Dessert table by the amazing Amy Atlas
Before people taste food with their mouths, they devour it with their eyes. This is the driving force behind why chefs at top restaurants put so much effort into making dishes look elegant and well put together, and even explains why burger commercials make everything look so crisp, fresh and enticing. Your eyes will tell you whether it should taste good before you ever take that first bite. And this is precisely why a well styled dessert table, buffet table or appetizer table is so important – it will actually make the food more enjoyable for your guests (not to mention it makes for a really pretty picture).
Some of the things you’ll want to consider when styling a dessert or food table include the theme of the event (for colors, cute design and decor details), the type of food you’ll be serving, the ease of eating (best to use things that can be picked up and eaten in one or two bites, or put items in single serving size containers so guests can grab and go mingle), and varying heights of the dishes so you can see everything on the table clearly.
All of the beautiful dessert and food tables you see popping up on sites like Pinterest and Style Me Pretty are so visually enticing because of a consistent theme and great styling. And one of my favorite items to use for styling a dessert or food table are cones and stands to create visual interest and height difference in the food on display (see left photo of a fabulous – and totally affordable – bamboo cone stand from Restaurantware.com (they also supply the pretty little cones that hold the food and fit neatly inside each slot).
What I love about cone stands and cones is that they are so incredibly versatile. You can use the stand again and again a million ways (for french fries, popcorn, cotton candy puffs, veggie spears, to hold ice cream cone cupcakes, to hold favors, the list goes on and on…), and they also come in different shapes to suit what you are looking for. A big square cone stand with a ton of slots (like this one) is perfect in the middle of a table with low platters around it and elevated boxes with platters on top behind it, while the smaller semi-circle cone holders might work best flanking the center item on the table (use two for this – one on each side).
Finally, don’t forget to dress up your cone stands and cones so they match the overall look and feel of your event! Why not spray paint the bamboo stand, and wrap your cones in a wallpaper or wrapping paper that coordinates with your event’s theme for a completely custom look? You can always paint over the stand again for another event later on – the customization options are endless, so get creative!
I hope I’ve given you some fun ideas on how to style up a pretty dessert or food table… how do you plan on styling your tables? Share your ideas below in the comment section!
Note: This post was sponsored by Restaurantware.com (an amazing resource for the cone holders and paper cones), although I would never share anything with our readers that I wouldn’t love and use myself. Happy Table Styling!
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