Stationery Help: Table Plans
Table Plans can often cause a bit of stress, so I thought I’d bring together a little blog post to explain where to start, some Table Plan options, and I’m also going to have a little chat about creating flexible table plans if you’re worried about COVID affecting your wedding day.
So firstly, what are Table Plans?
Table plans tell your guests where to sit to eat. They are usually split into sections, with each section representing a table. You can also list guests in alphabetical order, next to which you’d list their table number.
Do we have to have one?
If you’re having allocated seating, then it’s advisable to have a table plan so that your guests aren’t rushing around trying to find their names on the tables. If you’re asking guests to sit wherever they’re comfortable then you don’t need one – though this isn’t always feasible as your caterers need to know who is eating which meal and what table they’re on!
How do we decide who sits where?
You know your guests best! It’s always nice to have at least one person on the table that someone knows, or, if a guest is coming to your wedding alone have a think about if you have a friend or relative that you think they’d really get on with and pop them next to each other.
What kind of Table Plans are available?
Every stationer will have a different range of Table Plans – at Pigment + Paper we use either board (usually A2 or A1 in size – 420x594mm or 594x841mm), fabric hangings, or separate pieces per table which can be arranged really beautifully at your venue.
Should we have Table Numbers or Names? How do we name them?
This is completely personal preference – for ease, you can go for numbers.
If you have a theme to your wedding or you have a strong interest/hobby as a couple you could name the tables after those (perhaps different wildflowers, books, films, animals, places you’ve been etc.) We can even illustrate each of the items, and you can have corresponding table names.
Do you do fabric table plans?
We do, we do fabric table plans and signage. They can be up to 1m square. They can be printed on a range of fabrics and are printed with eco-inks.
We think we’d like separate pieces for each table, how shall we arrange them?
There are so many simple (and not so simple!) ways to arrange table plan pieces – you can use props such as window frames, benches, or crates, you could even talk to your florist and see if you can nestle them amongst flowers and make a beautiful feature of them. If you have a stylist it’s worth working through ideas with them as the individual pieces can be really striking when thoughtfully arranged.
Think outside the box! Here they’ve been styled by Kirsten at the Wedding Helper onto a bench – how gorgeous does this look? Photographed by Faye Taylor at Pauntley Court, floristry by Clementine Moon Floral Design.
You can even pin them to a wall, or onto an entrance door. If you’d like to prop them onto an easel, the separate pieces can be mounted onto a board using wax seals for a really luxurious touch.
If your venue has a feature, you can make use of that (with their permission). You’ll see below that we dangled the table plan pieces off some racking on a stone wall at The Mule Shed so that guests would see it as they walk towards the dining hall. The second photograph has the pieces pinned to a beautiful wooden door, and the third image has the pieces attached to a bare plaster wall.
How do we start designing them?
Each of our Collections have a corresponding Table Plan, which can be customised in terms of colour and format (fabric, board, separate tables) free of charge. It’s just deciding which to go for!
Alternatively, you can go for a bespoke table plan – if you have ideas of what you might like to include, just send us an email and we can put together some sketches and a quote for you.
How much notice do you need to create a table plan?
For bespoke designs, we need as much notice as possible as we’re booked up months in advance. If you’re having a table plan from one of our Collections then we’d ideally need around 4 weeks. If you’d like to wait until as close to the wedding as possible, 2 weeks before the date is the latest we’d leave it to send it to the printers. We would need to have designed it before this, so please book in as soon as you’ve decided you’d like us to create it for you (even if a year in advance)!
How can we create a flexible table plan to allow for changes due to COVID?
Something that we’ve done before is printed each guest name on separate pieces of card, and then arranged the names onto a board under table name titles. This means that you can change the guest list right up to the day of the wedding just by putting out the names of guests who are going to attend. We try to be as flexible as possible so do get in touch if you’ve ideas of ways you’d like to create a flexible table plan.
What else do we need for the tables?
Importantly, you’ll need the corresponding table number/name, so that once guests know which table they are seated at, they can find it! You will also need name cards, these can however be combined with favour packaging if you’d prefer (for example, personalised gin bottles, personalised boxes for edible favours). You might also like to have menus – these can be one per guest, or they can be put in the centre of the table.
I really hope this has helped, but if you do have any questions just contact us and we’ll do our best to help! Take care and thanks for reading!
A huge thank you to all the photographers and suppliers who have taken the photos or been part of them, I have listed and linked to each below.
