Very few things set apart a good event designer from a great event designer like clean lines, a well-set table, and perfectly placed chairs. From cardboard cutouts to laser levels, find out pros favorite tools to getting clean-cut lines.
Get It Straight
The wedding ceremony is the perfect place to begin. Picture yourself at a luxurious wedding ceremony with incredible florals and candles lining the aisle only to watch the bride, escorted by her parents, barely fit down the aisle together. Knowing how many people will be walking down the aisle together is a good place to start. When working in ballrooms and outdoor spaces you have a little more design flexibility, whereas houses of worship with permanent pews are unforgiving. Annette Troescher of Ladyhawk Events says, “Usually we get the aisle width set and then set from aisle out.”
Not only do you need to allow enough width for the wedding party (and even the bride’s gown), but you need to make sure your aisle is straight! “I use a colored string and stretch it from the entry point before we set the altar point,” says Chelsea Yeatts of One Fine Day Events.
Table Talk
Unfortunately, some wedding pros have yet to learn the proper way to set the table. Improperly set tables are a matter of training. There are simple diagrams to educate staff on which flatware, glasses, and plates go where. Some planners take setting the table one step further. They construct cardboard cutouts to properly align flatware and measuring charger plates to keep each one an equal distance from the edge of the table.
Hit the Floor
Linens are another place where the pros set themselves apart. It’s nearly 2020, and for weddings, floor-length linen should be a given and not an upgrade. Not all floor-length linens are the same. When ordering linen, give yourself flexibility, and if at all possible, go to the next linen liner size. Commercial laundering of rental linen, especially pressing machines, can pull and stretch linen causing an oval shape rather than a perfect circle. If you’ve ever seen linen where it hits the floor in one direction and is short another, you understand. The extra few inches will ensure your linen touches the floor on all sides. Plus, it leaves a little puddle for a chic and elegant look.
Take A Seat
Chair placement is another area that separates the good from the great. “I bring an assistant who is absolutely neurotic about perfect chair alignment,” says Meggie Francisco of Meggie Francisco Events. Rental companies or catering staff do not necessarily have the same vision or attention to detail as your wedding design team. To some, eight chairs at a table are all they see. Not only do you want to make sure that chair placement is aligned with the charger and place setting, but you want to make sure that the front edge of the chair barely touches the drop of the tablecloth.
When laying out long banquet tables, a well-placed chalk line can help ensure proper placement and even spacing. Haylee Janese Handly of Water to Wine Event‘s secret weapons to getting those perfect lines are a rolling tape measure and a laser level! Don’t get too caught up in the visual details though, make sure they’re easily accessible as well. Allow enough space from the back of the chair to the chair behind it (or wall) to push the chair out and easily move around the table.
A little OCD and some simple tools can be the difference between a beautiful wedding and a fantastic wedding. And, those small details can make the world of a difference between getting published or overlooked. How do you get those perfect lines? Let us know!
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