Tablescaping: Fresh flowers for a memorable dining experience

We’re marching towards summer, the season when entertaining friends, family and loved ones gets a whole lot easier. Socialising and parties are always on the agenda – great company, a beautiful spread of food, fine wines and, of course, a tablescape of party flowers to add the finishing touches.

Whether celebrating a special occasion, acknowledging a life milestone, or simply having an overdue get together, food plays major role. A delicious meal unites people, but sometimes you want the event to be even more special. With careful planning, coordination, and creativity, a floral tablescape transforms the table into an oasis of style and sustenance.

What is tablescaping?

Tablescaping refers to an Instagram trend of heavily decorated tables using freshly cut flower arrangements, candles, or other items - highly visual, creative, and utterly inspirational. Creating the perfect tablescape means the fine details collectively make a huge impact. Things to consider: the crockery and tableware being used, the location of the table, the lighting, the time of day your event is happening, and of course, how you are going to use flowers to dress the table.

Decorating a garden or dining table is no new idea. Table settings at a wedding for example, typically have table floral arrangements to match the wedding bouquet, but now it’s been adapted for the more casual everyday scenarios.

How to use flowers for tablescaping

At our Victoria Street florist (Christchurch), we have decades of experience crafting table top flowers for our clients, and offer you guidance for how to successfully use flowers for tablescaping:

·        Choose a theme and colour palette

The first decision to make is the theme and colour palette you wish to use. These are the foundation for the table display and gives direction to all your other decisions. From gorgeous jewel tones through to an elegant white bouquet, use the flowers to articulate the theme.

If you don’t have a theme? Enjoy the creative freedom but restrict the number of colours you use to two or three.



·        Big is not always better

The temptation is to go all out on floral arrangements and have large extravagant table top flower designs. For example, lily flower arrangements are incredibly beautiful, but unless you trim the stems right down, they hinder conversation between guests on the other side of the table. In our view, it is best to keep the arrangements low on the table, and a posy in a jar is a fantastic solution. If you want to add depth to your tablescape, place tall elements such as candles.

TIP: Always be mindful of how fragrant the flowers are – some have an incredible aroma which may play at odds with the food you are serving.

·        Embrace greenery

Table top flower arrangements are not limited to flowers. Incorporate foliage and greenery between the individual flower arrangements. This gives a really lush feel to your tablescape, an abundance of nature – a simple but highly effective addition.

You are more than welcome to visit us at Court Florist to see the flowers we have for inspiration and further guidance. You can order flowers to arrive in time for your special occasion or take advantage of the same day flower delivery (Christchurch) service. Whether you wish to create your own table top flowers, or would like us to craft them for you, we’re more than happy to help.