The table was to be set up a few days prior to the big meal, with visitors coming and going. This meant that the table should look nice with or without place settings and food. The challenge here is making a centerpiece or table scape that allows for the place settings and food, but doesn't look small when the table is missing those items.
My solution: have a flexible centerpiece. This means using multiple parts to create one big design, that can in turn be removed to create the much needed space on the table. We removed all of the larger elements just prior to dinner, leaving only a few sprays of greens, a few candles, and the small vases with roses.
You'll see in the photos, I used large mercury glass urns, vases, and chess pieces, along with various types of live evergreens, red and white roses, candles, and red glass ornaments. We wanted a whimsical, airy feeling. The best part is, once Christmas is over, the mercury glass urns can be used in another capacity all year long.
