Luxurious Wedding Decoration

The Proper Formal Table Setting For Your Luxurious Wedding Reception

Your wedding reception is a formal affair. Proper etiquette and good table manners calls for the host to ensure the table has been set correctly. The place settings should reflect the menu choices and always be positioned correctly. Don't leave anything to chance. It is best to consult with your catering manager to be sure everything will be set properly.

There are three types of place settings: Formal, Informal and Basic with two common rules shared.
1. The utensils are placed in the order of use from the outside in.
2. With a few exceptions:
Forks are place to your left.
Knives and spoons are placed to your right.


The Elements of the Formal Place Setting are not complicated. There are many elements, yet each is used in the order of service. Once you visualize where each element is placed and see how each is used during the meal, you will appreciate the fine art and nuance of a formal dinner setting.

SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS
are generally unsightly. As they are important to the meal, consideration should be given to them as part of the table decor.

THE CHARGER PLATE is an oversized and decorative plate set in place for each guest. The use of a Charger is highly recommended as it presents a lovely and complete look to your table before the food has been served. Once the food course begins, it will remain in position. The plate for each food course will be placed on top of the Charger and removed, leaving the Charger to decorate the table between courses.

THE CHINA selection can be used as an added element of décor to your table setting. Choose a pattern that enhances your charger plate and that beautifully accents your table lines. Your dining china is made up of 3 main elements: Bread or Butter, salad and dinner plates.

THE NAPKIN is placed on top of the charger plate. In the absence of a Charger, the Napkin is placed in the empty space where the dinner plate will be placed. Although the napkin placement does not change you do have a choice on how to present it. You may choose the fabric and color of the napkin as well as the napkin fold. Your napkin is also a great location to insert your menu card.

THE BREAD & BUTTER PLATE is placed above the forks on the left with the butter knife placed diagonally on top of the plate. Place the handle facing the right and blade faced down.

THE SALAD PLATE is a smaller than your dinner plate and, when served, is placed on top of your charger plate.

THE DINNER PLATE for the main entree will be placed on top of your charger plate.

THE FLATWARE selection is equally important as a decorative element. You may select a elegant sterling silver pattern that will blend in nicely with your tabletop décor or a more eccentric pattern with gold accents and engraving for more of a statement. No rules apply to selecting flatware other than making sure that you include the appropriate elements that will be used for your menu selections.


THE DINNER FORK is the largest of the forks and is placed to the left edge of the charger plate.

THE SALAD FORK is placed to the left of the dinner fork. Should your menu require your salad to be served after the entrée the small salad fork is placed to the right of the dinner fork, next to the charger.

THE FISH FORK is placed farthest to the left of the dinner fork because it is the first fork used. Only set a fish fork if fish is to be served.

THE DINNER KNIFE is placed to the right edge of the charger plate.

THE FISH KNIFE is a specially shaped knife placed to the right of the dinner knife.

THE SALAD KNIFE is included if the salad is to be served first and is placed to the right of the fish knife.

SOUP SPOON is placed to the right of the knives if soup is to be served as a first course.

OYSTER-COCKTAIL FORK is set to the right of the spoons if shellfish is being served. Please note: this is the only fork ever placed on the right of the plate and although very cute, in an effort not to confuse your guests, please do not place them on the table if you are not serving a fish or seafood course.

GLASSWARE is placed to the upper right of your dinner plate and can number up to five depending on your beverage service. It is a very important element on your table top. It enhances the mark you are placing on your table décor. As with your china pattern you may select from a variety of glassware to accompany your place setting. Your pattern selection may consist of clear crystal, colored glassware or an elaborate pattern.

THE WATER GOBLET is placed directly above the knives.
THE CHAMPAGNE FLUTE is placed to the right of the water goblet.
THE WINE GLASSES are set slightly below and to the right of your water goblet.
THE SHERRY GLASS is placed to the right of the red and white wine glasses.

THE DESSERT COURSE
Depending on how much room you have on your dining table, you dessert spoon or fork and coffee spoon may be brought to the table along with the dessert and coffee or placed horizontally at the top of the dinner plate. In the latter scenario, your coffee spoon is placed closest to the top of the dinner plate followed by the dessert spoon on top of the coffee spoon. In this scenario, both spoon handles should be pointing toward your right.
Should your dessert require a fork, the dessert fork is placed on top of the coffee spoon with the tines pointing to the right, handle to the left.

COFFEE is served butler style with the coffee spoon on the saucer to the right of the handle. You may also elect to have the coffee spoon incorporated into your flatware presentation and is placed closest to the top of the charger plate. Your coffee cup and saucer will be in the same pattern as the china chosen for dinning.

The design of the table is a major visual factor when guests enter the reception room. A beautiful table has harmony and balance. The centerpiece is the anchor of the design and the place settings must be positioned at an equal distance from each other and from the centerpiece.

