The more care you put into selecting the details for your wedding reception, the more gorgeous it will be. Sure you could just use the standard white china supplied by the caterer, but you have the chance to do so much more with your reception tables. These are some ideas for beautiful place settings for wedding receptions.

When decorating your reception tables, it is about so much more than just the centerpieces. The floral arrangements, table linens, china, crystal, and flatware all work together to create a harmonious tablescape with an intentional style. You can enhance the whole look of your reception by selecting place settings which complement the rest of the details in your wedding. Let’s say, for instance, that you were planning a romantic spring wedding, and that you planned to wear an organza gown with pearl earrings and carry a bouquet of pink flowers. The perfect place settings for your reception would be china with pink cherry blossoms painted around the rim, very delicate crystal stemware, and pink organza napkins with a fresh blossom set on each one.

For a very opulent reception style, look for place settings with rich colors, metallic accents, and substantial sized pieces. White china with a heavy baroque design around the rim in navy or burgundy with gold accents would be fabulous. Layer it over gold charger plates, and select heavy cut crystal glasses with gold rims. Even the flatware can be gold or silver with gold accents. Damask napkins rolled up and tied with gold tassels can rest on the plates. Use small gold stands to display menu cards. Rectangular ivory stationery with rounded corners, a gold edge, and black engraving would be perfect.

Many brides these days are designing their weddings to have more of an eclectic homey flavor. This can also be achieved with the right place settings. Rather than the customary matched collection, use an assortment of plates and glasses which complement each other but are not the same. To pull this off in a way that looks intentional, rather than just busy and disorganized, takes some practice. You could opt to have each place setting look the same, but to mix and match a few patterns of china for the chargers, dinner plates, and salad plates. Or find vintage shop treasures like individual place settings of white china with embossed designs (the color will be a unifying factor). A mismatched collection of antique tea cups is a nice addition to a garden wedding reception.

Sometimes a modern place setting can be fresh and appealing. Choosing square plates in heavy stoneware glazed in earth tones makes for a very chic table setting. Stemless wine glasses and flatware with a bamboo motif will be wonderful complements to an eco-chic wedding reception. A very light and pretty idea is to use clear glass plates instead of opaque ones. Round clear glass chargers with a pearl edge border are elegant but simple, and look lovely when the bride has chosen pearl earrings and a pearl necklace for her accessories. Add some interest to the clear glass place setting by using stemware in a pale color, such as translucent light blue. A linen napkin in a coordinating shade of blue topped with a single green orchid will complete the place setting beautifully.

With so many gorgeous options, it seems boring to use the standard white place settings for your reception. Even if you cannot afford to rent a lot of specialty pieces, you can give your tables a major style upgrade by layering an interesting charger under white china or by switching out clear wine glasses for colored ones. Use your imagination, and design place settings for your reception that will make the dinner tables stylish and inviting.

Author Bio: Bridget Mora writes for Silverland Jewelry about wedding planning, design, and etiquette. Treat yourself to pearl earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet from http://silverlandjewelry.com/ for your wedding or other special occasion. All jewelry orders over $99 receive complimentary shipping.

Category: Marriage
Keywords: pearl earrings, wedding receptions, place settings for weddings, wedding table decorations