We've Got Plateware, Linen, and More

Just for the record, Ramona at We Party headquarters in McLean is an absolute sweetheart. Two weeks ago, mom and I met with her to select our linen, chairs, glass,-, plate-, and flatware for the reception. In two hours of playing tea party--laying out dozens of tablecloths and toppers and their accessories--we found our winning pieces.

Originally, I had been thinking we'd go with ivory tablecloths and toppers--to lighten the dark wood and teal carpet areas of the Carriage House. However, when we set all of this out and studied it in the context of the Carriage House, we found that all the ivory was too stark in contrast.

For that reason, we broadened our horizons and came upon a sheer caramel topper and a white tablecloth: the result? Whimsy, rustic, warm.

To complement the linens, we decided to go with white rounded dinner/salad/cake plates, white coffee and tea cups/saucers, silver flatware with copper windy decor, ivory napkins (to bring extra depth to the white plate ware), and sets of three crystal glassware (water glass, wine glass, and champagne glass). For chairs, we selected the dark brown, finding it the perfect color to set off the whole shebang.

As for tables, we plan to have 9 five-foot rounded tables (each seating 8), one small round cake table, and four taller bistro tables for the terraced garden cocktail hour.

While selecting these pieces, several other design elements began to fall into place: dead tree branches with white lights, wheat, dried hydrangea, rusty lanterns, and glass candle votives in cotton eyelet sleeves.

I've posted a few pictures here, but keep in mind they are work-in-progress design concepts! More to follow.