Insta and Pinterest might make tablescaping look easy, but believe us when we say there’s a real knack to this new art form. More than just napkins and name cards, styling an event is all about creating a feel – an atmosphere. But the question is, where do you even start?
Well, fear not, the dream team behind Nourish (the seasonal supper clubs redefining what it means to network in the wedding industry) spoke to Your Day to share all the tips and tricks they used for styling up their very first event at London’s Spring restaurant…
Was there a theme that guided your styling of the first Nourish event?
“For our launch and first-ever gathering, instead of choosing a particular theme, we decided that we wanted the aesthetics to embody the values at the heart of Nourish itself. We wanted to bring to life a room that spoke of seasonal, slow living – with nature-inspired styling elements.”
How did your styling bring this vision to life?
“Details around the room included wooden boxes in which to store phones away for an unplugged experience, thoughtful welcoming signage and even scent diffusers to capture the feeling of waking up on a spring day. The tables featured artisanal ceramics, hand-painted napkins, cosy lighting, fresh local blooms, sheer floral-embroidered table overlays and cards with considered questions (we called them “seed-planters” instead of ice-breakers, because we wanted them to be the beginnings of meaningful conversations).”
What was the inspiration behind the florals for the tablescapes?
“We partnered with the fabulous Flavia of Flavia Studio for the florals for our spring Nourish event, and she brought the concept to life perfectly! With the season of spring being so synonymous with flowers, we knew that our blooms would be a hero of the styling – and so it was really important to us to work with a floral designer who would embrace the seasonality, colour story, and the immersiveness of the event.”
“We asked her to create contemporary, blousy, dynamic arrangements for our tables – marrying the minimalism of Ikebana with the explosion of joy that is walking through a meadow of wildflowers during an English spring day. The colour palette we suggested was playful and lively, with touches of pink, peach, and yellow – and plenty of fresh greens too of course.”
Floral designer Flavia says, “For the florals, it was important to use all seasonal stems to work with springs finest ingredients. It is the best season after all! Sunset hues with cheerful pops of forsythia paired with iris, apricot ranunculus and the heavily scented lilac. We wanted to create interesting and playful shapes that would layer the design, and we did this by using different vessels and heights. Trailing jasmine and French tulips danced along the embroided tablecloth. Towering alliums for dramatic impact.”
Does Nourish have any tips for lighting an indoor venue?
“Our biggest tip for lighting indoor venues is to consider how the light will change as the sun moves and the afternoon turns to night. Think about which areas you want to highlight – for example, important entrances or walkways, where guests making speecehes will be standing, cool architectural features, or where the food and drinks will be! Lighting can be used really intelligently to accentuate specific areas and draw attention to them, which is particularly helpful if you’ve designed some special focal points in your design, florals, or furniture layout.”
“Three rules of thumb: warmer temperatures are more flattering when photographed than cool tones are, don’t make lighting decisions before visiting the venue in person at different times of day and, finally, you can never have enough candles.”
How did you use candlelight?
“When we first started imagining our first event – we envisioned filling the centre of the tables with the glow of candlelight, to add that little touch of magic and twinkle as the sunlight softened throughout the afternoon and evening. When we discovered that candle flame wasn’t allowed at our chosen venue – which many locations now enforce for completely understandable reasons of health and safety – we realised we needed to brainstorm something special as an alternative.”
“From experience, we know that LED candles and tealights can feel a little bit less organic and more practical than real ones, so we went on the hunt for a solution that would soften the glow while still being a beautiful accent for our tablescape. We fell in love with these delicate glass tealight holders from Mrs Alice, and so decided to purchase a large set of these – in pink for one row of tables and in yellow for the other – to light up our space in a way that was cosy and unique.”
How do you incorporate cake into the visual scheme?
“Besides being one of the most delicious and exciting parts of a wedding or celebratory feast, the cake is also edible art – a chance to delight and wow your guests with a thoughtfully considered design element that reflects your style and personality.”
Cake designer Vaani, founder of Sugarplum Bakes says and co-host of Nourish says, “whatever the size of the cake, whatever the design, making a feature of the cake is an opportunity not to be missed! If you’re going to the trouble of investing in a beautiful cake design, why would you then hide it away in a corner of the venue? I’d encourage people to really think about where their cake is going to be placed on the wedding day and bring it centerstage if possible, so that it can truly shine in the way that a showstopper of a cake deserves. Consider making it a focal point by incorporating flowers and candles to create a cake scene that will draw in your guests – and a cake vignette that won’t be forgotten.”
What part of a tablescape is often forgotten about?
“The key thing to remember is that your guests aren’t simply sitting at a table to eat – it’s a moment for deep conversations, for meeting new people and reconnecting with loved ones. Sitting at a dining table is a very sensory experience – so try thinking about the textures of the napkins and the tablecloths, the lines of the cutlery, the way the florals and crockery complement one another, or how the scent of the candles can emphasise the flavours of the menus.”
“Ask yourself: How can your stationery delight your guests in unexpected ways? What will they see at eye level? Is there space for them to put down their wine glass and sink comfortably into a chair? What will catch their attention in the semicircle of space immediately around them? Storytelling with a tablescape is a balance of beauty and practicality – it’s the way the colours, textures, and lines “feel” in harmony with one another. I would say that the thing that is sometimes forgotten about is that: every detail is part of that story.”
“If you’re overextending your budget to have really luxurious, specialist plates – but then having to opt for simple cutlery, candles, or napkins that don’t suit your style at all, that mismatch will be felt. Better to think of it as one big picture – one canvas of art – a vignette of elements that balance and speak to one another.”
How do you create intimacy?
“From a physical point of view, atmospheres can be made to feel cosier by playing with dim candleglow, seating area nooks, suspended florals and lighting just above eye level, immersive soundscapes – and much more. But creating intimacy for events isn’t just about the size of a space – it’s about the guest list, food, and design all feeling genuinely intentional. In the same way as when you host a single friend or family member for dinner at your house, you might go above and beyond for them in a really personal way – doing this for a larger group is what makes events feel truly intimate.”
Why did you choose these particular table layouts?
“With an intimate group of twenty-two diners, we chose to arrange the tables in two long rows – large enough that they felt convivial and social, but small enough that it wouldn’t be intimidating or challenging to connect with others. Sit-down, multiple-course plated meals like these can feel a bit stiff and static sometimes, so we decided to experiment with something a bit different: each person’s menu had a number – and we encouraged those with odd numbers to swap seats with someone else, in between courses.
“We loved creating table settings along each row that were complementary, but not identical, with a little bit of fun yellow and pink colour blocking, individual napkin designs, and little surprises too.”
Credits
Event Nourish Hosts The Stars Inside, Sugar Plum Bakes, Ink & Paper Photography Rachel Takes Picture Florals Flavia Studio Dining Room & Menu Spring
To find out more about Nourish, head to their website
Or for more planning inspo, head back to Your Day
