Ideas for Your Wedding Reception Head Table
Searching for inspiration for your wedding reception head table? At Emerson Fields, we are a completely customizable wedding venue which means your head table may be designed any way you choose. We love assisting our couples with unique designs that showcase their personality and wedding styles. Vintage furniture, handpicked china, floral installations, and other fabulous and personalized décor items all work together to create a one-of-a-kind look. Your wedding coordinator or planner, along with top-notch vendors, can make your vision come to life but we hope you’ll dive into this blog brimming with gorgeous inspiration!
Designing your wedding reception head table starts with determining how many people are in your wedding party, including you, the newly married couple. Then you can determine the number and style of tables you will use. Once you have a layout determined, it’s time to brainstorm about the décor! Your florals, color palette, and details all work together to create one of the most iconic visual décor pieces of your wedding day. We are here to give you tons of wedding reception head table arrangements and décor ideas!
“Having the venue all weekend was so nice and made me feel like I was able to relax. I felt like I was able to keep everything in one place and everyone involved had somewhere they were able to be throughout the day and relax.”
Classic Head Table with a Personal Touch
This bride, Kristen, has our heart with the organic color palette and ALL the white! She wanted a classic white wedding and she did a phenomenal job, along with D-Zines Weddings coordinating her day. She used crisp white linen napkins and D-Zines Weddings took care of all of the floral design, rentals, and full wedding coordination. It was a dream day for Jake and Kristen!
The entire day was captured by Hillary and Grant Photography. The “Let’s Get This Party Poppin” party favors from locally sourced, gourmet popcorn company, GoPo, were a huge hit! Kristen utilized all of the tables and chairs provided by us with her venue rental. She had 16 people seated in her traditional U-shape head table for the wedding party.
Grand Floral Head Table with Emerald Green
Now here’s a real stunner! Morghan and Jeremy hosted a beautifully modern and floral-filled wedding in early September. They had an outdoor wedding ceremony in Emerson Fields’ pavilion with these gorgeous green and white floral arrangements at the end of the rows. After the ceremony, the D-Zines Weddings team brought in all the arrangements and placed them around the head table on the stage giving it this full-floral effect. The wedding party was large with 16 people in total and Maddie String Photography captured this beautiful day so well.
Morghan and Jeremy sat in comfortable tufted chairs in the center of the head table with their wedding party seated around them in a U shape. This head table design was centered around all of the gorgeous florals from D-Zines Weddings and tons of little details. The hanging floral installation on the windows at Emerson Fields created the perfect backdrop to this grand head table.
The place settings on the tables were rentals from Good Stuff China of Kansas City. These were a perfect blend with a black modern charger, a gold-rimmed vintage china dinner plate, a vintage china salad plate, gold flatware, a gold-rimmed water glass, and the most perfect green stemmed goblets! Each wedding party member also received their own individual white cake on a mini gold cake stand for their dessert.
While the wedding reception got started, Cindy Scott Artistry was up in the balcony with a beautiful view of the stage. She painted a beautiful canvas for the couple as a surprise wedding gift! You can read more about this unique wedding day in this portfolio blog.
Fairytale Boho Head Table Design
Our next couple went the extra mile when it comes to DIY head table décor! Maddie sourced and created this entire fairytale head table all by herself! This boho fairytale head table mixed modern with vintage. Maddy sourced all of the place settings, the dark blue glassware, the glass and brass candlesticks, the blue floral arrangements, and the white bud vases herself. The boho floral arrangements with blue accents were made of silk florals, even though you’d never be able to tell! She designed and built the backdrop for the head table out of wood and then ordered a personalized neon name sign from Amazon.
Since our couples have access to our venue for the entire weekend, Maddie and Adam, along with their family and wedding team, were able to arrive early on Friday afternoon to set everything up. Every now and then we get a DIY bride with amazing style who knows exactly how to execute her vision and Maddie was one of those! These photos from Kristen Pulido Photography capture the light and breezy fairytale wedding this sweet couple celebrated.
Sweetheart Table with Romantic Vows on Display
Looking for more romance? This bespoke wedding head table was inspired by a sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Beautiful Bible [@beautiful.bible] created this romantic calligraphy scroll of wedding vows to be the focal point of the head table. Layered neutral pastels, earthy details, whimsical florals from Bare Roots LLC, and soft gray taper candles added lots of romantic elements to this head table. A1 Party and Event Rental from Columbia provided the chairs and soft, velvet table linens, place settings, cutlery, and silver candleholders. Wright Pro Weddings coordinated this romantic European-inspired styled shoot and we love how Mary Frances Photography captured this completely unique head table at Emerson Fields!
No matter what type of head table you plan for, you’ll want to be sure and have your wedding day organized into an easy-to-follow checklist! You need a roadmap to have a wedding like this so grab ours today and begin planning the most enjoyable wedding day!
