A Simple Valentine’s Day Tablescape
I don’t know about you, but I felt sad once Christmas was over and downright depressed when we had to take our tree down. Looking ahead, I wanted an opportunity to plan another tablescape and as a couple blog, what better holiday to plan for other than Valentine’s Day? We thought it’d be fun to have a double date at home and cook up a fancy meal either the weekend before or after the 14th since the actual holiday falls on a Thursday this year.
Pretty pastel pinks, touches of gold, and dainty florals filled my mind as inspiration for this tablescape. More than anything, I wanted it to be simple and elegant; something that you guys could easily replicate on your own. Even if you don’t have these exact dishes, I’ve outlined a simple way that you can create a romantic tablescape for four and I hope that you find it easily customizable and fun for Valentine’s Day.
Flowers
First up for discussion: flowers. Many times, a floral arrangement will serve as my source of inspiration and overall color scheme. I knew that a light pink needed to be the basis, but I was also committed to incorporating eucalyptus for a soft, earthy green. I always recommend going to a local flower shop versus a grocery store. Prices are always better with a wholesale florist and the variety is great. Go with a color scheme in mind, not the types of flowers. I picked up three different variety (carnations, spider mums, and eucalyptus) for just $30. All of my blooms made three separate arrangements that we scattered about the house.
A few tips to keep in mind when creating your floral arrangement:
-Consider the height of the arrangement. You don’t want something so tall that it will obstruct guests view but you also need to consider the scale of your table.
-I developed this post on how to arrange your flowers in a whimsical design.
-Make sure that your flower colors will be reflected in another element of the party (i.e. dishes, invitations, the menu, etc.)
Dishes
My love of dishes comes from my mother, and she gained her appreciation of serving ware through her mother. Needless to say, I’m not at a lack of options when it comes to setting a table. The gold rimmed china is my own and you may remember it from this fall brunch tablescape. The dainty floral salad plates were my grandmother’s and I loved the unexpected layering of the two together.
To recreate this look, all you need is a large white dinner plate and a patterned plate to put on top. Again, I was drawn to the floral and pastel hues for Valentine’s Day, but you could easily do any color you want. I’ve got a Pinterest board for party inspiration that always helps me to gain inspiration when planning a tablescape. Additionally, I’ve included some dinnerware below that would help in recreating this look:
Menu
I wanted an extra little touch for this tablescape to give it more of a formal, intimate feel since it’s Valentine’s Day. I created this menu through Canva and kept with the theme of our party: pastel colors, eucalyptus, and a formal atmosphere.
As a thank you for being a reader, you can download the menu as a PDF here. If you want any of the courses changed, just let me know with an email and I can easily make that change for you. I think a menu adds an elegant touch and this one took me just ten minutes to create.
Special Touches & Ideas For Customization
Any good party has a plethora of special touches or customized aspects that feel unique. Here are just a few of our ideas but the list is endless for this party:
-If you want to create a romantic dinner just for two, think about placing a card over each plate instead of a menu. When you sit down to dinner, you can each read your cards as you enjoy a meal.
-Create place cards with each guest’s name.
-Make this a “galentine’s” dinner instead and invite all your girlfriends over.
-Leave a blank index card out to write down your favorite things about your partner. Exchange them at the end of the meal.
-Create a playlist of love songs to help set the mood.
