How to Set Up the Perfect Dinner Party

How to Set Up the Perfect Dinner Party

 

Hosting a dinner party can be a delightful experience, bringing friends and family together for an evening of good food, great conversation, and beautiful decor. At TP Events & Styling Whitsundays, we believe that setting the scene is just as important as the menu.

Here’s a guide to help you create a stunning dinner party setup that will leave your guests in awe.

Step 1: Choose a Theme

The first step in setting up a perfect dinner party is deciding on a theme. Whether you opt for a casual beach vibe, an elegant garden party, or a rustic country dinner, a cohesive theme helps unify your decor and create a memorable atmosphere.

**Ideas:**

– Beach Vibe: Use shades of blue, seashells, and driftwood accents.
 – Garden Party: Incorporate lots of greenery, floral arrangements, and fairy lights.
– Rustic Country:  Think burlap, mason jars, and wooden elements.

Step 2: Select Your Tableware

The tableware sets the tone for your dinner party. Choose plates, cutlery, and glassware that complement your theme. Don’t be afraid to mix and match textures and styles for a more eclectic look.

**Pro Tip:** For an elegant touch, use charger plates beneath your dinner plates and cloth napkins instead of paper ones.

Step 3: Create a Stunning Tablescape

The tablescape is the centerpiece of your dinner party setup.  Here’s how to create a show-stopping one:

1. Tablecloth or Runner:  Start with a beautiful tablecloth or runner that matches your theme.
2. Centrepieces: Use a combination of candles, flowers, and decorative items. Our artificial bouquets and arbour floral pieces are perfect for adding a touch of elegance.
3.  Place Settings: Arrange plates, cutlery, and glassware neatly. Add a personal touch with name cards or small favours at each setting.

**Pro Tip:** Use varying heights in your centrepieces to create visual interest. Tall candlesticks, medium-height floral arrangements, and low-lying decor pieces work well together.

Step 4: Lighting and Ambiance

Lighting plays a crucial role in setting the mood for your dinner party. Soft, warm lighting is ideal for creating an intimate and cozy atmosphere.

**Ideas:**
– Candles: Scatter candles of different sizes across the table. Our range of candle holders and lanterns can add a touch of sophistication.
– Fairy Lights: String fairy lights around the dining area for a magical glow.
– Dimmed Lights:  If indoors, dim the main lights to enhance the ambiance.

Step 5: Add Personal Touches

Personal touches make your dinner party unique and memorable. Consider adding elements that reflect your personality or interests.

**Ideas:**
Custom Menus: Print personalized menus for each guest.
–  Themed Music : Create a playlist that complements your theme and plays softly in the background.
– Photo Displays: Set up a small area with photos of past gatherings or themed decorations.

Step 6: The Finishing Touches

Before your guests arrive, do a final walkthrough to ensure everything is in place. Light the candles, start the music, and take a moment to enjoy the beautiful setup you’ve created.

We Can Help!

Planning a dinner party doesn’t have to be stressful. At TP Events & Styling Whitsundays, we offer a wide range of DIY decor items to help you create the perfect setting. From full ceremony setups and artificial bouquets to themed tableware and lighting options, our online shop has everything you need to bring your vision to life.

[Visit our DIY Online Rental Store](#)  to explore our collection and make your next dinner party unforgettable.

 

Take Your Wedding to the Next Level with These On-Trend Floral Ideas

Take Your Wedding to the Next Level with These On-Trend Floral Ideas

With all the stunning wedding floral ideas circulating social media recently, it becomes so difficult to really hone in on what style of arrangements you are wanting to showcase on your wedding day.

We’ve compiled a mood board displaying some examples of beautiful on trend floral ideas for you to consider for your big day!

Suspended flowers

Take advantage of space in your venue by filling the air with greenery and florals! One of the great perks of having suspended florals is you ensure the guests have clear vision of each other when conversing across the table, as well as leaving enough space for plates and crockery. For a more dramatic look, add a greenery garland down the middle of the table!

Floral cocktails

Integrating your focal flower of choice is a beautiful and subtle way to ensure really gorgeous synergy. Edible flowers are very on-trend at the moment and they provide a beautiful photo opportunity for guests! It is definitely one of those small details that your guests will not forget!

Napkin florals

It’s all in the details! Napkin décor is a beautiful way to really tie the entire table styling together. It really helps to fill in the blanks and make for gorgeous photography. Experiment with twine, ribbon, shapes, and your flower of choice!

Single stem florals

For a minimalist style aesthetic, consider single stem florals in plain bottles/votives/stem holders, with neat, complimentary candles. Simple, clean styling like this allows the guests attention to be shared amongst the beauty of the focal floral, as well as a statement piece elsewhere (eg the entertainment, lighting).

Colour me crazy!

By adding a pop of colour to your wedding, it can really portray a feeling of vibrancy. Experiment and take the bold move of adding LOTS of colour! It is a sure way of really bringing the venue to life and making the entire room feel electric.

Make it green!

