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As well as making your wedding tables look really pretty - there are several wedding place setting essentials you need to include to ensure your guests can, you know, eat and drink.
THE WEDDING PLACE SETTING - WHAT EACH GUEST NEEDS
- Cutlery for each course
- Glassware (red wine glass, white wine glass, water glass, champagne glass - for toasts)
- Side plate & knife (if serving bread)
- Napkin
You'll also need room for bottles of wine and water on the table, salt, pepper and butter. If you'd like your plates to sit on colourful or metallic charge plates )the decorative plates that sit under food plates), then you'll also need one of those per guest. If you're having them, your favours will also sit alongside each guest's wedding place setting. It's likely that you'll have floral arrangements on the tables, candles, table numbers and potentially stands for serving platters too. If you can, do a trial run of your pieces so that you can ensure the space is used to perfection - you want the tables to look full, but not overcrowded. People still need room to eat and they need to be able to see each other over the decor!
THE PAPER PRETTY
Each guest will also need a place name and a menu card. Each table will need a table number or name so guests can find where they are sitting via the table plan or escort cards. One trend I'm loving at the moment is printing the menu on the linen napkin - it's such a gorgeous way to kill two birds with one stone.
Talk To Your Caterers
Obviously your wedding place setting will be guided by your caterers, your venue and what personal decisions you make as a couple over the food on your big day. Forgoing starters for canapes? You don't need starter cutlery or side plates. Serving shots of vodka to toast rather than champagne? The waiting staff can deliver these to the table post-dessert. You may decide that you adore the natural look of your tables so much, you don't want charger plates or runners. On the other hand, adding these may really help to bring your personal wedding style to your venue.
Wedding Place Settings Using Foliage
The trend that started a while back is showing no sign of stopping, probably because greenery is so bountiful, beautiful and striking. It keeps everything looking clean and is a great neutral base for other decor. Whether used as a runner down the centre of the table, as a pretty detail to tie a napkin or in pots and planters scattered in a natural style, foliage is always going to create a gorgeous impression. 
Wedding Place Settings With A Pastel & Metallic Colour Palette
Pastels and metallics are a match made in romantic wedding heaven. Play with different shade of metal in your cutlery, use plates and glasses with a gilded edge and throw candlesticks around like they're confetti. I'm adoring the use of shells in some of these setups, think mother of pearl sheen as your starting point and you can't go wrong. 
Rustic Wedding Place Settings With A Bright Colour Palette
We're big fans of the rustic wedding, but we also love colour and your tables are the perfect place to combine both of these elements. To create a real 'wow' moment for guests, contrast dark wood tables with brightly coloured napkins, keep florals in abundance - even if you can't buy large table arrangements, jars or tins of flowers are really easy to do yourself and will make the tables look inviting. Always add more candles, because more is more when it comes to a softly flickering flame. 
Break It Down
Styling your tables can feel overwhelming, but if you break it down into a list of things you need for each guest, then for each table - it will all come together with ease, I promise. And if you're struggling, talk to your suppliers, they do this every day and will be more than happy to help you. For the very best hire companies, stylists, wedding planners and caterers, you must check out our recommended supplier directory - The List. Happy planning everyone!
Written by Fern Godfrey
