Photo by Amy Atlas

In 13 days Jon will be catering his first wedding for a couple of our friends from church.  Jon is taking care of the food aspect while I will be his right-hand woman; coordinating the helpers, answering questions so Jon can focus on cooking and my other task:  The snack/candy/appetizer table.

This final task is the one that has been causing me to draw a bit of a blank.  I’ve seen some pretty spectacular table-scapes – most of which have been featured on wedding blogs or at different events I’ve been to.  But I’ve never done one myself.  And with a budget of $75 for all the dishes and the decor, I’m gonna have to dig to find my best and brightest creative energy.

I’ve already been scouring the local thrift stores on my lunch breaks and drawing sketches of what the potential layout could be.  And I’ve been getting some inspiration from blogs – which sometimes backfires because some of the pictures are TOO perfect, making me doubt that I can pull off anything that resembles what they’ve done.  Take for example, the photo above.  Amy Atlas has designed dessert tables for Oprah, so don’t feel bad if you’re like me and it would take you a year to put together a table like that.

But nonetheless, based on my web-scouring, here are some of the most important things (according to all those other bloggers) to remember when creating a beautiful table-scape:

1.  Choose your colors. Your table should complement the color palette you have chosen for your event. Examples include bright citrus hues, pastels, or color combinations such as yellow and black. All items included on the table should fall within your color palette.

2.  Choose your theme. After choosing your color palette, choose a matching design theme for your table. The theme may be inspired by the event invitations. Examples include damask, a Moroccan theme, cherry-blossoms, etc.

3.  Design a background. Most tables look best when placed against a background that matches your theme. Backgrounds can be created using painted canvas, wallpaper, draped fabric and other resources.

4.  Design the table. Determine the layout for your table. Will a cake be the centerpiece of your table? Or a cupcake stand?  Will your table have symmetrical items? Will it be double sided? What color table cover? Will you include a table runner? Will you introduce flowers and other non-edible items? Create a mock-up of your table beforehand.

5.  Create height. Use vases, photo frames, jars, wrapped gift boxes, cake and cupcake stands and other clever tools to introduce height into your table.

6.  Add labels. Use coordinated stationary, chalkboard signs, handwritten signs, calligraphy and ribbon to create beautiful signs that describe table elements.

Ahh, my head is spinning!  Coffee break?

Here’s a few more pics I adore…

umm, wow!

Cute and simple desserts

Most Realistic