put together.

When thinking about your colour palette, try and incorporate 3-5 colours across your design. This might sound like a lot, but adding in multiple tones will add depth and texture to your design. Even a simple monochrome colour palette will often feature different shades of white and black to soften the contrast a little. For example, in the image below, my primary colour is a hot pink, but I've used a white tablecloth as a neutral base, then added in a little bit of orange, blush pink and blue across the candlesticks and candles. The overall effect is still very pink, but if I'd used the same shade of pink across every element the pink would actually have stood out less.

Coloured glass candlesticks add a playful feel to this tablescape whilst simple bud vases keep the overall feel quite minimalist.

Add Height & Dimension

Now you are at the stage of building up and out with candles and glassware. These are the easiest way to add different heights to your design. You want to add height and dimension whilst continuing to create visual continuity between the various colours and textures you are using.

At this stage you also want to be thinking about the feel you are trying to create within your tablescape. Glassware and cutlery is one of the ways you can add personality to your design. For example, if you want a classic, timeless feel, I would opt for crystal or gold rimmed glassware, or for a more trendy look I would choose coloured glasses.

With candlesticks, antique brass will give a bohemian, vintage feel, whilst minimalist black candlesticks create a more futuristic, moody look. Think about clustering your candles in groups of three (or at least in odd numbers) of varying heights. If you're using a variety of coloured candles then make sure you distribute the different colours between the various clusters.

Pink Wedding Tablescape - Wedding Fair Exhibit

Finishing Touches

Now you are ready to add the finishing touches to your wedding tablescape - florals & stationery. These are an opportunity to tie all your other textures and colours together in a seamless way. Everything in your tablescape should tie in somewhere, so think about layers, colours, height and textures. Do you need to bridge the gap between the dark and light colours on your tablescape? Are there areas where you could add more depth with another layer to your design?

Wedding stationery is a great way to do this - whether that is an individual menu card in each place setting or your namecards and table names/numbers, your wedding stationery is an opportunity to tie your colour palette and other design elements together.

Finally, don't forget the logistics - after all this is a table for eating! When placing your centrepieces and other decor try and avoid blocking the line of sight between guests, you want them to be able to see each other across the table. Think about what else needs to be on the table besides decor, whether that is water jugs, wine bottles, or sharing platters. Remember that you aren't creating a photoshoot, but an occasion. If you are having sharing style food served directly to the table you will need to leave more space than if you are having plated food served to each guest. The best designs are beautiful AND functional, and I don't believe that you need to compromise on either. If doesn't matter if your design looks different from someone else's - it's your tablescape. If you are intentional and purposeful with your design choices you will see great results, so be confident in your decisions and trust your instincts.

Now go and design your wedding tablescapes with confidence! If you'd like to elevate your tablescape with beautiful tableware and candlesticks, then check out my luxury hire collection here - available for weddings, parties, private dining and any of life's celebrations!

The napkin and menu card add height, colour and depth to this otherwise simple tablescape. Image by Laura May Photography

Big love & happy wedding planning,

Becca xo