How to Elevate your Holiday Table scape
Photo credit: Mat and Ash Photography
Step up your Holiday tablescape game with some new tips! Our team of wedding planners, event planners and wedding designers in Chicago are going to give you 4 easy steps to creating your perfect holiday tablescape! The Holidays are the perfect time to practice your table scape designs. Once you learn how to rock out a table top for the holidays you can do it for any occasion from your birthday party to a baby shower! Check out our easy tools below and our picks for our favorite local, small Chicago businesses that you can support to create your perfect Holiday tablescape.
Step One - select your mood and color palette.
Are you traditional or funky? Do you want your tablescape to be classic or an explosion of color that no one has ever seen? No matter which direction you go for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah tablescape - have fun and get creative. For tablescape inspiration check out local Chicago Latin owned business Him and Her Vintage!
Traditional: Go with the traditional autumn colors for Thanksgiving tablescapes, green and red, blue and gold, white and gold for the winter holidays.
Moody: Turn the contrast down on your traditional palettes and go for moody colors like burgundy and burnt orange for your fall holidays and deep red, forest green, black, and gold for your winter holidays!
Funky and colorful: Go totally off beat and write your own script for any Holiday! For Thanksgiving rock out pastels with peaches, pinks and greens! For the winter holidays get crazy and play with white, hot pink, orange and maybe even neon green!
PRO TIP: When choosing a color palette stick with 3 - 5 colors total so you don’t overwhelm yourself!
Photo credit in order from left to right. Anna Sodziak, Mat and Ash Photo, Allie Idrac Photo
Step 2 - Select your place settings
Now it’s time to pick out what plates, glasses and flatware you want to use for your perfect Holiday table decor! Use your newly selected color palette as your guide when curating all the different pieces. First start at home. Do you have any vintage china from great grandma you can use? If not start fresh and shop or rent new pieces! Don’t be afraid to mix and match vintage pieces with modern pieces. Have fun and get creative!
Flatware: If you’re going the more traditional route consider using this gold flatware from Crate and Barrel! If you’re going with a rainbow color palette consider this iridescent flatware set from Nordstrom.
Glassware: If you really want your table top to be fabulous make sure you use real glass - save the plastic for a game night! Pro Tip: guests are always going to drink water so invest in some water goblets that you love because they will be on the table the entire meal! Check out these water goblets from Urban Outfitters. Yes you can pair a fancy water goblet with classic clear glassware! You can also rent fabulous glassware from local Chicago business Dish and Decor Vintage Rental.
Charger: A charger is a large decorative base plate that is placed under your china. A charger is a great way to set a table if you are having a family style or buffet meal where guests are bringing plates to the table. You can go super fancy with your charger and super simple with your plates. We love these gold charger plates from West Elm.
Plates: If you’re using a decorative charger you can go really simple with your plates. You can skip the charger and get very decorative plates. The sky is the limit. Consider the textures and colors you are using for your flatware and your linens. Like we mentioned in Step 1, keep your color palette simple! We love to rent plates from local Chicago business The Festive Frog. If you’re looking to buy check out Chicago woman owned business Strange Lovely!
Stationery: If you really want to elevate your table top decor consider using stationery! Menus are a fabulous way to show your guests your style. If you have super simple plates menus can add a pop of color. There are several menu templates available online like these. You can also design and print your own if you want something custom. If you really want to spice things up consider using a calligrapher like this Black, woman owned small Chicago business Calligraphy by CT. If you want to take it up a notch further add a place card - even if it’s just you and your loved one or roomie! You can print out tented place cards or write your guest’s names on rocks, stones, or even fruit! If you want to support some other small businesses who create custom stationery check out Black and woman owned Ijorere and woman owned Clementine Studio.
Linens: Our favorite part of creating the perfect dinner table decor are playing with linens. There are so many directions you can go in! You can have a flowing table runner made out of fabric (or your favorite scarf), you can use place matts, or you can cover your entire table with linen. Pro Tip: make sure you measure the size of your table and find the appropriate sized linen for it! You can also have custom linens made by one of our favorite national vendors BBJ Linen. Skip the paper napkins and go for a beautiful linen napkin!
