Selecting a Theme
Choose a color theme. Your table will be much more cohesive if there is a theme to your decorations. The theme can be either a color or an event, such as a birthday, a season, or a specific holiday. If the theme is a color instead of an event, limit yourself to 2-3 colors that go well together. If the theme is a holiday, choose colors that correspond with that holiday. For example, if it is a Christmas buffet, use decorations that are red, green, and gold.
Buy or make items related to your theme. Create a centerpiece that incorporates your theme using fruit, flowers, props, or candles. You can then choose items that hint at that theme for the rest of the table, such as edible garnish, flowers, fruit, leaves, or cinnamon sticks. Some other ideas for table decorations, depending on your theme, are ribbons or seashells.
Avoid overdoing the decorations. You want the decorations to be classy, not gaudy or overwhelming. Ideally, the food will be on display and any décor around the table will enhance the look of the food, not hide it or overwhelm it. Also, avoid sprinkling the table with glitter or other non-edible decorations, as these often end up on people's plates or in their mouths.
Coordinate your tablecloth, a table runner, napkins, and placemats. Choose either a tablecloth or a table runner to place beneath the food on the buffet table. Napkins are a must as well. Placemats are optional, but can be a nice touch to have beneath your serving dishes. When choosing these items, be sure that they are within your color scheme and that they go well with one another. Consider oversized cloth napkins in colors that match your theme. For a more casual buffet, paper napkins are just fine. No matter what, supply plenty of spare napkins in case of a mess. Table runners should hang about 6 inches (15 cm) down the table on both sides.
Prepare a label for each food item. Make labels for each dish that you will have on the table. Use cardstock or paper folded in half, with the name of the dish written on one side. Write or type in a bold, clear font that is large enough for any guest to read. Write whether a dish is vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free on the label, beneath the name of the dish.
Consider making a menu to display. For an extra touch, you can create a menu of all the different foods that will be served. Display the menu either using a small menu easel on the table or a stand beside the beginning of the table. That way, guests will know what they will find further down the table and can make more informed food choices.
Arranging the Basics on the Table
Plan your arrangement before you begin placing the decorations. This will prevent you from wasting time rearranging it. Decide which decorations you want to use, where they will go, and what direction you want the guests to follow.
Set up a logical journey down the table. Imagine yourself starting at the beginning of the table, picking up a plate, dishing up an appetizer and a salad, and then moving down to the main course dish. Think about the order that you would eat a meal in, and arrange the food dishes in that order.
Move your buffet table to a convenient location. It needs to be visible, but not in people’s way. If you have a lot of guests and your room is large, set the table away from any walls so that your guests have access to the table from both sides. If the room is smaller, place the table against a wall, out of the way. If possible, leave space for people to stand on either end of the table to avoid too much crowding in the front.
Lay down your tablecloth or table runner. Either of these will create a lovely base for the buffet table, and can mask a table that you may not want to be shown. If you use a table runner, position it in the center of the table and make sure that it runs the full length of the table.
Put the plates and bowls at the beginning of the buffet table. Plates are the first thing your guests will need, so they should be at the beginning of the table. Set out more plates than you think you’ll need, since guests often take a new plate each time that they return to the table.
Place the utensils at the end of the table. Having the utensils at the end of the table relieves people from having to hold them while trying to hold their plate and serve themselves food. With only two hands, that can be a difficult task! You can also have utensils at both the beginning and the end of the table, if you would prefer. Provide all of the utensils that will be needed for the food you’re serving. For example, don’t forget the soup spoons if you’re serving soup!
Set the napkins near the utensils, or wrap the utensils in the napkins. Wrapping the utensils can make it easier for your guests to grab the whole bundle at once, instead of having to pick up each utensil individually.
Have multiple stacks of plates, cups, utensils, and napkins. Since hungry people can be very eager to get what they need and sit down, it is best to have multiple stacks of plates, cups, utensils, and napkins. That way, many people can grab one at the same time without needing to wait in a line or push into each other.
Leave space for people to momentarily set their plates down. This step is often missed but is very important. If a guest needs to grab another napkin or adjust something, you want them to have space to set their plate down for a moment. When arranging your table, try to leave small pockets of space where a plate could fit.
Do a practice run. This will help you to visualize the end result and see if anything needs to be adjusted. Make sure that the table isn’t too crowded, and that your decorations aren’t going to block any food. Do a trial walk down the buffet table as well, pretending to serve yourself. Make sure that everything is placed logically and within reach. At this stage, adjust anything that needs to be fixed and remove any decorations that are cumbersome or unattractive.
Incorporating Your Decorations
Elevate some of your dishes. Adding height to some dishes is aesthetically appealing and adds life to your table. You can easily elevate areas by covering secure objects such as boxes and upside down containers with cloth. Just don't exaggerate the elevation, as this not only looks chaotic, but it can be dangerous. You table should have subtle rises and dips. Place all the serving dishes that will be used on the table as you decorate. This will help to ensure that you have enough space for everything that needs to be on the table.
Arrange your themed decorations. Now that your dishes are placed, go ahead and fill in the spaces with the decorations that you've chosen. Be mindful of not placing items in front of food dishes, or in areas where they will get knocked over by elbows. Try placing larger items at the back of the table, and smaller items between dishes and around the edges of the table.
Set out candles. Candles are a wonderful decoration for any buffet table. Consider placing tall candles at the back of the table if the table is against the wall, so that they will not get knocked over. Otherwise, you can decorate small jars with candles inside and place them around the table. If having flames seems dangerous for your event, consider using flickering electric candles.
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