Photography: Dearest Love Photography, Che Birch-Hayes Photography , Faye Taylor Photography, Siobhan Beales Photography | Styling: Wedding Creations UK, Wedding Helper UK, Dress to Impress by Julie | Floristry: Vervain Floral Design, May Rose Floral Design, Clementine Moon Floral Design | Stationery: Pigment +Paper | Cakes: Hannah Culley’s Cakes
Burton Court Styled Shoot
A few weeks ago I took part in a wonderful shoot at Burton Court organised by Lou at May Rose Floral. It was full of the loveliest suppliers in the most gorgeous setting.
Burton Court is the most fantastic venue – the walls full of treasures and beautiful antique pieces. It was the perfect backdrop for Lou’s vision of a textured and tactile shoot.
Kerri & Jim of Dearest Love Photography were an incredible team, capturing everything so beautifully, and have kindly supplied all of the photographs in the blog post below.
There were so many interesting rooms in the house that we were spoilt for choice in terms of backdrops to use.
We used the entrance hall for Claire’s gorgeous cake table, decorated by Lou with flowers. The sweeping staircase is just ahead, decorated again by sprigs of dried flowers.
Inside the main hall was an intricately carved fireplace, which became the centre for Lou’s incredible arrangements. We used a woven screen to display my linen table plan as we wanted to have as much tactility and texture as possible.
Claire’s cakes were so striking against the walls, and she had added the most intricate hand-painted details.
Talking of texture, Stephanie Kyles Bridal designed and created the feathered wedding dress which fitted Emogene perfectly. Chris wore a tweed three-piece suit from Bill Child’s Formal Wear.
Amy Bemand worked her magic on the hair for the photoshoot, making a great duo with Sam from Indulge Beauty and Make Up. They worked with a couple of different styles as the Bridal outfit changed to a more casual hat decorated by Lou’s flowers and a jacket customised by Steph.
In the Garden Room we set up a table in the gorgeous warm sunshine. Dressed to Impress by Julie did the styling, May Rose Floral designed some really unique hanging displays and dressed the tables with stems. I supplied the menus and name cards, all printed onto Khadi paper and foiled by hand with gold to pick up on the gold cutlery. We used stems of grass to add texture to each place setting.
Elizabeth Terzza bought her beautiful botanically inspired jewellery to adorn the bride, groom, and our flat-lays. They were the perfect addition, and were stunning pieces. Emogene and Chris both wore several items – we loved Chris’ pine cone cufflinks. I adore the large necklaces so used those as much as possible in our flat lays…!
Kerri & Jim are amazing, we couldn’t believe how efficient they were – snapping away to capture everything before we’d even realised they were there. An absolute dream team.
It was such a great day, thank you so much to everyone – especialyl Lou for creating such a great shoot. A huge thank you to Burton Court for hosting us! As always, I will link all of the suppliers below.
Venue: Burton Court | Floristry & Planning: May Rose Floral Design | Photography: Dearest Love Photography | Model: Emogene Mullis and Chris Burch | Stationery: Pigment + Paper | Bridal Wear: Stephanie Kyles Bridal | Hair Stylist: Amy Bemand Hair | Make Up Artist: Indulge Beauty and Make Up | Wedding Cake: Couture Cakes by Claire | Styling: Dress to Impress by Julie | Jewellery: Elizabeth Terzza | Suits: Bill Child’s Formal Wear
Brinsop Court Styled Shoot
Back in June, Olivia’s Wedding Planning gathered lots of suppliers together for a styled shoot at Brinsop Court, Herefordshire. Olivia gave us the brief of ‘Modern Boho’, with a gorgeous muted colour palette and hints of gold.
It was a day filled with sunshine, pampas grass, and Brinsop as the most incredible backdrop.
The lovely Priya from SORRISO Wedding Photography photographed the day, and has given permission for me to write a little blog post featuring her beautiful images.
Model Anna was styled by Hilary Read Hair & Make-up and Make up by Jenni Moran. Jenni created two make-up looks: the first with neutral tones and strong eye make-up, and the second with a gorgeous pop of colour in the lipstick. Hilary worked her magic with two different head-pieces – one a flower crown by Issy and Bella, and a gorgeous wirework piece by Designed to Sparkle.
Anna wore three different outfits: a dress, separates, and a jumpsuit – all of which were supplied by Georgina Louise Bridal. They each had such intricate detailing in the lace, buttons, and applique.
The table styling was centred around a colour palette of soft pinks, greeny-blues, and creams with little glimmers of gold. The floral centrepiece was created by Issy & Bella, and it was styled by Olivia.
I used my Contemporary Venue Studio Collection as a base, and then illustrated Brinsop Court to head the handmade Khadi paper. Matched with a blush envelope to pick up the main colour, and edged with some gold foil to catch the light, they looked gorgeous on the table next to a sprig of foliage.
