The Most Memorable OTM Wedding Reception Tablescapes of 2021

By Shayna Seid

Over the past year, we’ve covered weddings and micro-weddings from across the world. While the fashion and ceremony are beautiful and important parts of a wedding, there’s something special about reception tablescapes. Who doesn’t love a touch of rattan? And personalized menus? We can’t get enough!

We often hear couples wanting their post-I do gatherings to feel like big dinner parties, and with that comes tons of inspiration for table settings. From sea-level open-air settings to mountaintops to ballrooms and manors, we’ve seen it all (nearly). And we’re sharing with you some of our favorite OTM Wedding tablescapes from celebrations that we’ve covered in the past 12 months. Scroll through to see every last detail!

Photo: Courtesy of Braedon Flynn

Outdoor Dinner in Palm Springs

Katrina Henriette Symonds, photo director at Netflix and co-founder of stationery company Rum Cake Studio, had her reception tables set with hand-painted plates on Heather Taylor Home tablecloths, die-cut menus, and Of The Flowers roses.

Photo: Courtesy of Aaron Delesie

Tented Backyard Reception in Pennsylvania

For Elizabeth Karam’s reception, everyone sat with their “quaranteam.” “It made the seating chart so easy,” she says. All the tables were named after flowers used in the wedding. And the place settings were highlighted with pops of the bride’s favorite color, green. She was even able to keep some of the custom tablecloths as a keepsake.

Photo: Courtesy of Rachel Red Photography

Lunch After a Traditional South Indian Ceremony

In South Carolina under the Spanish moss, Shilpa Topudurti worked with Host & Haven to create a beautiful reception space. “We featured the traditional marigold color more prominently at lunch with a sunset-themed color palette,” Shilpa explains. “We ordered our own Raynaud plates and personalized embroidered napkins for lunch as keepsakes to remember the special day.”

Photo: Courtesy of Emily Lab

Oceanside Dinner in St. Barths

OTM-styled bride Callan Vessels had custom Indigo by Boutin linens for her rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. For the post-ceremony dinner, Bloomy hung bougainvillea from the ceiling and L. Scott Events made sure to hang rattan lanterns above the setting. “Lindsay suggested a pop of orange to match with the bougainvillea and flowers on the table,” Callan explains. “It worked perfectly with the ambience of the restaurant at Hotel Christopher!” Artist Li Ward also designed all the personalized menus for a special touch.

Photo: Courtesy of Liz Banfield

A Rainbow Mix-and-Match Setting in Chicago

With multi-colored florals hanging from the tented space, OTM Bride Annie loved the mix-and-match rainbow tablescapes at her reception, held at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. From varying linens and glassware, this setting proves you don’t have to shy away from color, if you know how to arrange everything in a cohesive manner.

Photo: Courtesy of Paul Francis Photography

A Backyard Reception in the Hamptons

Stacey Kaplow, director of e-commerce for Reformation, had a very specific vision for her reception decor. “Scarsella’s Flowers absolutely nailed it,” she says. “Basket lanterns, capiz shell place cards, and the beach as our backdrop—we were in heaven!”

Photo: Courtesy of Rachel Artime

A Tropical Al-Fresco Dinner in Costa Rica

Every detail at Brooke Ann Leadbetter‘s reception at Pranamar Villas in Costa Rica was thoughtfully planned. With twinkle lights above, the table was set with woven chargers, gold flatware, off-white napkins, custom menus and place cards, beautiful florals with birds of paradise, and tropical touches like small opened coconuts.

Photo: Courtesy of Belathée

Antique Flatware and Hand-Painted Menus in New England

Christie Kuehner‘s wedding reception was actually on her family’s pickle ball court! “Katherine from KD&J Botanica instantly understood our dusty-rose hued vision and brought it to life in the most gorgeous way!” Christie exclaims. “When we started talking about the tabletop, I knew from the beginning that I wanted an assortment of antique flatware. I love antiquing for home treasures, so it was a little touch that felt very me. I just love how it all came together with a one-of-a-kind mix of many styles so each of our guests had a unique setting.” The groom also developed a skill for watercoloring during quarantine, so he went to work creating all the custom artwork for the day-of stationery, including the beautiful menus.

Photo: Courtesy of Austin Trenholm Photography

An Elegant Dinner at Lord Thompson Manor

Wedding and lifestyle photographer Stephanie Vegliante loves everything about chinoiserie, ginger jars, and vintage patterns, and the blue floral dinnerware reflected that perfectly. “Each table differed slightly while still holding to the vintage floral feel,” she explains. “I loved the combination of gold silverware paired with different textures and patterns, and I wanted the tablescape to feel more like a well-styled, elegant dinner than a wedding-themed event.”

Photo: Courtesy of Cedar & Pines

A Hot Pot Dinner on a Mountaintop in Colorado

For the meal, Brenna and Sabrina decided to incorporate more of their culture and have a hot pot dinner, styled by Wildly Collective. “Brenna is half Taiwanese, and I am Taiwanese-American, so we wanted to share a meal with our family that felt like home,” Sabrina explains. “Hot pot is a celebratory meal that our culture typically has whenever we bring a group of family/friends together. The gold spoon net is a utensil used to scoop out food from the hot pot that I hadn’t seen since I was a kid. I was so happy when I found them and bought a bunch to use for our dinner! There is something beautiful about sharing food in one pot together, and it really embodies what family means.”