As much as your wedding is about celebrating your shared love with your partner, the guest experience for your loved ones is important as well. From the entrance to the after-party, there are so many touchpoints to wow your guests, but your place setting details can really steal the show.
By: Meghan ElyWedding experts are thrilled to share their tips for getting creative with your dinnerware, linens, and much more.
Photo: Yun Li Photography
"Menus are always a great place to start. I recently went to an event where everyone was seated at one very long table. Each menu had been customized to have the name of the guest at the top of the menu. A menu that is a place card reduces the amount of things that can become cluttered once you add all of the silverware, glassware, chargers, and such." —Keith Willard, Keith Willard Events
"Create tiny, personalized bouquets with a few stems of flowers and greenery, such as peach spray roses, eucalyptus stems, or Nagi greenery, wrapped with twine or ribbon that matches your wedding colors. Place them on each guest's plate or napkin for a charming, take-home favor. Use transparent or acrylic charger plates placed underneath with scattered flower petals, such as freeze-dried rose petals. The flowers will be visible through the plate, giving a soft and romantic look without taking up space on the table." —Joan Wyndrum, Blooms By The Box
"Don't be afraid to go bold with your colorways, even if you aren't necessarily going with bold, bright colors. Unexpected accents can go a long way, such as pairing black napkins with nude or neutral plates and linens, or metallics or jute to switch up the textures and add dimension to your tablescape." —Kevin Dennis, Fantasy Sound Event Services
Photo: Woodland Fields Photography
"Instead of generic name cards, use personalized menu cards. Couples can personalize each place setting with handwritten notes or customized menus. Adding a personal message or including a fun fact about the guest adds a unique touch and makes each guest feel special. Incorporating sustainable details, like bamboo or wooden cutlery, recycled paper menus, or plant-based place cards, can align with your values while still being stylish to the times. Using potted plants or succulents as part of the place setting also allows guests to take home a meaningful favor while having great décor!" —Craig Peterman, Craig Peterman Photography & Videography
"Think about how you can tastefully incorporate favors into your place setting décor — and even better if those favors can be incorporated into the meal or enhance the guest experience at the event itself. At a recent wedding, our couple honored their Chinese and Japanese heritages with chopsticks engraved with their names at each place setting. Each guest had a favor from the event, and many were able to use it to enjoy their meal." —Halie Child, Halie Child Photography
"Pattern and textured linens add a sense of movement and dynamism to the table setting and oftentimes demand less intense floral arrangements centerpieces. Saturated and avant-garde patterns add a touch of modern elegance and can easily bring a more dramatic and artistic look to the place setting décor. Textured neutral hues table linens create a sophisticated palette, adding a touch of classic charm to the table setting, and can be the perfect backdrop for gorgeous colorful flowers." —Carol Guedes, Flying Little Birds
Whatever statements you decide to incorporate into your place settings, we encourage you to spring for personalized touches to make your guests feel special. Going out of your comfort zone with design details while still staying on trend is completely possible!
Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding PR and wedding marketing firm OFD Consulting. Ely is a sought-after speaker and a self-professed royal wedding enthusiast.
