Wedding Place Setting Inspiration | Texas Wedding Planner + Designer Epoch Co+
When designing your wedding day decor, tablescapes and place settings can truly make an impact on your overall big picture. Your wedding investment (aka budget) along with the time of day and meal catered will determine the place setting options available to you. Whether it is a classic and simple waterfall napkin with a place card for a brunch style buffet, or a full out custom stoneware place setting with crystal stemware, pattern play napkins for a full plated meal with table side wine service - having something at each individual seat will elevate your event, add to your overall color palette, theme and vibe, allowing everything to look cohesive and polished. Below is a collection of place settings ranging in styles, budgets and color palettes that we have styled and designed at reception tables to help inspire your own wedding day decor and tabletops!
Wedding Place Setting Inspiration
A simple place setting with flatware and a napkin is ideal for those who might be offering a buffet style dinner. This is where guests would get their plates in the buffet line, before making their way through where it is either self-served (guests serve themselves) or portion control is managed and served by the catering team.
Photos by Allison Jeffers Photography
One step above the napkin only is adding a simple china plate or charger - again, this is deal for those doing a buffet or where the catering team is provided a plated meal or pre-set salad. This elevates the place setting and creates another decorative element across the tables.
We have also done buffet dinners where there is a pre-set charger and dinner plate. Guests are then asked to take their dinner plate to the buffet line for dinner. While it is not ideal, it does help check the box for those wanting a pinterest worthy tablescape.
We have all seen the elevated, fully plated place settings in some of our favorite images across Pinterest. There are two scenarious where place settings like these come into play.
Option 1 - family style meal - this is where large portions of the meal are served to each table with serving utensils, and guests can serve themselves from those options - this would be similar to your holiday meals with families and usually a fond memory for couples who wish to carry of this vibe into their wedding day dining experience.
Option 2 - plated meals - typically the place settings are set our for photos, but then one of two things happen. Either the catering team replaces the plates as they serve the course, or the items are bussed after photos before guests are seated to be served on. We have had where couples wanted beautifully curated place settings, and then as catering comes out with the first course, the first plate is replaced with the caterers china, or a duplicate rented salad plate, and then when the salad is bussed, they take the salad plate and the pre-set dinner plate. The next course is either served on the caterers china, or again, a similiary rented duplicate. This will ultimately be determined by your budget, catering team and staff available to accommodate pictures prior and the timing needed for the dishes to officially be ready for use.