For a timeless and organic feeling wedding, adding greenery to your tables and surroundings is a beautiful way to really tie in your celebrations with nature. It is an aesthetic that will never go out of fashion, will never age, and will forever feel magical. Add in hurricane candles and warm fairy lighting to really enhance the romance.

If any of these on-trend ideas really inspire you for your big day, contact us here! We cant wait to bring your dream vision to life!

Happy planning!

Kellie & Michaela

Real or Artificial? Lets Talk Florals for your Wedding Day

Real or Artificial? Lets Talk Florals for your Wedding Day

Flowers are one of the most iconic decorations for weddings all around the world, no matter how big or small. When it comes to your wedding day, you dream of everything being perfect, including the flowers. So when it comes to making the decision between real and fake, which do you choose? We’re here to make that decision a little easier by telling you all about artificial florals and why they might work for you!

Why would I choose artificial flowers?

Over the years, artificial flowers have come a very long way. From the veins in the petals to the many materials they are made of, they look and feel like the real deal. Due to their realness and being a more budget friendly option, they have become a very popular alternative to real flowers. Lets discuss some of the pros of artificial florals.

They are cost effective!

If you are looking to style your wedding on a strict budget, look no further then artificial florals. If you are envisioning a gorgeous dramatic floral on your arbour, a thick greenery garland for your tables, or single stems in beautiful glass bottles, artificial florals are able to cater for anything and everything! There is absolutely no vision too small or big. The advantage of artificial florals means you are able to get more bang for your buck and style the wedding of your dreams.

Artificial Florals Come in Every Single Colour & Type of Flower

One of the pro’s of artificial flowers is they work with any colour palette and any bloom of choice. If you are looking to match your bridesmaids dresses or simply compliment your scenery, it is important to be able to choose specific shades of colour! Whether you want a soft colour palette with white Sahara roses, baby’s breath and touches of greenery, or a bright tropical wedding with hot pink orchids, or even darker tones like black roses and hydrangeas, artificial florals have it all.  

They Hold Shape Very Well

The advantage of artificial flowers is that they have wire in their stems. This wire allows us to bend, twist and manoeuvre the flower in any way we want. When it comes to a well-made floral arrangement, it requires every single flower head to be placed intentionally. Due to this wire, we are able to place and point each focal flower head in the exact right spot so the entire arrangement flows effortlessly.

Artificial Flowers are Extraordinarily Durable!

one of the stresses every couple has leading up to their wedding day is the weather. Unfortunately it is just one of those things that are completely unavoidable. However, choosing artificial florals can definitely take a small part of that stress away. Due to their forgiving nature and their durability, they can take a beating from wind, rain, heat and humidity, and will still hold up to it!

No stressing about if your floral of choice is in season!

Seasonal blooms can make things really difficult and expensive when going down the route of real flowers. If your flower of choice is out of season, it could mean importing in from another country! The beauty of artificial florals is they have every single flower you could ever think of, and in every colour!

They are allergen-free!

Allergies are an important consideration to make when it comes to deciding on your wedding florals. If there is someone in your wedding party with allergies that will be wearing or holding flowers the entire day, it might be worth considering artificial florals so they don’t have any allergic reactions.

Whether you choose real or artificial florals for your wedding day, you can rest assured that absolutely no one is going to notice the difference. The guests are likely going to be more focused on other things like the overall aesthetic and flow, the wedding dress, the entertainment, hospitality, food, and of course the open bar! Opting for faux flowers can possibly be one of the easiest and quickest ways to save some money so you can spend it on other aspects of your celebrations!

If you’d like to know more about artificial blooms and how they can transform your wedding day into the aesthetic of your dreams, we’d love to chat to you here!

Happy planning!

Kellie & Michaela

10 Things Your Wedding Stylist Wishes You Knew

Whether you are considering hiring a wedding stylist for your big day, or you are already working with one, these expert tips should make the entire process just that little bit smoother for everyone!

1. It’s okay to use Pinterest!

Wedding stylists will likely show you their look books, Instagram feeds and portfolios when you meet with them to discuss the aesthetics of your special day. We want you to know that you do NOT need to choose something specifically from these look books! They are simply there as a guide to get your creative juices flowing. It is more than okay to come to us with inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram, etc. We welcome any and every form of inspiration!

2. Your inspiration photos have been heavily edited

A lot of the photos you have found inspiration in have likely been photoshopped, edited and heavily filtered. We can absolutely replicate your inspiration photos, however the overall look on the day will probably end up looking a little bit different than those, simply because of the editing that has been used on them (eg colour enhancement, exposure/brightness/contrast changes, etc). Please keep in mind that social media is heavily curated to fit a particular dreamy aesthetic, and reality will look slightly different to that.