The name cards were finished with some botanically-dyed organic cotton ribbon from Naked Dye.
Vic’s Vegan Bakes made the most incredible cake, decorated with flowers and foliage. It was just the perfect pop of colour and bought everything in the dining room together.
I made a little sign on the handmade Khadi Paper, saying ‘How sweet it is to be loved by you’ to go next to the cake, and Made by Little Chipp created some lovely hand-written wooden boards.
Designed to Sparkle created the most delicate wirework pieces that looked fantastic in Anna’s hair (and ears!) They were full of beautifully created golden leaves, formed into a crown and matching earrings.
Issy & Bella’s textural creations bought everything together so well – from the structural displays outside to the table dressing and floral crown. The pampas grass was such a romantic touch, which worked so well with Priya’s photography style. The bouquet was full of incredible shapes, a mix of dried flowers and fresh blooms.
Ruffe Media was also on hand making a video of the day, (with the most amazing camera!) and was very patient as we were asking him to follow the baby geese! I can’t wait to see the footage.
It was such a lovely day in the sunshine, thank you so much to Olivia for asking me to be involved, and to everyone for creating such a lovely environment. And a huge thank you to Brinsop Court for hosting us! As always, I will link all of the suppliers below.
Venue: Brinsop Court | Styling & Planning: Olivia’s Wedding Planning | Photography: SORRISO Wedding Photography | Videographer: Ruffe Media | Model: Anna | Stationery: Pigment + Paper | Bridal Wear: Georgina Louise Bridal | Hair Stylist: Hilary Read | Make Up Artist: Make Up by Jenni Moran | Wedding Cake: Vic’s Vegan Bakes | Florist: Issy & Bella | Accessories: Designed to Sparkle | Wooden Signage Boards: Made by Little Chipp
Lyde Court's Summer Wedding Showcase
Walking in from the cold, slightly soggy Herefordshire weather and into the welcoming, candle-lit space of Lyde Court was the perfect way to experience Lyde Court’s Summer Showcase.
Not put off by the weather, visitors came to see the gorgeous space, wrapped up in woollens and welcomed by the smell of fish and chips cooking and the sight of the candle-lit gin bar, decorated with glasses of sparkling fizz.
The cosy spaces were illuminated by low lighting and candles, and gave an air of magic, as is always the way at Lyde Court.
Guests were warmly welcomed with live music from The Trio Band, and as they walked past the bar and into the main dining area where the double-height space was illuminated with thousands of fairy lights.
All of the suppliers were there on hand if guests needed them, whilst having a good catch up and enjoying the atmosphere (and the chips!) themselves.
Along with Couture Events, Lyde Court and Rural Floral, I had decorated the tables with some stationery.
The first of three tables was styled by Couture Events, full of gorgeous textures in a neutral palette with fluffy grasses, woven mats and chunky wooden candle-holders. Amber glass and gold cutlery bounced the candle-light around the table, and I added some of my Celestial Meadow suite menus and namecards in a berry colour-way – printed onto hand-made paper to carry on the interesting textures.
The second of the long tables was styled by Lyde Court with a mismatch of chairs, a hessian runner and wooden slices. Rural Floral created romantic flowing urns of flowers, with foliage draping along the tables beautifully. Faye used the most gorgeous rich colours in her arrangements, which worked so perfectly in the cosy space. I added my Botanical Arc stationery to the tables – again, menus and name-cards, to compliment the sumptuous colours.
The Top Table was styled in blues by Couture Events, with a flowing floral centrepiece by Rural Floral. Huge peacock chairs faced down the hall, (a prime viewing spot over all the guests!) with mismatched cloth napkins, and my Porcelain Venue suite Menus decorating the plates.
Sheryl from Oobaloos Photography was so busy all night – capturing the evening so beautifully. Lyde Court is such an incredible and diverse space and she has captured so many elements of it in such lovely and interesting ways. All of the photos in this post are courtesy of her kindness.
Kelsmor Dairy Ice Cream and Mrs Mos Delicios Cakes created a little food corner to capture the tummies of passers-by. Mrs Mos Delicios had a wonderful range of cakes on display using different themes – all looking equally delectable! Kelsmor Dairy were kind enough to be serving ice-cream as a dessert (or a starter..) to Lyde Court’s Fish and Chips, and I heard plenty of guests arguing over the best flavour throughout the night.
Jars of sweets and wine-tasting were also treats for the evening.
Posh Bear Videography were capturing video throughout the night, and were such lovely warm people. I think they even got the drone out to capture some footage!
