One of the best parts of being part of a thriving church is the community. The getting together and celebrating life is fulfilling in ways you know are so important to everyone. You’re grateful to have found a church where you can be involved both at a ministry level and as a member of your extended church family.
What is one great way to celebrate that community? Family style meals, of course. There is just something so wonderful about sitting down together as a church to eat food, support a cause, celebrate congregation members, and get to know each other in a social space.
Maybe you’ve been tasked with helping to organize a fundraising dinner or you have a passion for decorating and want to put your skills to the test. Either way, making banquet tables look enticing involves more than just creating delicious culinary masterpieces. It’s all about the presentation.
Ready for some inspiration? We’ve found some fabulous ideas that are sure to be perfect for your next event. Whether it’s a wedding, a holiday celebration, or just a homestyle church dinner, these tablescapes will turn any meal into an enchanting experience no matter your budget.
1. Autumn If there was ever a season to celebrate, it’s fall! Gorgeous autumn leaves in shades of red, orange, and yellow make for a colorful and festive tablescape. This theme works for any kind of event, even if it’s just a quiet, low-budget Sunday evening dinner for the congregation’s seniors. Dress it up with pine cones (free!), fancy dishes and wine glasses, and tall centerpieces for a classy event like a wedding or fundraising dinner.
2. Farm-to-Table While we’re talking about autumn, let’s also mention that ultra trendy farm-to-table decor that’s still appealing to the masses. The focus with this theme is simple, fresh, and rustic. If you’ve got a farmer in your congregation, all the better for picking up decor items for cheap (or donated)! Focus on fresh centerpieces and don’t be afraid to weave in the actual dinner items. It will all come together to showcase the food and make everyone ready to share in the abundance.
3. Keep it Simple When you’re on a budget, sometimes you just can’t afford to go all out with decorations. But going all out is not necessary for an event anyways. Sometimes keeping it simple is the most practical and elegant thing you can do. Keeping a selection of high quality banquet chairs and tables for these kinds of occasions is a smart decision. Quality furniture helps tremendously as you don't have to put forth too much effort to make it look good. Pick a color scheme and weave it in with tablecloths, cloth napkins, and no-fuss centerpieces.
4. Christmas and Holiday The biggest event of the season is undoubtedly Christmas. Focus on warm decor with plenty of reds, greens, golds, and whites. Add in candles and other ambient lights for an inviting feel. Spend some time making special centerpieces and invite other church members to help. Getting the little ones involved during Sunday school or after school programs is also a perfect way to inject some sweet holiday cheer into your tablescape on a budget. Your entire congregation will love being involved in the holiday preparation!
5. Winter After the holiday seasons are over, winter becomes an appealing theme for decor. Choose a crisp white palette, candles and other twinkly lights, and wintery looking centerpieces like the bare branches above. Extra points if you can create the effect of snow without landing bits of fake white stuff in attendees’ food (think gauze or tulle here).
5. Florals Want to celebrate the colors of spring and summer, or invite a pop of color into a dreary winter? Focusing on fun, colorful flowers for your tablescape should do the trick. They’re eye-catching and brighten up any space, leaving the attendees feeling happy and celebratory. Keep it simple, but don’t be afraid to choose big colors and uncommon flowers.
6. Themes If your event has a unique theme to it, you’ll have lots of fun creating the decorations for the tables. Get a committee together and spend a day crafting unique centerpieces for the celebration and to surround the family-style food platters. Don’t be afraid to go all out, especially if you have the budget for it. If it’s a fundraising dinner, you’ll make a big splash and ensure everyone has a fun (and profitable) evening.
7. Feature Focus Maybe you’re one of the lucky few that holds your church in a historic or visually impressive building. If so, capitalize on this asset with your decor. Hold your dinner in a beautiful room and accent the features of the room with simple lights, centerpieces, and arrangements that compliment the style of the building.
No matter your budget, tablescapes are a great way to decorate for a church dinner. They freshen and brighten up a space or transform it into a cozy, ambient venue. Once you’ve figured out your event theme, it’s easy to decide how to use it to showcase the main attraction: the food! Whether you decide to have long rows of rectangular tables or smaller, cozy round tables, the tablescapes can be tailored to fit. Bring your congregation together in celebration of life and community at your next event with a family style meal. You’ll treasure the warmth from the event for months to come.
When you’re ready to stock up on banquet tables and chairs of all sizes and styles, check out Classroom Essentials Online. We focus on quality furnishings that are perfect for every church event at the most affordable prices. We also pride ourselves on the best customer service and would enjoy helping you decide which furniture would fit best with your church’s needs. Reach out to us online at classroomessentialsonline.com and by calling (866) 404-7671.
