A Table Dress Rehearsal Can Save Time & Money

While planning for an event, you might ask yourself, "Do I have enough platters?  Is there enough room on my table for food AND drinks?  Will there be enough symmetry and height elements for the table to look appealing?"  Maybe you don't have any specific questions but you need to plan with a hands on approach or perhaps you aren't able to get a clear mental picture of how your table will look when it's "opening night". 
      I typically have a vision that I'm trying to accomplish, but there's always a few things I forget to include or I over plan and don't have enough room on the table.  So, here's my secret... before a big event, I like to do a "dress rehearsal".   I do my dress rehearsal well in advance so I'm not scrambling at the last minute.  
 Surprisingly, it only takes me about 10 minutes to pull out a few dishes and any decorative items that will take up space on the table.  I analyze the space and ensure that it achieves the desired look that I've been picturing in my mind for the last few weeks/months.  I arrange and rearrange until I'm satisfied with the flow of the table then I snap a picture with my phone (to reference when I set it up for the actual event).  
    This process may sound like extra work but, in reality, it saves me money (no more over buying food, drinks, and decorations) and it saves me time.  Instead of fiddling with the table arrangement and wasting precious time on the day of the event, I simply pull out my phone and scroll to the picture of my table dress rehearsal and put items in their place.  If I'm really in a bind, I can even hand the picture over to my husband, who can set up the table for me (imagine that!). 

View the complete tablescape here.