The great table debate
Ah, the anxiety of making a wedding reception floor plan for 200 guests. Sure, you’ve got a planner, but not everyone understands how your table shape impacts your floral plan. Let’s discuss:
How to fill a table
Let’s count.
Take a look at the image to the left and count how many elements went into this light, airy table- it’s more than you realize.
Once thing you have to understand is there’s a reason you’ve never saved a Pinterest photo of a rectangular table with 3 bud vases and nothing else. This has to do with the distance between a centerpiece and the edge of a table in any direction. For a 60” round, your guests are never more than 2-3 feet from the flowers. With a rectangle, the guests on the end are not only further away, but at an extreme angle. This is what contributes to an empty feeling in the reception space.
When working on a budget, we will use 3 bud vases or 1 bridesmaids bouquet paired with 2 bud vases as a centerpiece on rounds. For rectangles? Double it. If your budget is already feeling limited for your florals, a simple switch from rectangular to round can free up funds for a beautiful installation.
Size does matter
The size of your wedding is a huge factor in what your budget can accomplish. I can do a lot more with $5,000 for a 25 person wedding than a 225 person wedding.
The vibes
You know why you see photos of rectangular tables everywhere? They feel like a dinner party, they look stunning, and you can push them all together for a table of 50+ guests altogether. There really is no substitute for rectangular tables on a wedding- big or small. Every vendor I know prefers rectangular tables to rounds, and the industry in general is moving in that direction. No question about it, we love the look more.
CANDLES
Yes, you need candles.
No, you shouldn’t DIY.
Regardless of what you choose, always plan for candles to add at least 10-20% to your floral budget, but they’re critical to adding to the atmosphere of the day. At once relaxing and elegant, a taper in vintage candlesticks is always the move.
Don’t forget you can mix and match!
Unlike the bad bikinis of the 00s, mixing round and rectangles actually looks good. I always think a mix of centerpieces make a wedding look more intentionally designed and keeps the eye moving around the reception, and mixing table shapes can help you make that happen faster. When we include both rectangular and round tables to the reception, we nearly double the ways to flower ‘em up. Floral runners, centerpieces, loose greens, candle installations, hanging installations, bud vases, garlands, stacked fruit elements…you name it. Perfect for the eclectic couple, mixing can also allow you to reap the benefits of both table shapes in a way that works for you.
Mixed up
Lush rounds, airy rectangles, great all around.