A huge thank you to Lyde Court and all the suppliers for inviting me to be a part of the Summer Showcase and making it so enjoyable. An especially large thank-you to Sheryl at Oobaloos Photography for sharing her photographs with us. Suppliers linked below:
Venue: Lyde Court | Photography: Oobaloos Photography | Styling: Couture Events | Floristry: Rural Floral | Stationery: Pigment +Paper | Ice Cream: Kelsmor Dairy Ice Cream | Cakes: Mrs Mos Delicios Cakes | Videography: Posh Bear | Music: The Trio Band
Our Wedding
Our wedding day! A very wet and windy day under the oaks in Herefordshire.
We were married in Hereford Town Hall on a gorgeous sunny morning, with only immediate family due to our complete fear of doing a ceremony in front of more than a handful of people…! Topped off by an absolute feast of a brunch at the wonderful La Madeleine in Hereford.
We had a party with all of our friends and family on my Uncle’s farm, with some lovely big tents, loads of delicious food, and good music. It was the hottest summer ever until…the day of our wedding – where it was torrential rain until about 7pm.
We had planned a million lovely things in the sunshine – with tent sides that opened for panoramic views over the Malvern Hills in the background but instead everyone had to get cosy in the tents until it passed, and wrap themselves up in blankets in the evening. The wonderful guys at Ffwrnes pizza kept us all fed with delicious warm pizzas – how they managed to set up their kitchen in those vertical sheets of rain I will never know!
We wanted everything on our wedding day to have a story, and to be eco-conscious where we could.
We had zero plastic, and generated very little waste. My Mum and I made my outfit – the top I designed and embroidered which you’ll see in the photos – the top half was bamboo and the bottom half was linen. It’s the first thing we had made so potentially a little ambitious… We actually also made hers, and I designed the fabric – she wanted polka dots with some very particular colours!
My sister made our wedding cakes, and my Dad made the wedding cake stand from wood slices from felling some trees in my in-laws’ woodland. My parents made 200(!) cotton napkins, and I decorated them with lavender from our garden. The table runners were printed recycled cotton rag paper, with illustrations from my top all over them. We had petals on the tables, again, dried from our garden!
We drove my car (Otis the Morris Minor!) and turned our campervan into a music-hub for the day!
We inadvertently had an oak-themed wedding. We got married in ‘The Oak Room’ in Hereford Town Hall, we live under a giant oak tree, and we ended up partying under the oaks in Bromyard. So, we harnessed that and set our invitations around it. We called it Webbapalooza (party of the newly-webbs), and created a fully hand-written, hand-drawn invitation.
We printed them onto cotton rag paper (made of recycled cotton), and bundled them up with some acorn ‘hats’ we collected from the oak tree that shadows over our home, and felted the balls to go inside them to make little colourful acorns.
We had a map of nearby towns (we were married rather remotely, and people were travelling from all over the country so we wanted to give them an opportunity to make a day of it!), a lot of information about taxis and accommodation, and an RSVP all on the 5-fold concertina invitations.
Photographed below on my wedding top with one of our table runners!
We were so lucky to have the most wonderful friends and suppliers on our day. I’ll list them properly at the end of the post, with links, but each has a long ol’ story.
The wonderful Jo at Issy & Bella created the most gorgeous flowers for us all – I just sent a picture of my dress fabric to Jo and asked her to do whatever she fancied – and had the most incredible creations with gold accents.
My shawl had a similar story – I sent the fabric image to a felt artist on Etsy and asked her to do what she liked, and ended up with a gorgeous fern filled shawl with gold threads intertwined.
The mens’ suits were from James Lear of Arundel – the lovely Polly, in Nailsworth. Frankl’s (the dog!) bow tie was from a lovely maker on Etsy.
We had a huge spread of antipasti and salads with an inhumane amount of cake for lunch – fantastic bread from the local bakery, cheese from the local deli, and salads from our local café.
Our wonderful friend Rich took our wedding photos for us, and our rings were made by Helen Brice who we are now superfans of – having 4 rings between us!
A family friend gave us his old Butchers’ bike, which we filled with a friends’ flowers to have a bit of colour outside the tent. (Soon to be a very soggy bike – but at least we had a few rainbows!)
We had so many friends help us to make the day special – those helping us in the intense few days running up (you all know who you are!) are just completely wonderful and we treasure the memories of those late nights!
Wedding Brunch: La Madeleine, Wedding Lunch Suppliers: Café Eleganza, Marches Delicatessen, Wedding Dinner: Ffwrnes, Tents: Tents4elements, Bouquets, head-crown & buttonholes: Issy & Bella, Photography: Richard Woods Photography, Men’s suits: James Lear of Arundel, Rings: Helen Brice Designs,