I love the idea of long-table seating as opposed to round table seating. I think a long table is much more intimate--you can talk to the person on your left, on your right, and the person right in front of you.. The people also diagonally across you can also be included in the conversation. The setting has a way of engaging all the guests.
I have close friends who always entertain with one long table. Their round table is used only if there are less than ten guests, and only if all the guests know each other well (then the guests don't mind talking across the wide table!)
This set up above is for 20 guests on their back porch
If they have 12 or more guests, they always set up one long table.
It was at their wedding dinner 11 years ago that I was introduced to the elegance of a long table. 32 formally-attired guests gathered together at one beautifully-dressed table. Candles illuminated the table and the room--not one bulb was lit. The atmosphere was warm, cozy, and intimate. I remember it with much fondness and ever since then, a nice long table setting meant being close and cozy.
The decor on a long table can be made more impressive than round table decor. It just has to be low, or high enough so guests can talk across across the table. You can expose the wood of a beautiful dining table by just using a runner and not a whole tablecloth.
If it's a make-shift plastic or plywood table (like what caterers use), just hide everything with a big tablecloth, or yards of fabric. I like this formal setting on an outdoor deck. I'll have to do this sometime. Hmm..but I need a gown like that (and I'll need liposuction too)!
This is at a recent long-table dinner at home. This 16' table sat 20. I added an 8' makeshift table to my real dining table which is also 8'. Then I got an 11-yard cut of 54" width material for the tablecloth. I found a nice material (on sale of course) at the upholstery store Townes on Pasay Road. I needed the extra length because I added 8 more inches to each side so that overhang would be longer.
source
Wouldn't it be impressive to host a dinner like this? What about the set up below? You'll have to live in a place with really cool weather. Or maybe it can happen here in January or February?
source
If the table is narrow enough, it looks okay plain, with no centerpieces! The wine bottles would provide some height. I think I would still dot the whole table with votive candles.
So, what do YOU prefer? Long or round?
Wouldn't it be impressive to host a dinner like this? What about the set up below? You'll have to live in a place with really cool weather. Or maybe it can happen here in January or February?
If the table is narrow enough, it looks okay plain, with no centerpieces! The wine bottles would provide some height. I think I would still dot the whole table with votive candles.
So, what do YOU prefer? Long or round?
No comments:
Post a Comment