I wanted the table to feel cozy and fun. I decided to use red and aqua as my main colors, but tie in some browns to try to keep it from looking to much like Christmas. I set up the table in my friend, Susan’s, back yard as it was the perfect setting for a rustic “wedding”. I had to have an old picnic table to do this and hers is perfect. I know finding picnic tables in multiples for a wedding is near impossible, so a lovely white hemstitched tablecloth will work perfectly for this design too. Use a picnic table for just the head table if you can.
In order to feel more folksy and rustic I wanted no matching dishes, but I still wanted to keep a hint of elegance, so I chose to dress it up with matching glassware and vintage (looking) bone handled flatware. I brought in the holiday kitsch by using cookie tins for the arrangements and red paper doilies separating the 2 plates. The napkins are sewn by me using scraps of muslin and stitched with red thread, and the flatware casually tied up with ripped pieces of muslin or festive ribbon. The animals triple as wedding favors (as they are tree ornaments), place card holders and instant joy! These animals were the inspiration for the creekside aspect of the table top and of course the quirky part!
My original plan for the flowers was to force paperwhite bulbs and display them with the roots and bulbs showing in small jars scattered across the table. However, as things don’t always go as planned the flowers didn’t bloom in the time that was mentioned on the bag of bulbs(FYI 3-4 weeks until bloom really means 5-6 weeks, but when they are blooming they stay blooming for a good 2 weeks so with proper planning this can be done for a wedding and is really cheap) Fortunately this happy hiccup made me do some quick thinking and this is where the flowers in holiday cookie tins came to mind. In fact it was a nice blessing in disguise, as it add to the holiday theme but in a subtle way. I was still able to include some paperwhites in the arrangements.
• Dishes- Large white dishes are a mix from the ¢99 Store, Ross, and World Market: Price range .99- $5.99
Small patterned dishes from the sale section at Anthropologie and Crate and Barrel: Price range $1.95-7.95
• Glassware- Etched short stemmed champagne flute from Anthropologie: Price $12 each
Hobb knobbed short drinking glass from Anthropologie: Price $8 each
Tiny etched port glass: vintage from my grandmother’s collection.
• Flatware- Bone (actually acrylic) handled is from my own kitchen but can also be purchased at Target and also rented.
• Table Runner- kinda a grassy jute burlapy fabric(?) from Pottery Barn: Price $29
• Party animals- Tree ornaments from Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn: Price $5.50-7.95 each.(they are on sale now)
• Name tags are letterpress by me for gift tags.
• Flowers- All the arrangements are done by me.
-The hydrangea and rosemary are from my garden.
-The Kale, Pepper Berries, Wax, Anemone(poppies), paperwhites, and a white Statice filler flower were all
purchased from the Los Angelos Flower mart open to the public.
-Price for all flowers $27 – This made 3 tin table arrangements, bouquet, 2 boutonnieres, with extra to fill
2 jars for hot cocoa table.
• Ribbon, fabric, and buttons- Joanne fabrics: Price $10
• Cookie Tins- small 4″ inch diameter from Michael’s Craft store: Price $2.99 each
• Back yard goodness is my friend Susan Moffet,who is part of a fabulous garden design team, Sea of Green.
Images are by my husband, Erin de Jauregui, of Paloma Images and myself.
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