Wedding Table Centrepieces and Table Styling With Natural Fibres

Wedding table centrepieces get most of the attention, but the table as a whole is what guests see when they sit down. The flowers, the place setting, the favour and even the light overhead all read together. Styling the table in layers makes the centrepiece look intentional rather than dropped in the middle of a bare cloth.

Natural fibres are a practical way to build those layers. A woven runner, a round placemat under each plate, a bamboo basket in the centre and a woven favour box at each setting give the table texture without crowding it. This guide works from the tablecloth up.

Lay the base with a runner

A runner gives a long table a spine to build on, and it frames the centrepieces so they look like a set rather than separate arrangements. On bare wood a woven runner adds warmth; on a white cloth it adds texture and breaks up a long stretch of linen.

Our table runners include the LAVINLIA runner, handwoven from sedge in blue and natural tones, and the KAN TI CHA runner, whose listing describes it as a base for a beautifully styled centrepiece. On round tables, skip the runner and let a cluster of placemats and a low centrepiece do the work instead.

Use woven placemats as chargers

Chargers mark each place and add a frame around the dinner plate. A round woven placemat does the same job with more texture than ceramic or metal. Our round woven placemats come in water hyacinth, sedge, banana leaf sheath and rattan, and many designs are 30 cm (12 in) across. The DOL LA VA rattan design is listed as both a placemat and a decorative charger plate.

If you are setting many tables, the bulk placemats collection groups the designs that can be ordered in quantity, and the wider woven placemats range adds rectangular designs. Finish the setting with a woven coaster for glasses; the coasters collection includes the WAN NA rattan coasters, sold as a set of 4.

Build centrepieces around natural baskets

A woven basket makes a simple, low centrepiece that guests can talk across. Line it and fill it with seasonal flowers, fruit, herbs or bread for a shared table. The CHALOM handwoven bamboo baskets in our handmade gift boxes range come in several sizes, and the listing suggests them for serving bread and fruit and for event venues.

Keep centrepieces low on long tables so guests can see each other, and save taller arrangements for the top table or the ends of each row. Group three small baskets of different sizes along the runner rather than one large piece, and repeat the same grouping on every table for a consistent look.

Add candles in glass holders for height and evening light, keeping any flame well clear of woven or dried materials.

Set a favour at every place

A favour box at each setting finishes the table and doubles as a place card. Our handmade gift boxes include the YA TA WE bamboo boxes, with an open lattice weave and a listing that names weddings and wedding favours, and the ALAVEEE boxes with a square lattice weave in natural bamboo.

If you are seating guests by name, write each name on the tag so the favour box also works as the place card. It saves printing separate cards and keeps the table less cluttered, which matters when every setting already holds a plate, a napkin and glassware. Fold the napkin and lay it on the plate so the weave of the placemat still shows around the edge.

Personalise them with the custom wedding favour tags from the same range, which can carry the couple's names and wedding date, or with custom printed satin ribbon. For a summer wedding, a palm leaf fan from our wedding hand fans laid across each plate is a favour guests will use on the day.

Light the table from above

In a tent or marquee, the light above the table matters as much as the centrepiece. A row of woven bamboo pendant shades hung along the length of the tables pulls the whole room together, and the open weave casts patterns of light and shadow across the cloth.

Browse our bamboo pendant lighting for shapes and finishes, and the bulk bamboo pendant lights collection for designs that can be ordered in quantity. Bulbs are not included, so arrange warm white bulbs and the fittings with your lighting supplier or venue electrician, who can confirm what is safe for your tent. Our tented event decor ideas cover the rest of the marquee, and our outdoor wedding planning guide covers the practical side of the day.

Wedding Table Styling FAQ

How do you style a wedding table?

Work in layers: a runner or cloth, then a placemat or charger under each plate, a low centrepiece, a favour at each place and soft light above. Repeat the same layers on every table so the room looks consistent.

What can I use instead of charger plates?

Round woven placemats sit under the dinner plate in the same way and add natural texture. Our DOL LA VA rattan design is listed as both a placemat and a decorative charger plate.

How tall should wedding table centrepieces be?

Keep them low on long tables so guests can see and talk across them. Save taller arrangements for the top table or the ends of each row.

What can I put in wedding favour boxes?

Sweets, seeds, a small candle or a soap all fit in a small woven box. Add a personalised tag with the couple's names and wedding date to finish it.