Love is in the Details
/Story by Terri Glazer | Event Design by Alexandra Blanton Events | Photography by Annabella Charles
February is the month of love, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a table for two! A special dinner in a beautiful setting can celebrate family or friends we cherish. Event planner and designer Alexandra Blanton styled this enchanting tablescape with a Valentine’s family gathering, girls’ night or supper club in mind.
The Inspiration
A casual scroll through Instagram provided Blanton’s inspiration for this bold color palette. “I came across a powder room on Architectural Digest’s feed. It was in very deep reds and had a wallpaper that was a lot like the linen I ended up choosing. The walls had really deep, blood red tile along with the bottom half of the room. So I just took that color and the inspiration from that wallpaper and ran with it,” she says. “I decided to go with a jewel tone with a bit of a different twist.”
The Designer: Native Memphian Alexandra Blanton is a full-scale luxury wedding planner and event designer based in Denver, CO. She credits her 12 years of ballet training growing up for her love of beauty and design, and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics for her ability to plan and execute events efficiently.
The Setting
The glass chapel of the Florian at Mallard’s Croft in Byhalia, MS, provided a breathtaking setting. Soaring windows allowed natural light to bathe the table and provided a panoramic view of the surrounding forest, creating an intimate, fairy-tale feel.
The Table
Blanton began by draping her table for eight in a floor-length cloth. The Sangria Aviara cloth from Nuage Designs features an updated take on a traditional red toile print. Solid napkins in Valentine’s Red, also from Nuage, continue the romantic theme.
“I decided to balance all the deep colors with black as a neutral,” says Blanton. In addition to striking cross-back dining chairs, she brought ebony tones into the picture with dinner plates embellished with dark gray thistles set atop black melamine chargers. Simple silverware completed the place settings.
For the glassware, the designer kept with clear vessels, allowing other elements to take center stage. She paired a tall, linear wine glass from Target with a timeless, faceted coupe from Ikea to create interest.
The Flowers
Kristin Wolter of Everbloom Design created the stunning florals. “We took the colors from my mood board and turned them into an ombre floral runner,” Blanton recalls. “Kristin pulled in whites, pinks and purples and flowed it down the table. The table setting was pretty by itself, but when we added the florals it created this cozy, sweet vibe.”
Candles in tones to match the flowers provided the romantic icing on the cake. “Once you light the candles, it’s hard to beat this look. Candlelight softens everything and always creates a romantic feel,” says Blanton.
Get the Look
Flowers are the foundation for creating a similar look for your February event. The arrangement doesn’t have to span the entire length of the table as this one does, but a floral element always adds dimension and texture, according to Blanton. Next, add an interesting place setting. “It doesn’t have to be super special or expensive, but just mixing colors and patterns with the plate stack and using fun glassware makes it interesting. Use votives or taper candles to create dimension—to give your eye things to travel along.”
Don’t be afraid to mix patterns, colors and textures, the designer suggests. Things don’t have to match to work well together. Blanton’s pro tip: pay attention to scale when mixing patterns. Too many small patterns together look busy, while only large-scale patterns become aggressive to the eye.
