Place Setting and Tablescaping

Just like with cold weather and good desserts, when I approach the aesthetics of a table, it is all about layers.

Setting the Table: Plates & Flatware

It has definitely been a conscious effort of mine to think about what actually goes on the table, and what I mean by that is thinking first about what we are serving. Why I have to do this beforehand is because it is my first instinct to put everything on the table that guests will end up needing - which I have realized with the way that we serve our dinners, doesn't always work. Given that sometimes we do family style courses, and sometimes we serve individual portions and ask guests to come to the bar to pick up their serving, it doesn't always make sense to have every single plate or bowl on the table already (as pretty as that may look). Additionally, a host has to work with what they have.

We have a certain amount of sets that have a salad, dinner, and dessert plate, but given we do five course dinners, we often do a quick wash in between so that we can use the salad plates again - or we have to use the dinner plates for two courses. My recommendation here is largely just to make sure to think about whatever makes it easiest for those who are seated to get their food - sometimes it is actually to ask them to get up to be served (there is definitely some theater to that!), but always keep the guest in mind. 

Setting the Table: Glassware

Unlike with the plates and flatware, we don't pace the glassware. Water cups, wine glasses, and room for a cocktail glass are all thought about - especially, important is the water glass. Something we've learned over our years of hosting is that water is super important, and when we first started out, we would be the ones to continuously fill water glasses from the Britta in our fridge. Clearly that wasn't the easiest thing for anyone - so we invested in little cravats and space them along the table filled with water so that guests can help themselves regularly without having to get up. Additionally, we fill a beverage dispenser with water on the drinks table, so when the cravats start running low, guests can fill those as well. 

With stemware though, hosts will have to work with what they have - and I mean that not only with actual glasses but with table space, because it is usually at this point when things start getting rather full. We have a mix of stem and stemless, some for red and some for white, and those are set more because of space on the table than for what I imagine the guests' preference to be. 

Tablescaping

This is my favorite part, personally. Tablescaping is basically the stuff that goes in the middle of the table, so it is going to be very much dictated by how wide the table is, as well as if food will be served family style (as in the food will be the center piece) or if food will be passed and set aside and/or food will be plated individually. Typically we do the latter, so it gives us the leeway to take advantage of the middle of the table space. As much as the table places have been layered with plates, flatware, and glassware, this space gives the host much more creativity to build vertically. 

Pieces that we have personally invested in that are timeless and can be used at almost every event are candlesticks, as well as electric votive candles. The candlesticks particularly were great, as they are of varied height and always provide a metaphorical warmth to the space. Other than candles, the centerpieces tend to be very seasonal - for the holiday AJRB, I use pine boughs leftover from making the wreath and ornaments; for the spring one, we tend to use lots of flowers, for the fall one, we have pumpkins and an autumn leaves table runner that we bust out. This, as I said earlier, is where small things can have a big impact on setting a tone and it can be where the most creativity can be enjoyed.