A dinner party isn’t just about the food. There’s a whole art to hosting and planning a great gathering, no matter how simple or sophisticated. One of the best ways to add personality to your party is to get creative with how you set your table. Tablescaping is a fun and simple way to really enhance your event. Chances are you have put a lot of thought into the food you are serving, so let’s showcase it in the best light possible.

When designing your table, you’re also shaping the mood of the evening and the entire experience for your guests. The best place to start is to consider who your audience is – and how you want them to feel. Are you gathering old friends or creating new connections? Will this be a formal affair or a casual get together? If you’re going formal, white is a great colour to focus on. If things are a little more casual, a bright bold colour theme is a better choice.

Aside from a colour, also consider the holiday, season or time of year. In the fall, a pumpkin theme will never go out of style. In the spring or summer, more greenery or succulents will bring the outdoors inside. And instead of searching for complicated ideas on Pinterest, why not go to the farmers market where gorgeous seasonal produce is just waiting to be picked. And you don’t have to break the bank. In fact, there are lots of affordable tablescaping trends that you can incorporate into your next event.

We loved the details of these table settings from a lovely Fall wedding; chocolate brown napkins and the stacked dinner plates were fantastic!

Minimalism and simplicity are big right now. This means you don’t need to raid your grandmother’s silverware cabinet – in fact less can often mean more. White plates will always show off your food beautifully. Or choose a monochromatic colour palette, which is timeless and practical. When everything is in the same colour family, inexpensive pieces that you add to the table will look more sophisticated. Patterns or textures will stand out beautifully too!

Get creative with your centrepieces by adding simple greenery or flowers in jars or vases. Search your home for those special pieces you already own, and work from there. If you do need to do a bit of shopping, pick up reusable table decorations that are affordable and flexible enough to be used for a variety of occasions. A red table runner will work for Christmas, Thanksgiving, a summer picnic, or any casual event.

You can also pick up extra fresh herbs to use instead of flowers on your table. This will help cut costs, create an elegant table, and they smell amazing. Save yourself time by using cotton instead of linen which requires less ironing. And incorporate personalized details like name cards on plates or handwritten recipes for an added special touch.

For one of our client appreciation parties – we made placemats from brown paper and printed stories from the guests about their favourite party memories. The placemats were like a gallery for guests to read through before they sat down to enjoy dinner together.

Though not exactly part of the tablescape, the perfect playlist can also take your event from good to great and create the exact mood you’re going after. Create your own carefully curated playlist, or choose a mood or theme on an app like Spotify or Apple Music. Check out this one we recently created on Apple Music called ‘Jump for Joy!’. Guaranteed to get you ready to celebrate! And don’t underestimate the power of good lighting. Depending on the mood you want to create, candlelight or dimming the lights can create a cozy intimate affair.

And last but not least, make sure the table design leaves enough room for the food and plenty of cheers.

For great inspiration (and supplies) to create beautiful tables – check out two of our favourite Calgary companies; Special Event Rentals and Orange Trunk Vintage Styling and Rentals. The choices are endless!
For more ideas of what inspires us at Devour – check out our Beautiful Tables board.