Dinner parties are a fantastic way to gather with friends, enjoy good food and show off your hosting skills. The table setting design you present at your dinner party can help to set the tone for a party’s atmosphere or subtly reinforce a dinner’s theme. Aside from the traditional or expected table settings and decoration there are several unique choices hosts can make that will surprise their guests. The seasons are a good place to start when looking for table setting ideas.

Seasonal Inspirations

There are several creative and unique ways to incorporate seasonal inspirations into a table setting design. All four seasons can be easily represented in centerpieces, place settings and table accents.

The winter months are full of holidays that are perfect for inspiring dinner party table decorations. A creative idea for place cards that direct your guests where to sit during their meal is to pipe guests’ names onto gingerbread men and women. A handmade touch to a table setting is a great way to convey thoughtfulness and thanks to party goers for attending a party and make for a cute take-home favor. Holiday meal centerpieces should draw attention to the food and make for easy family-style service. To accomplish this, turn wide based clear glass vases upside down over an ivory pillar candle. Side dishes, pies and other food items meant for sharing can be placed on the upturned vases. This technique also allows for a dynamic centerpiece that features several different heights.

Autumn is the season of harvest and a dinner party table setting with a fall theme should express the rustic, earthy and hardy aspects that make fall such a beautiful and vibrant season. A trip outdoors is the best way to find great supplies for an autumn table setting. Bold and colorful fallen leaves can be placed between sheets of wax paper and pressed with an iron on low heat to preserve them. Once the preserved leaves are finished, they can be incorporated into a place setting in several ways. Hosts can carefully write guests’ names onto the wax layer and use the leaves as place cards or place the leaves around the centerpiece or place settings as accent pieces.

Hosts who love color and flowers in table settings will find their comfort zone in decorations inspired by the spring. Seasonal spring décor is focused on the rebirth of beautiful springtime flowers accented by pops of both vibrant and pastel colors. Spring is the best time to experiment with mixing and matching floral printed plates in dinner party place settings. Live or freshly picked elements are always appreciated by guests and can bring an aromatic element to party décor.

Summer table settings have the most potential for whimsical, fun and unexpected decorative elements. Similar to spring, summer is a seasonal theme well suited to bright, saturated colors and floral accents. Beach themed items, fresh fruit and nautical items can also be used in moderation to add a fun, unique touch to a place setting or center piece. To combine floral and ocean themed items in the center of a table setting use a large, washed seashell as a repurposed vase.