It’s no secret, table settings are my JAM. I love everything about the planning stages, getting creative & seeing the look of excitement on the guests faces when they first walk out to the table. So you can imagine my excitement when I recently spoke with Emma & Ella – the ladies behind @Centerpiece.eu about beautiful settings, freshly pressed napkins and how I wanted our onboard deco cupboard to take a turn to add more variety.
I was so taken about by our chat.
These two incredibly talented women, are on a mission to help as many stewardesses as possible with all of their interior needs. No hidden agenda to make your bill as big as possible, they simply find solutions for every individual interior teams needs. As you know I’m all for badass women helping one another strive. So thanks to the two of them, I decided to share something special below with you.
After our chat, @centerpiece.eu sent us a gorgeous box of interior goodies including decoration items, napkins & a table runner. The perfect lead up to our first Service Training session of the season. What better way to spend a Friday afternoon at work than learning more about table settings & napkin folds. Plus, it was the first time in ages that we had perfectly square, crisp, white napkins onboard – so it would be rude to not teach some folds!
I posted about it all on instastories & had an overwhelming response from Stew’s asking to see the Service Training Book I had put together. To be honest, I made this specifically for my current interior team and will probably change it based off of the girlies I am working with & the Owners as the years go on. All of that aside, I’m SO nervous and rather excited to share some of my training book with all of you.
If you would like me to share more of these sort of training tools let me know! xo
Table Setting 7 Step Guide
- Find out the basics
– Will the meal be inside or outside (Are candles allowed inside? Is the inside table smaller/different shape?)
– Is it going to be light or dark outside? (Will candles or additional lighting be needed?)
– Will it be windy outside? (If so, everything needs to be weighed down & close to the table – nothing too tall)
– Is there a theme with the food? (i.e. Asian, Mediterranean etc.)
– Is it a special occasion or a more casual affair? (Is it a birthday, Christmas, does the guest of honour have a favourite colour?)
– At sea, will it be rough? (Speak with the captain, make sure everything is quite heavy on the table if it’s going to be rough) - Choose your base inspiration.
– Is it the colour of the tulips in the pantry ready to be used?
– A blue coral vase in the cupboard?
– Green placemats?
– What are you super keen to try out on the table?
The base inspiration for this table was a wine decanter that he wanted to be used during wine service. Mr. had made the purchase while ashore in Cannes and wanted to show it off to his guests with a beautiful vintage wine. So I figured I would run with that idea & do a full on wine theme. The wine decanter sat beautifully on our wine station & the guests all ooh’d & ahh’d as we pour their wine.
FYI. Fake cherries next to candles are a no-go…oops!
- Colour.
From there, decide the colours that will best go with your chosen items. Below are some great colour combinations:
– Vivid yellow, orange & deep blue
– Vibrant blues with a soft yellow
– Black, white & gold
– Brown, cream & purple
– Black, teal, grey
– Neutral & gold
– Navy, cream & grey
– Gold, hot pink & white
– Lime green, yellow & neutrals
– Creams, lilac & soft pink
– Green & whites
– Yellow, purple & white
– Dark purple, grey & bronze - Pull your decoration pieces.
– Keep in mind height – will the guests have platters in the centre of the table and the decorations at the end?
– Is the meal plated with more room for decoration on the table?
– Are there enough guests that you need to add extra chairs to the table or add additional table pieces? - Florals.
Will it be one large arrangement or multiple smaller arrangements?
Are you going to leave the bunch loose in the vase, or tied together with floral tape/twine for a tighter bunch?
This gorgeous setting from last season was put together by my Second Stew Kate. We were hosting an afternoon tea & it was requested we kept the table colourful. Tropical blooms are just SO pretty! - Fold & press your napkins, pull the table runner and placemats. Always starch your napkin & press once it is folded – this will ensure it looks crisp on the table. Try and work with the most square napkin if possible, it makes it much easier when doing a fancy fold.
*Have anti-wrinkle spray available in the pantry to spray the table cloth/runner once it’s on the table. - Create a pre-meal set up on the pantry counter. This will act as your dress run to ensure you’re happy with every detail.
Does it look full enough?
Do you have rocks in your flower vases or are they heavy enough without them?
Do you need to add foliage to your floral arrangement?
Do the colours compliment each other?
After doing a run-through of this table, I knew it needed more & decided to quickly print out Menus. A minor detail that made a huge difference to the table! - Take a photo! Be proud of the setting that you have just created. Show the other girls, inspire them with your creativity!
Leave a comment on my instagram to let me know your thoughts on todays post!
Gem xx
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