3. Think about your photos and the overall wedding day look!

Always keep in mind the theme, vibe and aesthetics of the overall look – not just the individual items you want. It is very easy to get caught up in each and every little possibility you can possibly choose for your wedding day… from donut walls and lit up letters, to charger plates and coloured cutlery. Generally speaking, there are many incredible items that can all be put together when its done in the right way, however sometimes it can be overdone and therefore become way too ‘busy’. This is what a wedding stylist can help you with. We can help you visualise the overall look of your wedding day and rein in all the extras to make sure the synergy is perfect!

4. Consider the environment!

Please always keep the environment in your thoughts when contemplating certain aspects of your decorations. For example, the petal toss in your ceremony. A lot of couples reach for confetti, however this is terrible for the environment and quite often completely banned from a lot of venues, especially those beside the ocean. There are some awesome biodegradable options if you are looking for a more budget friendly alternative to petals for your petal cones/toss!

5. DIY is great, but it isn’t as cheap or as easy as it seems.

Doing your own styling for your wedding is great, however it can very quickly become incredibly expensive, stressful and time consuming. Some brides like to feel like they want to be more involved with the creation of their aesthetics and quite often may hand make their own wedding favours or stationary, however when it comes to centrepieces, table cloths, napkins, furniture, cutlery, glass wear, candles, votives, and even setting up on the day, it will definitely end up being more cost effective for you to reach out to a stylist to work with you! Another thing to keep in mind when considering your DIY wedding decorations, is what you will do with all that stock after the wedding, as well as logistics of getting it to and from the venue and set up, on the day.

6. Fake flowers don’t look fake anymore!!

Real touch florals are exactly that… real touch! They look and feel SO REAL you will be leaning in to smell them yourselves. No one will ever be able to know the difference, so for the difference in price tag, it is worth considering real touch florals for your ceremony and reception! A lot of brides opt for real flowers through their florist for the bouquet’s and lapel’s, but then choose real touch for their decorations.

For weddings here in the Whitsundays, it is very important to consider the heat, humidity and weather when deciding on florals for your wedding day. These factors are enough to make flowers wilt, droop, and burn very quickly. Often in a set up, your florist will make sure they set up at the perfect time to prevent this from happening to the flowers, however it is always something to keep in mind for your decision process!

7. Candles will blow out if you don’t have glass cylinders surrounding them!

This may seem like a very obvious point to make, however there have been countless times brides have expected no glass cylinders to be surrounding their candles and have been disappointed to find out they cannot possibly achieve that desired look! Please keep in mind inspiration photos online showing open flame candles outdoors have been specifically taken and edited for that particular photo. To achieve a burning flame the entire wedding, the candle will need protection from wind.

8. Tell us any styling items you are bringing yourself

Sometimes brides don’t want to tell their stylist they are bringing their own decorations due to not wanting to offend them. We want our brides to understand that we won’t ever be offended, we just need to know what is being added to the overall aesthetic so that we can make it work into what we have going visually for you! If you plan on bringing anything extra, eg photo frames, props, games, wedding favours, cutlery, place cards, menus, etc. please discuss that with your wedding stylist so they know whether they need to bring anything else to accommodate those things (eg an extra table and linen), as well as being able to let you know if it will all fit on the table due to venues having specific and personalised table dimensions.

9. On your wedding day, have an open mind.

On the day of the wedding, there is always the possibility that something may come up that prevents a certain aspect of your styling to be changed or completely removed. For example, if it is incredibly windy and you have chosen a very light weight arbour, it may require extra weights and/or reinforcements to keep it from blowing away. Alternatively, we may need to completely replace the arbour with a similar looking, more sturdy arbour. Unfortunately weather is just one of those things that cannot always be perfectly predicted and alternatives may need to come into the equation. Of course during the decision making process, the bride will be kept in the loop, however we ask that our brides trust in us and keep an open mind on the day, as complications such as this may arise! On the day we will do everything in our power to keep things as per what we have discussed, but if we do need to change anything, please know it will only be done if it absolutely must be done.

10. Trust us!

Sometimes it can be very hard to let go and completely trust a stranger to successfully bring together the entire visual aspect of the day you have been dreaming about your whole life… we totally get it! However, we want you to know that here at TeepeEvents & Styling, we live and breathe all things wedding and all things beautiful. We have the same goal as you, and not meeting the brief is not an option. On top of this, we know the venues very well and what will work. Whether you live locally to your wedding venue & stylist, or on the other side of the world, communication is key and we are only ever a call/email away.

Planning and styling a wedding with the help of a stylist is so much fun! There are endless possibilities in terms of bringing the wedding to a new level visually, and it should help relieve a lot of the pressures and stresses that arise in doing it all yourself. In saying this, we hope these little pointers help give some insight into a few important things that you should keep in mind along the way.

Happy planning!

Kellie & Michaela

TeepeEvents & Styling

Looking after the kids!

Looking after the kids!

Teepeevents & Styling are now offering Whitsunday Party Boxes. There are 5 themes to choose from and in each Birthday party DIY box comes a running order for your party, decorations, personalised invites and stationary, games, activities and all the props to go with them plus much more.

Choose from Spy, Hollywood VIP, Mad Scientist, Survivor or Pop Star