Simplistic and Stunning Sweetheart Table
Isabelle and Coltan really allowed the beauty of the venue to shine through in their unique sweetheart head table design. A single white farmhouse table on the stage and a gorgeous floral arrangement from Sugarberry Blooms was the focal point for the evening. The white drapery from the curtains doubled as a decorative backdrop to this simple, elegant design. This lovely wedding shows just how a little bit of “décor” and fresh flowers can be used in order to create a perfect, customized design for your wedding day at Emerson Fields. Teri Ann Forck Photography captured this wedding beautifully in these shots! Romantic dinner for two, simply stunning!
Trio of Citrus Sweetheart Tables
These shots of a unique head table arrangement are from a styled shoot we hosted with Styled Shoots Across America with a citrus-inspired palette. Kelsey Alumbaugh Photography shot this beautiful event and we love the bright pops of color! The vintage china and flatware were rented from Good Stuff China company and the furniture is a combination of vintage rentals from Pretty Little Things and A-1 Party & Event Rentals in Columbia.
Our inspiration behind this design was a sweetheart table for the newlyweds with two sweetheart side tables for both sets of their parents, or perhaps maids of honor and best men. Wouldn’t it be such an elegant opportunity to have your parents dine beside you and have the best view of your first dance together?
A note about Good Stuff China of Kansas City: these ladies will work with you on finding the perfect mix/match china combination or vintage collection for your wedding day AND you can either rent it from them or purchase it as your own! What a fabulous idea to use your own china collection for your first meal together as newlyweds!
Here are a few wedding reception head table ideas for large wedding parties.
Photos 1-4 Erik and Holly’s summer wedding was captured by Kelsi Kliethermes Photography. We adore the airy, fresh feel of this couple’s head table arrangement. Holly and Erik had a large wedding party of 20 people. Side note: all of Holly’s bridesmaids were sisters or sisters-in-law! Due to the large number of people in the wedding party, the couple opted to do 4, eight-foot banquet tables and a sweetheart table. Two of the banquet tables were in front of the stage on the floor and two were flanking the round sweetheart table. All of the tables and chairs used in their design were from Emerson Fields. This arrangement gave a very regal aesthetic to their wedding reception.
Photos 5-8 Kendra and Brady from Marceline, MO were married in early Spring and they had a large wedding party of 18. Their head table was a U-shape with a round sweetheart table with the cake as the centerpiece. Don’t you LOVE the idea of keeping the cake for yourself? We thought that was a cute way to allow all of the guests to watch the cake cutting. The wooden cross from Emerson Fields behind the table added depth and texture to the space, but it was also a symbol of the couple’s faith. We also adore Morgan Lee Wedding Photography and her light-airy photography style!
Photos 9-12 Allison and Jake had a rustic boho wedding at Emerson Fields with a 16-person wedding party. They had a wonderful team of professionals to help them create this boho and rustic wedding style including D-Zines Weddings! Warm neutrals, dried florals, with blush and mauve pops of color all created a beautiful boho style. The stunning bohemian blush wedding cake by Cakes by Kristina looked gorgeous as a focal point in front of the stage.
Rainbow Ombre King’s Table
While many love a classic, white wedding others find it a little too simple. If that’s you, Trent Broglin Photography captured the perfect rainbow ombre “king’s table” during a recent stylized shoot! If you can’t choose just one color for your accent, why not add each color of the rainbow? This effect is truly a jaw-dropper!
Styled and Staged STL provided all the perfect candy-colored place settings. Signed Sealed Delivered Events took care of the pretty details while An Affair to Remember designed all the coordinating floral arrangements. If you are a fun-loving couple that wants a super creative design for your wedding day, this might be just the inspiration you need!
Vintage Grandmillenial Chic Sweetheart Table
Rachel B Photography really captured this classic, vintage “grandma chic” style perfectly for McKenna and Brandon’s May wedding. They chose to have a sweetheart table on the stage next to their live band, Keota from Macon, MO. The wedding party and family sat at white farmhouse tables down the center of the venue. These family-style tables were decorated with vintage books, glassware, greenery, and touches of soft blue. A.B. Helton took care of all the rented colorful linens, glassware, and chargers to make the whole vision come to life.
We loved the monochromatic look of this wedding with all the varied hues of blue accents. The embroidered table numbers, handmade by the bride’s sister, gave a cozy and familial feel to the reception space. Plus, it was so special for the couple to be front and center so family and friends were able to enjoy the live music and witness McKenna and Brandon’s choreographed first dance. More about this “granny chic” wedding day is featured in our portfolio blog.
Pictured in the gallery below are four different wedding reception head table designs.