Photo credit: Anna Sodziak Photography
Step 3: Set the table!
Take your dining experience up a notch and properly set your table! If you want to go super formal with your set up, here is a great article from Martha Stewart on how to set the table. You can also check out Lorena Romo’s article on how to put together an elegant table setting. Otherwise check out some quick tips below!
Know how to set your flatware - this is a common mistake we see people make. You want to make sure your knife is set to the right of your plate. Next to your knife is your spoon. On the left you want to have your salad fork followed by your dinner fork. Think about it logically - what do you usually eat before dinner? Salad!
Glassware: At the very least make sure you have a water goblet or glass on the table. If you want to be a little more formal add a champagne flute and a wine glass to give your guests the option of what they would like to drink. You want to set your water goblet above the top right corner of your plate or charger.
Menus & place cards: have fun with this. Set your menu on top of your charger or plate or set it to the side next to your flatware. Better yet, set your menu inside your linen napkins! Set your place cards above the top left corner of your plate or charger. Voila! You’ve just elevated your tablescape!
Napkin: Place this under your plate waterfall style or fold it and place it under your flatware! Have fun.
Photo credit: Allie Idrac Photography
Step 4: Time to Style!
This is our favorite part! Here is where you can really add your own personality and flair to your tablescape.
Add a gorgeous centerpiece with some flowers: Support your local florist and order a floral centerpiece arrangement for your holiday table. We love Black owned Chicago florist Planks and Pistils, woman owned Asrai Garden, and Latina owned InFloresence Chicago. These florists will help you design a beautiful centerpiece based on your color palette and mood!
Get creative with your centerpiece and source pumpkins and gourds from your local farm! Find some fabulous candle stick holders like these crystal ones we love from CB2.
Shop for fun styling props and pieces. We love using pillows, candles, plants, stones, pumpkins and other pieces to add some personality to our designs. Check out Black LGBTQ owned Chicago business Maison Du Prince for some styling pieces, tips and floral arrangements.
Candles will set the mood and elevate your table to the next level. Rock some tapered candles and mix and match them with tea light candles. Want to be super extra and out of the box for your holiday tablescape? Pick out some colorful taper candles! We love using blue, pinks and reds.
PRO TIPS: Use texture! The more texture the more visually compelling. You can use texture in your linens, your glassware, your flowers and even your stationery. Always go for odd numbers over even numbers. Play with height! Tall tapered candles with short mercury glass candles create visual interest.
Photo credit: Allie Idrac Photography
bonus step: create ambience!
Set the scene for you and your guests. Create an environment that activates all of your senses: smell, sight, sound, taste, touch.
Music: Create a playlist of your favorite music for the given holiday. Make sure to play music that is good for background vibes so you and your guests can chat. Save the Beyonce and upbeat music for the dance party later! Instrumental classic jazz and old school Christmas music is a good start.
Smell: Fill your main space with a scent that compliments the dinner you’re about to have. Have another scent in your bathroom. Don’t over do it! We love themed holiday scented candles from local Chicago business Edgewater Candles. We also love these handmade candles by local Chicago owned business Ainslie House - candles are placed in handmade pottery which also make great gifts. For more smell, we love adding eucalyptus to our flower arrangements or even using rosemary as a styling tool on our plates!
Sight: Dim the lights if possible and let candlelight be your main source. This creates a relaxing and calming vibe to set the mood for dinner.
Touch: This is where using texture comes in handy! Using different textures on your tabletop not only creates visual interest but it’s something tactile that your guests will appreciate!
Taste: Every good table top needs delicious food. Instead of flowers for your centerpiece rock out a charcuterie board in the middle of your table by woman owned Chicago business Big Delicious Planet or order a to go Holiday meal from one of our other favorite Chicago LGBTQ owned caterers Hearty Boys!