Rectangular tables are a popular choice, especially those beautiful harvest tables that have been a wedding trend for the last few years. Designing centerpieces for these tables can be challenging. It can be hard to visualize exactly how much space is on the table to bring your vision to life. There are lots of elements you want to incorporate into your tablescape both necessary for dinner service and also to define your aesthetic, but how do we know if it will all fit?

THE EXAMPLES

We’ve come up with some versions of tablescapes on the three standard and common sizes of tables to give a sense of what space is available at each width. The biggest mistake we see couples making is thinking that the tablescape will feel too empty, but the reality is, there are things added. Think bread baskets, butter or oils, salt and pepper shakers, etc.; all necessary for dinner service. Having to move things around to find space for these is not ideal and also wastes precious time.

For example, many tables at restaurants are 24” or 30” across if you’re lucky, so when you go for lunch or dinner, you end up shifting things around to make room for shared apps, bread baskets, etc. Not fun, right? These don’t even include much more than a single votive candle, so imagine this with even more design and decor elements your wedding will have!

In this example, we used a standard set for flatware, a charger plate and dinner plate, both red and white wine glasses, and a water goblet. This shows the full range of each table size.

Read on to learn some pro tips we have and more about the design!

30” table

36” table

42” table

THINGS TO NOTICE

When looking at the examples above, there are some key things to keep an eye out for and notice a difference on:

You’ll notice that as the distance across the tables gets bigger, so does the available space. Each element has more of an opportunity to stand out and not cramped by the next. Breathing room between elements is important - you’ve picked these pieces for a reason!
Charger plates take up precious space, so on the 30” table, you’ll notice some things have shifted around to make room. If you choose to not use a charger plate, you can use other design elements like coloured napkins, coloured candles, branded menus, etc. to make just as big of an impact on the overall design!
Look at the side plates. Notice how they change position as the table gets bigger? On the smaller tables, there is no room to put them in the top left corner, so they must be placed to the side. Something to note if you prefer one look over the other!
The beautiful florals have been scaled appropriately for the table, to ensure they don’t overtake any of the other details - a key design element we considered when working with our wonderful florist, Amy from Mae Floral Studio. Keep in mind the size of your florals versus what Pinterest is showing you, or what your brain thinks you want!

Pro tip #1: Incorporating coloured candles brings colour and interest to the table. These become an extension of the floral arrangements so you can actually go for slightly smaller scale arrangements.
Pro tip #2: If you are passionate about the charger plate look, you could also do a dinner-sized plate as a charger plate, providing that the appetizer/first course plate is small enough for it to look right once it goes down. The dinner plate would then be removed after first course, same as a charger plate. Same look and feel, smaller size!

TABLE SIZes

As you begin to think about your tablescape design, be sure to double-check what the table size is at your venue and communicate that to your design vendors. This will help aid them in curating a design plan that fits the space they have to work with. Most venues have rectangular tables that are 8’ long and 30” wide, but you may find yourself lucky with your venue having 36” wide tables on-hand. Wherever possible, we like to upgrade and bring in 40” or 42” wide tables to ensure both guest comfort and breathing room for all the pieces on the table.

Click here to check out our helpful guide to table seating and linen sizes which will help you in your planning!

Planning and design by Laura Olsen Events, photography by Christine Lim Photography, florals by Mae Floral Studio, stationery by Statue Rue, and table decor courtesy of Simply Beautiful Decor.