WEDDING TABLES

Now that we're just about ready to decide on a venue, caterer and photographer for our wedding, I'm starting to get a bit less stressed and a bit more excited, because once those decisions are made I can start to focus on the fun part: the details! A lot of my stress during the first steps of wedding planning has been based on feeling like I have very little control over the end result, partially because of the budget but also because of venues' policies and restrictions. I hope that planning the décor will bring back the excitement I initially had when I thought about "designing" my wedding. 

One of the biggest elements of reception décor is table design: from furniture to linens, china, glassware, and centerpieces. The venue we've almost-chosen will at least partially dictate the style of the table settings, but to help me envision various possibilities I rounded up some of my favorite table settings, both wedding and otherwise, from my files.

First up, some classic, elegant tables, with lots of simple colors and clean lines:

clockwise from upper left:
wedding at the Viceroy Palm Springs via Green Wedding Shoes
Martha Stewart
Lonny
wedding photographed by Max Wanger via Inspired Bride
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Thanksgiving table setting from Domino
?, ?, ?, ?
library wedding via Style Me Pretty
 ?

Can you spot the CB2 candlesticks I have on my dining table? Some of them have been discontinued, but at just a few dollars a piece, this is such a great way to create a glamorous but inexpensive centerpiece. And if you've seen my apartment you're probably not surprised by the amount of black, white and gold in these images! The tables above are probably closest to "my aesthetic," but I'm also attracted to the bright, preppy colors and bold prints seen in some of these. These fabulous table settings let those elements take center stage:

clockwise from upper right:
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via Sketch 42
?
 photo by Allan Zepeda
Eddie Ross
Eddie Ross
New Year's Eve wedding via Green Wedding Shoes
ballroom wedding via Style Me Pretty

Not for the faint of heart, these tables covered with chinoiserie florals, ikat, greek key, and geometric trellis patterns could be straight from a decorator's dinner party. Using this layered, colorful style at a wedding would make for an absolutely unique look! If you want something a little more toned down, though, picking one color and running with it can be just as interesting:

clockwise from upper right: ?, Martha Stewart, via The Scoop, Nonpareil Magazine, ?, ?, ?

Some of these monochrome tables are standouts in pink or green, while others are a little more subdued with layers of neutrals. A monochromatic setting can range from preppy (poolside with clean lines, as in the upper left) to classic (in white, grey, or gold) to casual (on the lawn with a dip-dyed ombre tablecloth). Although it's not the most practical look to recreate for multiple tables, the latter makes me intrigued by casual, nontraditional table settings like these:

clockwise from upper right: via Snippet and Ink, ?, ?, via Once Wed, wedding in Guatemala via Style Me Pretty

Would you go for a simple table setting for a wedding or would you choose something more unique? What about for a dinner party?