It's coming to that time of year again; Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas to name but a few, and there is nothing nicer than enjoying the festivities with your family and friends around a beautiful table. It is easier than you think to produce a fabulous table, it's all about creating a piece of theatre.
Start by setting the scene with candlelight; romantic, glamorous and very flattering. Try and have this above and below eye level so that diners can see each other, tea lights in glass jars or little glasses (and they don't need to match) and higher level candles such as candelabras or as I have a chandelier with candles above the table. If you only have a small table and need more space, do what I do and bring the table from the garden. Cover it with a large white sheet and then a table cover or sometimes I use a Battenburg lace bedspread which is perfect. White is always best as far as I'm concerned (you can bleach the red wine stains out easily!)
You can add jewels or table confetti, keep this to your colour theme. Silver is always a good choice, as are mirrors on the table or mirrored place mats. Light reflective for the candles and very glam.
Next dig out all your crockery, you can use different types but try and stick to the same colour theme for consistency. Leave enough room between guests so they can move but not too much or they'll feel as if they're dining on their own. Make up a seating plan and name tags, that way people feel more welcome and part of things.
I like to add flowers to my table, these can either be in individual glasses or vases with one at each place setting or a large centre piece in the middle. White roses work well and especially teamed with eucalyptus. I usually have a plan of what I want to do so I set the table the day before, I usually end up free styling a bit and adding more to the table as I go along. Let yourself go and experiment, but most important of all, enjoy it!
PS I love the ribbon sash around the chairs in the image third from the bottom.
