A Feast for the Eye: How to Set a Coastal Table

By Lauren Sage Reinlie

We asked two of our favorite coastal designers and event planners to give us some do-it-yourself tips for creating table settings with a dreamy, beachy vibe. Here's a guide on how to bring the beach to your next gathering — whether you're landlocked, in the dead of winter, or the beach is just outside your door.

Use table coverings to create texture with a light, airy vibe

A lace runner or light cloth will let some of the natural finishes of the table show through. Add a chiffon runner in either light blue or gray for a little more flair. White linen will give the table a crisp and clean look and serves as a blank canvas for any accessory.

— Paola Franco, sayidotodetails.com

A long white linen table with a soft gray chiffon runner and white folding chairs
A lace-covered table beside the surf with a blue vase and conch shell
A low pallet table on the sand dressed with lace, floor cushions, and white florals

For accessories, use the colors of the ocean and beach

Think natural elements like coconuts, seashells, wood, and even sea glass bottles. Add pieces of gold coral or mercury-colored pineapples for a more festive look. Galvanized trays filled with summer fruits will add color and a tropical feel. Accessories add dimension and layers to the table design.

— Paola Franco

A blue ceramic vase and a pink conch shell set on a slice of tree trunk
White and blush florals arranged in a wooden crate wrapped with fishing net
A place setting on weathered wood with a rattan charger, gold flatware, starfish, and pearls
A pallet table runner arranged with a wood slice, sea glass bottles, and a coconut

Keep it simple for beachy elegance

Try a simple flower arrangement with white and blue hydrangeas. Consider bamboo plates and cutlery. They're eco-friendly and complement a natural, beachy vibe.

— Paola Franco

White hydrangeas in a clear glass vase on a wooden riser by the water
Bamboo plates and wooden cutlery stacked in a shallow wooden tray

Use elements widely available at the beach

This includes sand, seagrass, and saw palmetto. People get a little nervous about putting things directly on a tablecloth. Don't! Put sand down the middle of the tablecloth, place pillar candles around it, sprinkle in some sea glass and seashells, and perhaps add a piece of driftwood as a centerpiece.

"It's amazing how quickly, all of a sudden, this becomes a gorgeous centerpiece," says Keith Willard. "Be creative, and don't shy away from using pieces you see in your everyday life. You just never know what will end up making it beautiful."

— Keith Willard, keithwillardevents.com

A round white table set with a pineapple centerpiece on an oceanfront terrace
A macrame and palm-frond backdrop above a table of lanterns and greenery
A long buffet built around a massive piece of driftwood and a shell centerpiece

For indoor events, use glass trumpet vases

This is an easy way to elevate the look. The trumpet vase looks like the instrument, with the wide part facing upwards. It can be filled with anything, but consider sand, seashells, pebbles, rocks, or gel beads for a beachy look. Top it off with some beautiful hydrangeas by themselves or interspersed with roses, which can be ordered directly from South America for a reasonable price.

For added drama, add some orchids sprouting out of the top of the arrangement. To add a stunning visual element that evokes the feeling of being under the sea, add water to the base of the vase and some underwater LED lights.

For outdoor events, opt for low vases. The wind will knock over anything tall.

— Keith Willard

A tall trumpet vase of blush and cream flowers in a light-filled ballroom
A tall white and green arrangement lit warmly above a candlelit table
A white canopy over a low beach table set with lace, cushions, and florals

Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Volume 9 (Summer 2022). Story by Lauren Sage Reinlie. Design and photos courtesy of Paola Franco (Say I Do to Details) and Keith Willard (Keith Willard Events).