DESIGN & DÉCOR

SAMANTHA KIN

Founder of To Be Loved Events, Samantha Kin is an awarded Los Angeles wedding planner who’s inspired by immersive event design, everlasting love, and a great romcom. Whether your event vision is intimate or grand, To Be Loved Events offers wedding planning services that are elevated, expert, and always centered around delivering a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of your love story. Designed for busy couples seeking an above-and-beyond experience, they’ll oversee vendors, tie up loose ends, and manage every last line item so you don’t have to.

’Tis the Wedding Season

STUNNING TABLESCAPES

FOR EVERY SEASON

Taking a thoughtful approach to design ensures the visions of your dream event come to life in vibrant ways that not only reflect you, but bring to life your entire event environment through the colors, hues, and textures of the season. Here, the founder of To Be Loved Events, Samantha Kin, looks at one important piece of design: the perfect reception tablescape.

When designing your reception tablescape, first analyze your selected wedding date, season, and location. These factors can help you navigate the design of your wedding theme and color palette. For each particular time of year, there are different flowers in season. This seasonality, along with your wedding venue style, will inform your design and theme decision-making.

Once you have your desired color palette and style selected, you can begin to decide on event rentals and décor. Most of your tableware—including plates, napkins, glassware, and flatware—will be highly dependent on your menu. Whether you choose to be formal or casual, simple or elaborate, options abound. And there’s always plenty of design room to add detailed touches, such as place cards, favors, candles, table numbers, chargers, runners, florals, menus, and more!

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Let's explore four different tablescape options based on classic seasonal colors:

1 / SPRING

For spring, Samantha shows a brighter color palette with orange, pink, peach, and yellow tones. Mixing greenery, gold accents, and more blush tones, she created a simple yet elegant table. This option would be beautiful outdoors in April or May.

2 / SUMMER

Here’s a fun example of soft pastel florals with greenery and blush, gray, and gold accents. It was paired with a simple ivory menu and hanging napkin fold. Place cards would be a welcome addition as well. This could be wonderful for an outdoor wedding during the summer months.

3 / FALL

The autumn color palette is much more muted. Samantha went deeper with the greenery and included soft touches of ivory, gray, and lilac. Paired with gold vases and flatware, these touches give the table some extra pop while keeping the palette simple.

4 / WINTER

For winter, Samantha chose a darker palette with deep maroon, wood, and greenery. The bare wooden farm tables with deeper colors make the tableware stand out. This would be perfect for a rustic reception, possibly for a barn or winery wedding.

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Photography by Jennifer Amina Photography; Planning by To Be Loved Events; Event Rentals by Danner & Soli; Floral Design by Sea of Roses

Love Under the Big Top

TIPS FOR PLANNING A

TENTED WEDDING

To most people a tent is a tent—however, there are some very important things to consider when booking a tent. Frame tents, pole tents, and clear-top tents all have pros and cons, and they can differ depending on the location, season, and time of your event.

CONSIDER EVERY DETAIL

When you’re planning a tented wedding, you’re starting from scratch. Consider available space, how level the ground may be, proximity to the ceremony, where guests are able to park, and access to restrooms. Additionally, you’ll need to look at access to water, power, and a place to use as a kitchen.

SPACE REQUIREMENTS

The amount of clear open space needed grows with the number of guests and what activities are being hosted under the tent. Here’s a quick guide to common uses and space requirements.

SAFETY FIRST

You have to plan for fire safety when hosting a tented wedding. Don’t be without fire extinguishers, candles should only be in glass containers, and sparklers (if allowed) should only be lit outside of the tented area. After the tent has been installed, monitor the tent structure for various changes, like stakes or augers pulling out of the ground, tent weights moving, and loose poles, ropes, or straps. If you notice any of these occurring, contact the rental company immediately.

KNOW YOUR DÉCOR

Be sure to check with the tenting company before hanging or suspending anything from the ceiling. Knowing weight limitations and structural hang points is exceptionally important for safety, and understanding what you can and can't do can save you from having to pay any tent damage fees.

Photo by Stetten Wilson Photography

Type of Event Space Needed Per Person

Stand-Up Cocktail 7.5 sq. ft. / Person

Cocktail Partial Seating

Sit-Down Dinner

Ceremony/Theater Rows 10 sq. ft. / Person

15 sq. ft. / Person

5-6 sq. ft. / Person

Dance Area 2 sq. ft. / Person

Add Character to a Ballroom Wedding

STRATEGIC DESIGN CHOICES TO BREATHE

LIFE INTO BLAND SPACES

Ballroom weddings are popular for a reason—they can be pretty darn seamless to plan. You have a seasoned on-site staff to work with, a connected hotel can host your out-of-town guests, and they can easily accommodate nearly any size wedding. But we’d be lying if we said the everyday ballroom wedding was dripping in personality. Adding character and energy to typical ballroom spaces can take some serious strategy, but these design tips can help.

PHOTO CREDITS

This page, from top: Stetten Wilson Photography; Asher Gardner Photography

Opposite page: Haute Stock

COVER THOSE CARPETS

If the ballroom you’ve booked is covered in unsightly carpeting, ask your wedding planner about options to cover it up. Depending on your budget, you can lay temporary carpets from wall to wall, bring in area rugs and textiles to cover certain areas of the carpet, or even lay temporary hardwood floors down.

ADD SOME GREENERY

The right florals and greenery will help breathe life into an otherwise bland space. Think about bringing the outdoors in with beautiful floral garlands and—our favorite option—stunning floral chandeliers. The goal is to draw eyes away from unsightly carpets or boring divider walls.

COVER DIVIDER WALLS

If your ballroom has a divider wall, consider covering it with a super chic, one-of-akind backdrop. For those with a larger budget, try leaning large living walls chock-full of succulents and greenery along the wall. Textiles are another great option—have your wedding planner or designer pull some options and hang a wall of pretty fabric.

LIGHTING, LIGHTING, & MORE LIGHTING

The number one way to transform a venue—no matter the space—is strategic lighting. From uplighting, charming market lights, and romantic candlelight, figure out what kind of lighting is feasible for your ballroom wedding. The more mood lighting, the better.

ENCOURAGE AN

OPEN AIRFLOW

If your ballroom faces the ocean, a stunning lake, or even a nice outdoor patio, consider keeping doors propped open during your reception, giving the ballroom more of an open-air feel so guests don’t feel like they’re celebrating in a box. If this isn’t achievable with your ballroom, make the space feel like a world in and of itself with details that create an atmosphere in line with your overall wedding aesthetic.