Photos 1-4 are from Juliana Jumper Photography of an intimate, stylized shoot with a solitary sweetheart table using our small, white farmhouse table. The blush velvety linens from A-1 Rentals added warmth as well as texture and a soft boldness to this wintery tablescape. Delicate candles, fresh florals from Sugarberry Blooms, and a harvest dinner from Nolands Catering really gives off Pride and Prejudice vibes. “Do anything rather than marry without affection.” - Jane Austen
Photos 5-8 were taken by McDonald Video & Photography at our Fall Open Venue Experience at Emerson Fields. At these open house-style events, we always decorate the venue like a real wedding. This helps all our visitors get the wedding experience at Emerson Fields! Our head table at this Storybook Botanical-inspired event featured a half-circle sweetheart table and an 8-foot rectangular table on each side for a total of a 10-person wedding party. This fall design included terra cotta-colored linen napkins loosely knotted, a blue-grey wooden charger, champagne table linens, and a tulle skirt around the sweetheart table all from A.B. Helton Fine Linens. Glassware and the fine white china were rented from A.B. Helton Fine Linens as well. Romantic botanical floral arrangements accented each table and the hanging greenery on the string lights at Emerson Fields were the perfect touches from D-Zines Weddings,
Photos 9-12 are from an inspiration shoot with McDonald Video & Photography of Hannibal, Missouri. We designed a family-style head table on our back patio overlooking the lake. The white farmhouse table we used is typically found in our foyer as the guest book table. The trendy wood chairs, glassware, and copper-colored cutlery were from A-1 Party & Event Rental. Then we paired wooden chargers, charcoal gray plates, and gorgeous denim blue linen napkins. The individual pottery pieces at each place setting were from a creative artist we adore out of Columbia, MO, Ashley Herndon. The AMAZING floral designer was Emily with Sugarberry Blooms.
Photos 13-15 had one of the most unique wedding reception setups, thanks to Sarah and Carson from Columbia, MO. They chose to not have a traditional head table because they had live dueling pianos, Whorlow Entertainment, on the stage during the reception for entertainment. Instead, they used the long white farmhouse tables in the center of the venue to seat the wedding party and family. This truly gave the space a “family style” feel since the bride and groom sat with everyone else on the main floor. Tannah Terry Photography captured a lot of love in this wedding and you can view an entire blog post dedicated to it by clicking here.
Ceremony to Reception Head Table with Greenery
Natasha and Ryan, from the Rolla, MO area, had the perfect warm, moody design style that blended so well with Ivy & Ink Photography. A lush garland of greenery topped the head table where the couple and wedding party sat. The modern, white farmhouse tables that are used for the head table are part of the rental package at Emerson Fields. Blush, mauve, and dark greenery accents popped against all the white linens and unique candle holders added a little whimsical touch to the design. We love the added “Thank You” note to the place setting to show how much the couple loved and appreciated their guests.
The wedding party got to be close to the couple as they shared a meal and toasted the new Mr. and Mrs. with everyone seated on the stage together. Since the couple chose an indoor wedding ceremony, the circular arbor made the perfect backdrop for portraits, the wedding ceremony, and the reception.
Winter Glam Head Table
Whitney and Jordan Coffman got married on a snow-covered day in January. Don’t you just love a cozy winter wedding? They had a gorgeous head table on the stage with 2, eight-foot banquet tables. Bringing in that cozy feeling were dozens of white candles shimmering off gold sequin table runners to give it the perfect touch of sparkle. Even in a winter wedding, white blooms and fresh greenery are classic and always in season.
The couple also chose to set up a lounge area against the brick wall of the venue for guests to relax and socialize. It really gave the evening a romantic, intimate feeling. Sheara Jennings photographed this beautiful wedding and shows the uniqueness of a glamorous winter wedding.
Old Hollywood King’s Table
When you get a team of creatives together, including a phenomenal wedding planner [Plan It Terra], you get a stunning king’s table like this showstopper! Pale blue, brushed chrome, glass cake stands, acrylic chairs, bird accents, delectable desserts, romantic florals, and a vintage lounge made this Old Hollywood-inspired head table one for the magazines. The dream team included Good Stuff China, Bare Roots LLC florals, Cakes by Kristina, Pretty Little Things vintage rentals, A1 Party and Event Rental, and more! Rachel Reyes Photography captured all the inspiration in a light and romantic style.
A king’s table is a great choice if you would like to dine with your family or wedding party. It allows for a much more grand feeling to the head table and serves as a focal point of your reception. You can always be creative with the placement of your dance floor at Emerson Fields if you’re styling the venue uniquely. Having a dessert lounge on the stage is the perfect reason to host a king’s table for your wedding reception head table.
These are just a few of the head table designs we’ve seen. We’ve touched on weddings with only sweetheart tables and head table arrangements with up to 20 people. We hope this collection of ideas and images will provide some inspiration to you to do things your way. You can always email us with questions or ideas, use our open venue events to come in and plan your table arrangements hands-on, or schedule a time to come by with your wedding coordinator and talk through some options. If you don’t yet have a wedding coordinator we HIGHLY recommend hiring one and we’ve got some friends in the biz so we can hook you up with the best of the best! We can’t wait to see what you come up with for your own unique head table!
Other unique head table designs from our portfolio blogs:
Lush Spring Wedding with Modern Elegance | Ally + Curtis
Sage Green with Pops of Orange Fall Wedding | Kaitlin + Gabe
Romantic Summer Garden Wedding with Lush Florals | Callie + Jack
“Make your day, even down to the head table arrangement, reflect the two of you in a unique and fun way!”
11/09/2022 - Gabrielle Isom
