I still wonder, even today, why it is that most venues have the worst tablecloths and the ugliest chairs. At times, the tablecloths do not even go all the way to the floor. They’re usually in the most basic colors (think white), and the chairs are soiled or just plain ugly.

When I first started, I had such a difficult time convincing my clients that a great part of creating a gorgeous table is the cloth and chairs. I find in most of Europe they are still committed to using just a plain white cloth, which of course is considered “elegant” (but I have a better word for it: “boring”).

Even if you like white tablecloths, there are many different shades of white and white fabrics or details to make it exciting. In fact, a great tablecloth or a fun chair cover could be a great area to create a dramatic statement.

Thank god that in most countries there are great rental businesses of tablecloths and chair covers. However, I know it can still be a bit of a challenge to convince our clients they need to pay additional fees for the rental or purchase of these items.

Here are a few suggestions to make it more cost effective for your clients:

• Use the venue’s basic tablecloth and just rent an overlay. Overlays tend to be less costly than a full cloth.
• Use the venue’s cloth and create a runner out of fabric or flowers–also less costly than the full cloth.

Example of a chair cap

• Use a chair cap instead of a full chair cover. As you walk into the room, it will create a great visual statement.
• Decorate each chair with flowers or some other detail. (Personally, I am over using ribbon bows.)
• For those of you on a very tight budget, I suggest finding the right paper pattern to create a fun table.

So yes, I do prefer covering my chairs and creating fun tablecloths. I always find this creates an overall more romantic and soft look. However, a few folks could think this is too much… so please tell me. What do you think, NAKED OR COVERED?