Skip to content 
Weddings are the perfect way to gather friends and family and celebrate the beauty of love. In addition to how lovely the bride’s dress was or how great the food tasted, guests will also be amazed – or underwhelmed – by your decorations. The following are some ideas for table arrangements that will be sure to wow your guests, and make your wedding one to remember – in a great way.
The Type of Table Counts
Your traditional wedding will have round 8-12 seat tables scattered through the seating area of your venue, with the dance floor tucked in the middle. While many couples still opt for this timeless look, some venues require a different layout or table format – and some couples opt for a different look as well.While the majority of this guide will focus on the large, round table style, here are some ideas for arrangements for non-traditional tables.
Banquet Tables
Also called farm tables, these are long, rectangular tables that have the guests sitting facing each other. Many couples will choose to have a light or dark tablecloth over the table with a contrasting runner going down the middle. The options for your table runner are endless, and can certainly make an impression! Some couples will choose a rich gold or shining silver that can lay over virtually any tablecloth but still add a touch of elegance. Others will choose a runner that matches a theme, like a burlap runner for a country-chic wedding.
If you choose a fabric for your runner, you can still place things on top of it in regular intervals like flower arrangements, candles, and other decorations. Some couples, however, opt for an entirely different style of runner. You can bunch short groups of flowers together, and place them in a straight or wavy pattern down the middle of the table. You can do the same with candles and other decor pieces.
Small Tables
Rather than having all the guests seated together at banquet tables or having large, round tables, some couples will opt for a more intimate feel with smaller tables that only sit 4-6 people. If you’re having a smaller wedding this may be a consideration, but even large weddings can create a small feel by spreading their guests out.
A smaller table means less space for decor, but you can still wow your guests with gorgeous flower arrangements, a bold lantern or birdcage, or even a smattering of smaller candles or buds. Since there are fewer people at each table, you do want to be mindful of the size of your centerpiece. If you make it too large, you block communication across the table. This can take your seating from intimate to stuffy, so try to find a design that still allows all members of the table to participate in conversation.
Round Table Arrangement Ideas
Round tables continue to be the most popular wedding table style, and the following are arrangement ideas for these tables that will elevate your wedding’s decor:
Floral
Everyone thinks of flowers when they think of weddings, and flowers are one of the most popular centerpiece choices. Flowers are wonderful to decorate with because they come in all manner of petal designs and colors. Choosing flowers that match or compliment the colors of your wedding is a simple yet effective way to make your table arrangements shine.
If you choose to have a large arrangement in the middle of the table, you can elevate the bouquet on a tall stand for a bold statement piece. This gives you space for smaller flower bunches or candles below, and gives your guests the ability to see each other across the table. You could also choose a low, expansive flower arrangement that similarly gives your guests line of sight.
Instead of a traditional stand for the flowers, some couples will choose to place their flowers in a more decorative holder like a birdcage or an empty lantern. Other couples opt out of having a single centerpiece, and instead choose to have multiple smaller arrangements spread across the table. You can mix flowers with candles or other decorative pieces, and still fill the table with elegance.
Lights
You know what makes a statement? Walking into a reception space that is filled with soft candlelight. With the recent advancements in flameless candles, you can achieve that same flickering, dancing glow without the added heat or fire hazard. By arranging different levels of candles around each other and the table, you can create both an incredible table piece and an ethereal atmosphere for your wedding.
Candles aren’t the only way you can use lights in your table arrangements. Fairy lights can be threaded through and around flower arrangements or other table features, shaped crystals can be lit from below to cast breathtaking patterns and shadows, and lanterns can have patterns cut into their sides to create similarly beautiful designs with light.
Themed
The decor you choose is ultimately what drives the theme of your wedding. Some couples will only choose a color scheme, while others will choose a more concrete theme like forest/nature, country, gothic, bohemian, or nautical.
If you’re choosing to have a themed wedding, adorn your tables with decoration pieces that highlight that theme. You can use tree slices as chargers or bases for your other decorations if you’re doing a nature theme, and you can use light, delicate moss as a nest for your candles, flowers, etc. For a country wedding, you may choose to have milk cans as your water pitchers or have wagon wheel halves or other rustic pieces as your main centerpiece.
Don’t be afraid to style your centerpiece and table decor to match your theme and aesthetic, even if it’s non-traditional. Stack a few books under your main flower arrangement. Have a large, black spider web under each of your plate settings. Use seashells to bring the beach to your wedding. Get creative, and bring your theme to life.
No Centerpiece
You don’t have to have a single stand-out piece for your tables. You can still create a timeless, beautiful, and memorable table arrangement without a centerpiece. As discussed, you can take smaller, shorter flower arrangements or even succulents and place them all over the table. Combine this with some votive candles or themed decoration pieces, and you have an eye-catching table arrangement that does not need a large centerpiece.
There are any number of ways that you can arrange your tables for your wedding, and the opportunities are only limited by your imagination. Whether you’re aiming for a specific theme, want a large centerpiece to captivate your guests, or simply want to highlight your wedding’s colors, you have the opportunity to make your wedding decor one to remember.
