Party Planning Essentials

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Pottery Barn Dining Spaces on Oct 30, 2012 at 1:32AM

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The Welcoming Table

Delicious food, close friends and beautiful surroundings are essential to a celebration, but it's the unexpected details that give a party its own special style. Make your next fete an occasion to remember with five festive ideas -- from imaginative place settings to stylish serving suggestions your guests will adore!

There are lots of ways to set up a dinner party table, each lending itself to different kinds of decoration. A group of separate small tables evokes the lighthearted atmosphere of a bistro. Lining up tables end to end in one long unit is convivial but also more formal. If you choose a long table, create a sweet, friendly tableau by draping it in flowing linen. You'll need extra seating, and though borrowed or rented chairs are fine, alternating your everyday dining chairs with gold painted flea-market finds creates a charming mix-and-match look. Personalized notions at each place setting -- an artistically rendered menu or tissue-lined paper bags filled with favors -- create a presentation that looks great as a whole and makes every guest feel special.

Plus, spruce up your space with these incredible dining room decorating ideas!

Excerpted from Pottery Barn Dining Spaces