POSH 101: Setting the Table for the Holidays

You have the menu, the playlist, and even the outfit, so what's left on your list? Setting the table, of course. The holidays call for a well-adorned tabletop, and we have a quick cheat sheet on how to make your formal dinner place setting shine. How are you setting the table this year? Send us your pictures at showroom@poshcouturerentals.com.

Tabletop: Gold Florentine Charger / Gold Scroll Dinner and B&B Plates / Gold Leaf Salad Plate, Compote, Tea Cup and Saucer / Gold Lyons Flatware / Gold Scroll Goblet / Gold Lace Champagne Flute / Amber Goblet, all P.O.S.H. Couture Rentals // Linen: Gold Beaded Tulle with Gold Nu Silk from Resource One, exclusively at P.O.S.H. Couture Rentals.

The number one rule of holiday tabletops? Use the good china - that is what it's there for after all. Use heirloom pieces and wedding or holiday china and supplement our personal collections with our couture pieces for a shimmering tabletop guests will not soon forget. 

Most of us don't use a formal place setting on a daily basis, so these tips should have you feeling confident that your tabletop looks perfectly posh. Brush up on these essentials and then apply or break them as needed for your event or dinner.

1. Flatware begins with forks on the left and knives and spoons on the right, starting with the smaller utensil and working towards the plate. The easiest way to remember? Your ABC's. Forks (F) on the left, then knifes (K) and spoons (S) on the right.
2. For a less formal dinner, the dessert spoon and fork may be placed above the dinner plate. The spoon above the fork lined up with opposite ends - fork pointing right, spoon left.
3. The napkin is placed on the dinner plate. There are several ways to fold or gather the napkin, so be creative.
4. Glassware always goes on the right. This is easy to remember if you have a bread plate with the same ABC's game. Bread (B) is on the left; glassware (G) on the right. Line up the water goblet with the knife with the white wine glass or goblet on the right. A red wine glass would go right above both to form a triangle.
5. The tea cup and saucer are placed slightly below and to the right of the glassware.
6. The china is the fun part! Begin the foundation with a couture charger and layer dinner, salad, bread plate and their chargers. A demitasse, amuse bouche, or compote dish can also be placed on top.

To Do: Weekend Checklist

It's the last weekend of Partner's Card, and we have our eyes on a few brilliant pieces at our favorite shops. Here is what we're planning on this weekend. What will you be doing? Remember, you can use your Partner's Card at POSH Couture Rentals. Call us today to save on your upcoming events! See more info here.

 1. Partner's Card, Dallas top fundraiser for The Family Place, is in its last few days! What's on our wish list? How about Kimberly McDonald Double Geode Drop Earrings from Forty Five Ten, a gorgeous YSL clutch from TOOTSIES, and an opulent place setting from POSH for our next holiday soiree. (Rentals shown here include Gold Florentine Charger, mixed Gold Scroll and Gold Leaf China, and Gold Lyons Flatware.

2. On our weekend reading list: We can't wait to get our hands on Grace Coddington's memoir! Everyone knows she's just as vital to Vogue as Anna. Read an excerpt of it here. 

3. We're excited to be a sponsor at the ultimate shopping stop for our favorite ladies who lunch: The Dallas International Art, Antique and Jewelry Show. We're talking beauty beyond belief -- definitely a one-stop shopping experience for everyone important in your life. Some of our favorites that we know will be up for sale are shown above, including the GIOIA rosecut sapphires and moonstones cuff bracelet, an 18k yellow gold Buccellati cuff with three rubies and  over 108 round diamonds from J.S. Fearnley, plus - you know how much we love tabletop - an amazing George Jones Majolica Pineapple Teapot (circa 1870, England). Do we have your attention yet? Good, because we have FREE tickets to give away for our POSH pals. Call us for more info.
 

Tabletop Tuesday: Golden Glow

When we saw the golden glow of this tablescape from Jordan Payne Events, we knew it was perfect for Fall. But it was the traditional earth tones and couture china mixed with the modern ghost chair that really caught our eye. The juxtaposition between classic and contemporary is perfect for the modern bride or the hostess with the mostess. Our favorite part? Jordan mixed three different goblets for a truly unique look that makes this POSH tabletop stand out. All you need now is the perfect apple cider recipe for our Amber Goblet!

Rentals: Gold Florentine Charger, Sevres China Collection, Silver Scroll salad plate and bowl, Floral Elegance Flatware, Gold Filigree Etched Glassware, Royal Gold Glassware, and Amber Goblet. All POSH Couture Rentals. / Gold Jacquard linen and Kartell Ghost Chair by Resource One, exclusively at POSH Couture Rentals.
Photography: Thisbe Grace Photography

Entertain: The Layered Look

The layered look isn't just for fashion. Adding layers to your place setting not only adds a luxurious element to your tabletop, it's also great for highlighting signature dishes. Depending on the event and the courses, you can add anywhere from two to ten layers on your place setting. From the foundation of a charger (or two), followed by dinner plates, salad plates, bread & butter plates (all with their own chargers) - you literally can go as layered or light as you wish. This may seem daunting but it's actually great for showing off great catering or your mother's famous dishes. One of the reasons we have so many collections - from couture china to the everyday catering china - is that we understand our clients don't want a generic look for an event or dinner that they have spent weeks or months planning. Your tabletop should be a reflection of you or your guest of honor. This is why we have collections that allow your to mix and match couture, chic, and catering pieces that create a signature tabletop that fits your budget while still allowing for creativity and customization. Go big with a layered look of full couture pieces, add in a few chic pieces along with the catering collection, or just pick one or two couture pieces to compliment your personal collection. Any way you choose, we will make sure your tabletop is a direct reflection of you. 

GOLD: Gold Florentine Charger, Arte Italica Plate, Noritake Salad and B&B Plate, Gold Bead B&B Charger.
SILVER: Clear Hand Cut Glass Charger, Barcelona Silver Dinner, Salad, and B&B Plate, Silver Bead B&B Charger, Champagne Nu Silk napkin with rhinestone napkin holder.