Easter Tablescaping
Hatching Your Easter Tablescape
EASTER TABLESCAPING IDEAS FROM FORTNUM'S
Looking to host your own spectacular seasonal feast this Easter? Well, while we know how daunting a task that can be, there's no need to fret - Fortnum's, as always, is here to lend a helping hand. Over the years, the table setting has become just as crucial to dinner party success as the food you serve.
That's why we've consulted our tablescaping expert Elizabeth Cocozza, and drawn together all the best tips to make sure your Easter feast goes smoothly this season. Here are our favourite pointers for the perfect tablescape.
Picking the Perfect Palette
Decide on your colour scheme, be it tonal or a hybrid of Easter hues and work to balance the table, using a mixture of crockery, pretty linens and flowers, says Elizabeth. Start by deciding on the type and colours of the flowers you would like to use. If you choose to stay with one colour, such as soft pink roses, complement the rest of the table with contrasting shades, such as Eau de Nil - a wonderful colour, we think you'd agree - powder blues or soft spring greens. Mix and match the plates and glasses to work with the total look.
Opt for a bold and beautiful tablecloth to add texture and depth. This can make or break a tablescape. For Easter, choose a pretty green or soft pastel shade and complement it with contrasting flowers in pretty Easter tones. Alternatively, go for a bright floral spring-inspired print and mix it with more classic table settings. For a more minimal Scandi style table, try using large raffia chargers or a woven table runner to highlight your centrepiece.
Creating the Centrepiece
Try folding a linen napkin in two diagonally, then tying it with string or ribbon around a painted or chocolate egg, for a fun Easter 'bunny ears' effect, Elizabeth advises. Small details like this really help achieve the wow factor for your lunch guests. Play around with napkins and placement cards, using string, single stem flowers or velvet ribbons.
Make the centre of your table the focus of your setting. Using soft pale green foliage, scattered with coloured eggs, is an effective, less expensive alternative to flowers. Also adding decorative tiny Easter chicks in between the greenery is a great way to add interest and fun to your tablescape. Decorative coloured glass candlesticks are also a gorgeous modern look for a centrepiece. If it’s an evening supper, opt for tiny tea lights scattered down the centre of the table. This will immediately add to the beauty and atmosphere of the table.
Chocolate or raffia Easter bunnies dotted amongst a centrepiece of flowers and beautiful vases help to decorate a stunning Easter table. Continue the theme by adding a chocolate favour to a side plate as an extra special treat. Or use natural string to tie a little chocolate bunny to the centre of your napkin, as a novel alternative to a traditional napkin ring.
Add height to the overall table aesthetic, with tapered candles, placed in slim gold candlesticks. Decorate with coloured glass vases and beautiful long-stemmed floral arrangements. Be careful to arrange your place settings, so that the candle height sits between the place settings so that your guests can still speak to each other across the table.
The Final Flourishes
Individual favours, as simple as a tiny nest of chocolate eggs, add that little spark of magic to any table setting. Try to think outside the box and create something unique for your table. A monogrammed egg (self-painted) with your guests' initials is always a lovely treat for a special Easter occasion.
Placement cards, in matching colours or themes to your table setting, will give a warm and thoughtful welcome to your Easter lunch guests. It also makes it easier when seating. There are many gorgeous placement holders in a variety of colours and designs to help get you thinking creatively. Tucking them neatly at the top of a beautifully folded napkin will look very smart and give a more uniform table aesthetic.
For a stylish finishing touch, tie muted velvet ribbons, around loosely draped napkins or around your cutlery sets and display on top of your plate collection. China is so important and a colourful plate design can add such a special accent to any table. Easter is a time to experiment with an assortment of beautiful crockery, especially those painted with bunnies. Adding a single stem, flower, rose head or a few soft petals scattered on each napkin is also another way to add the stunning last touch to your Easter tablescape.