Hosting your next soirée?
We spoke to professional party thrower, Rosanna Falconer, to get her five top tips to create a perfectly-dressed party table.
1. Keep it local
I try to use seasonal, local flowers wherever possible and that same palette rings in the changes for my table décor.
2. Own it
I always like to begin with a theme. It might be a motif - a peacock or flamingo - or a seasonal trend such as Harvest or Valentine’s Day. Any theme always has a personal twist to bring it round to my colourful, maximalist style.
3. Foundations first
I start with a white damask table cloth and spend a while ironing it and placing it perfectly straight. You need that foundation! Then comes the table runner - whether fabric or wrapping paper - this grounds the entire display.
4. A touch of romance
Height of any centrepiece is key. I want my guests to be able to talk freely across the table so the flowers shouldn’t interrupt this. On a table for 12 people, I work to three small displays perhaps with single bud vases dotted in between. Candles in votives and pillar candles add romance to the table.
5. The cards are on the table
I add a special touch to the table with trinkets and calligraphy. I often deck out my tables in on-theme accessories - feathered birds, animals, even sunglasses for each guest for a festival theme I hosted last Summer.