Banquet Table Decorating

Banquets are a beautiful way to celebrate an event (e.g., the giving of an award) or to bring people together (e.g., a reunion). Usually, the venues for banquets are decorated, and because banquets involve food, the banquet tables receive a great deal of decorative attention. Approaching banquet decoration with a few simple guidelines in mind will help ensure the decorated tables look perfect. Does this Spark an idea?

Reason and Formality Level

Consider the reason for the banquet and the level of formality. Banquets can range from small parties for members of a particular committee to huge parties for entire graduating classes. For smaller, less formal venues, decorations can be more sparse, such as simply folding cloth napkins in elegant designs. The decorations should still convey the theme of the banquet, however. For instance, for a graduation banquet, the napkins could be in the school colors. For more formal venues, lean toward flowers, candles and reflective surfaces. These items are never out of style, can be personalized for the event (e.g., ten roses in vases for 10 years of service at a company) and give soft, multiplied light that is calming.

Guests

Take note of the number of guests. Although the decorations on banquet tables provide much in terms of atmosphere for the banquet, remember that the guests will be eating a meal at the table on which the decorations are placed. This means the more guests there are, the more sets of dinnerware necessary. The more place settings there are, the less room on the table there will be for the decorations. When the number of guests is large, use smaller decorations, such as a single vase of flowers, and do not crowd the place settings together to make room for whatever decorations you use. The decorations should not get in the way of the guests being able to eat the banquet dinner.

Season

Consider the season. The season can make a difference in what decorations are appropriate and available. For instance, if the banquet occurs in the spring, then there will be much more to work with in terms of flora. Similarly, if the banquet occurs near a holiday, such as Christmas, items such as holly or Christmas lights might be an option. The season also is important to consider due to the fact that it can affect the price of the decorations. Ordering lilac centerpieces in winter, for instance, is much more expensive than ordering them in the spring due to the fact that lilacs do not bloom in winter months.