Gorgeous, beautiful, and supremely "instagrammable": tablescapes are on the rise. Rather than concentrating solely on the artistry of the meals themselves, tablescapes serve up an entire table of food along with well-designed, themed table decor. Tablescapes are an immense and singular work of art, and while they take a lot of additional effort, they produce an incredible "wow" factor.
Here's everything you need to know about the biggest catering trend of the year.
What Exactly is a "Tablescape"?
A tablescape blurs the line between the decor and the food, making it so that the decorations and the food blend seamlessly into a specific theme. Seasons, colour-scapes, or the type of event may be used to create the designs. Tablescapes are so incredibly visually dramatic because the entirety of the table is a single art piece. Often, a single, large design is laced through the center of the table.
What Are the Advantages of a Tablescape?
Why are tablescapes becoming so popular? It's because they have a number of advantages over traditional, discrete catering services. Here are a few of the major advantages:
- Tablescapes help set the mood of the event. Considered, to be elegant, sophisticated, and classy, tablescapes become a part of the decor. With a well-designed tablescape, you barely need to decorate the rest of the venue. The tablescape becomes a centrepiece to the venue, and you can get away with less decor overall.
- Tablescapes are extremely shareable. If you're hosting an event that you want to be photographed and shared, tablescapes are perfect. Tablescapes set the scene, making for gorgeous pictures that will be the envy of many. This is perfect for an event that you want to be well-photographed and well-shared.
- Tablescapes are becoming very popular. Modern caterers are interested in designing tablescapes, and they've become quite efficient at it. A caterer is going to be able to make an excellent tablescape very quickly, thereby improving upon the event as a whole.
- Tablescapes immediately elevate an event. As they are considered to be very sophisticated, a tablescape can automatically elevate an event to something that is more professional, polished, and intriguing.
All of these advantages mean that a tablescape isn't just gorgeous in and of itself: it's also a shortcut for making the event as a whole better.
What Are the Challenges for a Tablescape?
As attractive as it is, tablescapes aren't without their challenges. There's a reason why an expert caterer is needed for a tablescape. Some challenges include:
- Not overcrowding the table. As there are designs and food on the table, it's important to still provide enough space for the diners.
- Creating a complete, thematic design. A design requires both art and utility, and it demands both aesthetic sense and experience.
- Providing high quality food. Food can't just be beautiful; it also has to be delicious. It's important that the taste still be prioritised over service.
All of these challenges can be adequately covered by the right caterer, but it highlights the importance of working with an experienced service.
Examples of Some Gorgeous Tablescapes
The best caterers will be able to produce a gorgeous, custom tablescape by seeing some examples of the type of tablescape that you're interested in. Here are a few examples:
- Seasonal tablescapes. These utilise the colours of the season, as well as fresh produce that is available that season. Often, a seasonal tablescape is going to feature accent pieces that relate to holidays that are within the season. Autumn tablescapes could feature oranges and browns, along with fall leaves, and the dishes may feature things such as citrus, wine, and cinnamon.
- Floral tablescapes. These use flowers and plants to decorate the tablescape, making a table that looks like a giant bouquet. Fresh cut flowers can be incorporated directly into the design, though care must be taken to not include heavily fragrant flowers that could potentially damage the taste of the food. Fresh flowers are perfect for light, bright, and airy events.
- Minimal tablescapes. These hyper-modern tablescapes make the food the focus, but still integrate the table into the design. Colour can be used to emphasise the food on a minimal tablescape, by making it greyscale and making the food really pop. Alternatively, only a few very simple items of decor could be used to surround the food, and emphasise it. This lends itself to fusion foods and small bites.
You can take a look at tablescapes on Pinterest and in design magazines for more information and inspiration, or talk to the experts at Laissez-faire Catering for table and tablescape design ideas. If you already have created a pinboard, you can show it to us to find out more about what possible design we can offer you.