It is only 47 days until the official start of fall, and that means the whirlwind season of the entertaining ‘family and friends gathered around a table’ holidays is just around the corner.  This incites panic in some and joy in others.  I love any excuse to entertain, so holidays that are centered around food are some of my favorites!

Whether you are in the panicked or delighted category, some simple advance planning can make the whole experience happier and less stressful for everyone. So, let’s break down what makes for an elegant table and a great experience for you and your guests.

The essence of hospitality is making your guests feel welcome and pampered, and a large part of the hospitality experience is the setting – we experience an event with all our senses and food served in an attractive manner and setting not only tastes better, it also invites us to slow down and enjoy the moment and the company.

I’m not promising that a beautiful table will have your guests asking for seconds on the kale and turnip salad OR that weird Uncle Arthur won’t tell the same questionable jokes as he did at the last holiday dinner, but a pleasant atmosphere can help make all those things more tolerable.

It can be easy to entertain elegantly and you don’t necessarily have to cook – I happen to love to cook, but knowing where to BUY the best selections for your menu is just as good as knowing how to make them, and I will often buy the things I don’t have time to make rather than sacrifice the opportunity to entertain.

Presentation is everything.  SO, now that you can stop stressing over having to turn into Martha Stewart or Ina Garten to invite anyone over, lets talk about the table.

The key ingredients are:

1. Serving Pieces

   Yes, unless you are plating the food in the kitchen onto individual guest plates, you should transfer your food onto/into serving dishes…this includes drinks and condiments - “Mabel, Mabel strong and able, keep your labels off the table”... I know, I know, that isn’t how it traditionally goes, but it IS one of the variations at our house! The exception to this rule would be wine…that bottle is totally allowed on the table!

2. Dishes, Glassware, and Flatware

   Mixing it up is far more interesting than matched sets. Much like the suites of furniture that have gone by the wayside in favor of a more collected and curated look, sets of dishes can and should be inter-mixed with other patterns.

   I reuse the same basic glassware and flatware, but change up which dinner plates, salad plates, bread plates, and bowls I use depending on the color and theme I want. If I had unlimited storage, I would undoubtedly expand my dishware obsession further - as it is, I am the Houdini of dish storage and have shoehorned an amazing amount of it into my not so very large house!

3. Table Linens

   This includes tablecloths, runners or placemats, and napkins. A variety of colored or patterned napkins are easy to store. I prefer cloth napkins for dinner parties, but will concede to pretty paper napkins for larger gatherings and buffets, or cocktail parties.

   Tablecloths are very practical and pretty protection for the table (and don’t forget to add a table pad underneath), but I often use napkins or a series of table runners as placemats instead.

   You don’t have to run out and buy new table linens - with a little creative thinking, you probably have something around your house that will work. I’ve used bandanas, linen pillow cases , and tea towels as stand-ins for placemats, and flat sheets, square scarves, or bed coverlets as impromptu tablecloths?!

4. Decorations

   This might include centerpieces, candles, plants or flowers, charger plates, place cards, napkin rings…all the extras that define the mood. The possibilities are endless!

   I have at least 6 different styles and colors of charger plates and they are one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to make a place setting look special.

   Place cards can mark seating for your guests, or have quotes printed on them…or serve as pretty labels identifying the foods on a buffet table. If your penmanship is less than stellar, print the text on clear address labels on your printer and stick them onto the decorative placecards.

Setting an elegant table uses the same principles as designing a room – an awareness of scale, color, shape, and texture are some of the important elements.

Here are a few favorite tabletop selections I’ve found (click on each image for details):

 *Please note that this page contains affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase, I might make a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Happy Entertaining!

Other posts you might enjoy:

Casual Elegant Entertaining, Inspiration and Ideas

Setting a Beautiful Table

A Casual Elegant Brunch

A Virtual Cocktail Party Event

For the others posts in this series, click the links below:

PART 2: Entertaining Essentials

PART 3: Mix-and-Match Dinnerware

PART 4: The Art of the Buffet

PART 5: Easy Elegant Centerpieces