9 Comments

  1. This might be a silly question but if I’m hosting an event with catered meals that are plated and I have the plates set out on the tablescape, how does the caterer serve food? Do they clear the plates after guests sit? Or use a 2nd set of plates? For large events like weddings, that seems really obtrusive/cost prohibitive.

    1. Nina Hendrick says:

      This post is really about small family tablescapes for your home, not necessarily weddings or larger formal events. It depends on the event, but my experience has been that they clear the plates and replace them. However, you could always just leave the plates off of the table until the meal begins, there’s no “rule” saying there MUST be plates on the table. 😉

  2. Lanita Anderson says:

    Thanks for sharing all of the great tips and ideas! I enjoyed reading what goes into each step and the ideas you shared. I love doing tablescapes when we entertain and am always in the hunt for fun dishes and ideas!

  3. I sometimes have a pretty basket on hand for people to put their napkin ring and favor. I’ll pull out the napkin rings and place the basket near the front door, so people can grab their favor on their way out.

    1. This is such a great idea, Mary Jo! Thank you for sharing that tip.

  4. Joan Dalton says:

    Love your designs.

    1. Thank you, Joan!

  5. Thanks so much for clarifying the purpose or meaning of a tablescape.
    I have enjoyed all great ideas on all those decor blogs. What bothers me,
    if I have it set up for the season, will it become dusty? I remember one
    time, I stopped to visit my elder aunt, she had her table set up. I had to
    say, no I am not staying for dinner, She said oh no no…. I thought that was
    strange. Yet, it was gorgeous. I loved all those decor, napkin rings, or nameplates. My question what do we do with them when it comes to dinner time. Thanks again for sharing. Love your tablescapes. Hope to hear from you soon.

    1. Hi, Cindy! If you left the tablescape up for the entire season, you’d definitely have to dust from time to time and clean the plates, glasses, etc. before eating. A lot of work, I know! You have to decide if that’s worth it to you. What I often do is leave an abbreviated version of the centerpiece up for the season, which is much easier to remove to clean, and then add on to it for the actual event.
      During the meal guests usually set their napkin ring, tags, etc. to the side. I’ve actually never noticed it to be a problem, so I had to stop to think about it! We have a large table, though, so I suppose that could be more tricky with a smaller table.

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