Seasonal Flowers for Wedding

Seasonal Wedding Flowers

The flowers that you choose for your wedding day are very important. There are lots of different things to consider, including color combination, type or variety, scent, shape, and visual representation. Usually the first thought is the color of the flowers that you will choose for your wedding. Of course they have to tone in with everything else involved within your special day. The flowers that you choose should tone in with the brides wedding dress, the grooms outfit, the wedding favors and also the theme of the entire day.
There are certain colors of flowers that are traditional throughout the year. These are steeped in tradition, but are by no means a strict guideline on the sort of flowers that you and your intended should select.
Flower colors are traditionally grouped into either seasons or actual color groups on the visual palette. Here are some rough guidelines to help you to make the decision about flowers on your special day:
Wedding flower seasonal symbolism
Winter:
Winter flowers are usually "colder" in color. Frosty tones of cream or white are the traditional choices; from ivory to pale coffee cream. Other wintery themed colors include silvery grays, and icicle blues. Winter flower posies are often tied with ribbon and are fairly hard wearing blooms - they are growing in the cold ...
Autumn:
Autumn flowers are beginning to get warmer, in keeping with the season. As you see the leaves on the tree turning and changing color you can use the inspiration that they bring. Traditional autumn colors are those such as warming burgundies, claret reds, coppers, olive greens, and dark pinks.
Spring:
Spring flowers are cooler again, but not as cool as the winter palette. Spring colors are fresh and vivid and bright. They include cool colors in hues of baby pink, rich double cream, soft lilac, pale sky blue, minty green, and soft silver tones. Spring flowers are usually delicate and can benefit from mixing and matching the types that you choose.
Summer:

Summer flowers are the hottest of the bunch. In the summer everything is brighter and far more vivid. Hot summer colors are just that; hot and strong. Traditionally the flower colors of summer include balmy mid-purples, rich peaches, ice whites, baby yellows and pale blues. But they can also include deep majentas, scarlet, vivid yellows and fuscia. Summer flowers don't last as long as the other seasons because of the heat. Be careful that they don't wilt in the summer sun.

Wedding Decor Ideas

Truly creative wedding decor often goes well beyond ordinary flowers or standard wedding decorations. For an impressively distinctive do-it-yourself wedding, look for items to decorate your reception in non-typical places - this means looking well beyond the traditional wedding decoration stores, and using a little imagination.

This is how the best wedding planners in the business approach wedding decorating - and it's precisely how they manage to achieve those wonderfully individualized, one-of-a-kind looks for every wedding they work on. And you can do the same.

An added bonus - by thinking creatively and shopping for your wedding in 'unlikely' places you're likely to save money along the way. This is because you'll avoid that strange little phenomenom which seems to dictate that anything sold with the implicit purpose of a wedding automatically comes with a dramatically inflated price tag. Ever notice that...?

Watch for clearance sales of seasonal merchandise which can be incorporated into your wedding decor too. The post-Christmas season is an excellent time to pick up bargains on decor for upcoming fall, winter, or christmas weddings. Right now, for example, many stores are clearing out themed merchandise at bargain-basement prices. This makes for a wonderful opportunity to pick up items which will lend themselves to exquisite wedding decor.

Keep in mind that these types of seasonal items are generally only available during the holiday season, so if you are planning holiday season wedding, this is the time to do your buying. You won't find such themed items , as your wedding draws nearer!

Pretty in Pink Wedding Centerpiece

Pretty in Pink! This centerpiece would be very appropriate for a spring or summer wedding, with its rose petals and soft color. You can easily create a centerpiece like this using fresh rose petals, but we'll let you in on a little secret - the ones used here are faux! Made out of acetate, a silk-like material, who would know they aren't the real thing?

Creating this Wedding Centerpiece is Easy! Here's How:

1. Start by selecting an attractive clear glass container for the centerpiece. Here, an elevated bowel on a glass pedestal was used, but feel free to use a more standard style of bowl for equally lovely effects.

2. Fill the container with fresh water.

3. Select your floating candles. For our centerpiece, square floaters from Candles Just Online , were chosen because the atypical sqaure shape adds terrific visual interest to the overall design. You can mimic this look entirely if you use sqaure floaters in your design, or you could select another style of floating candle to create your own look. We recommend Candles Just Online for a great selection of styles of floating candles.

4. Place the floating candles in the water. To mimicthe look in the photo, crowd the candles in the container - for this particular container, four candles was about all it could hold, and we crammed them in! If you prefer a different look, use fewer candles.

5. Now its time to add the Pièce de Résistance - the rose petals, also available from Candles Just Online . It's the rose petals that really cap off the look in this particular centerpiece design and give it that super-romantic, super-soft visual effect. Just place the petals on water and around the candles, and be sure to also sprinkle them on the table, around the centerpiece to finish that wonderful setting!

Make the Pedestal Bowl (Optional)

The exact bowl shown in the photo is not available for purchase anywhere that we know of, but any type of clear glass bowl can be used for your centerpiece - it does not have to be a raised bowl - so simply substitute a different style of bowl to create a look that is all your own and truly unique.

However, you can create a bowl that looks very similar to this for yourself by gluing the bottom of a clear glass bowl to an overturned drinking glass (clear). Use a hot glue gun, or ask your local craft store for a clear adhesive suitable for gluing glass.

See how easy it was to pull the whole look together?