A beautiful centerpiece can look great when it’s in your hands, only to fail miserably when it’s on the table. Most issues arise once guests are seated. Tall vases can hide faces and wide trays make plates feel tight. Candles may sit too close to napkins, or greenery can intrude onto the plate space. Good party styling isn’t just about making the table look beautiful ahead of time; it’s also about leaving room for food and conversation.
Start with the actual space available on the table. Lay out everything you’ll need during the meal, plates, glasses, napkins, silverware and food dishes, before deciding what will make it beautiful. This step doesn’t offer the excitement of arranging ribbons and ornaments, but it keeps the table centerpiece from taking over. Sometimes a narrow table runner, small tray or a few small vases are more useful than a big table display if you’re having a full meal on this table.
Next, watch the height. Centerpieces can certainly have height variation. The tallest items, though, shouldn’t be right in people’s line of sight across the table. Lanterns, flowers, tall candles and tall branches work better if you tuck them at the end of the table or keep them narrow enough that people can look past them. A centerpiece can be more comfortable for guests at table if you use lower elements at the middle area, such as battery candles, small ornaments, stems of greenery, pinecones, loops of ribbon or a low bowl filled with seasonal touches.
Assemble the centerpiece arrangement from the middle out. Start with the runner or fabric strip you’re using, then add a centerpiece base, such as a tray, lantern, small wreath or low vase. Add the textures you want from greenery, ribbons or matte ornaments. Then, introduce light from battery candles or carefully placed candle holders. Don’t feel the need to add to the edge. It leaves the centerpiece and surrounding area more open. It also makes the table feel more relaxed and highlights the centerpiece design more effectively.
A common beginner issue is not knowing when the centerpiece design has enough elements. It can be tempting to use all the decorative pieces available. Shiny ornaments, soft ribbons, festive paper elements, florals, greenery and holiday lights all feel so pretty. Don’t add one of each piece. Instead, use the materials in the table centerpiece a little bit at a time. If the centerpiece already has greenery and gold ornaments, the centerpiece might need to feature just a gold ribbon. Or if it has candles and glass, it might be better off with fewer shiny accents.
You’ll also want to keep safety in mind when you design your centerpiece table setting, rather than after you complete it. Keep flames away from loose fabric, loose greenery or paper place cards, or ribbon ends. For a table where people will be moving things back and forth, such as a holiday dinner table, battery candles are easier to use than candles on stands. Make sure your glass items are stable and you’re not running a cord across a food area, or your smaller ornaments will accidentally roll onto plates. If you’re having young children or cats around the table, use lower, sturdier centerpiece pieces, rather than ones that are taller and lighter.
Before you call the table centerpiece complete, sit in one seat and look all the way across the table. Then take one element away from the centerpiece and look across the table again. Removing a single piece will often give you a better sense for whether you’re just decorating the table, or if the centerpiece is actually creating the holiday feel. A good table centerpiece will allow people to notice the overall color scheme, warm lighting and festive textures without feeling a need to lean or squeeze their way past the center of the table to have a conversation.