A Beautiful Valentine’s Day Table for the Tribe You Love

Valentine’s Day Dinner. That phrase evokes a vision of a private romantic table for two. But what if you have a whole tribe that you love? What if you’re having them all over to celebrate the day? And what if you’re like me, and aren’t necessarily enamored of the heart motif for decorating? Or you just want something different this year? Maybe something that just barely whispers “Valentine’s Day?”

Last weekend, my tribe came over to celebrate my niece’s 21st birthday. And since we wouldn’t see them all again before Valentine’s Day, we combined the two. The birthday girl came over early to make cookies, so she helped me set the table.

Valentine’s Day Flowers

You know how sometimes there’s one thing that sets the tone for a table? Usually for me it’s the flowers, but this time it was the vase.

Since I had recently started thinking about Valentine’s Day, I already had some Valentines type flowers. Classic white lilies and gorgeous salmon pink roses.

Also, some lacy greenery – all in my vintage black amethyst vase.

My niece and I decided that the arrangement quietly said Valentine’s Day just as it was. So we built our table setting around it. It was really fun to have her help! When you work with a friend, you get a different perspective. And maybe come up with something you hadn’t thought of before.

The Placesetting

After considering a couple different options, we chose black chargers to match the vase. (I used this vase for another holiday a while ago. You can read about that one here.)

As I’ve mentioned before, these chargers are great because they’re really inexpensive. They’re also sturdy and easy to clean! I can usually find lots of color options at Amazon, Michael’s, or the Dollar Store any time I stop by. There’s a link below if you want to shop!

We were trying to keep the color scheme subtle, with just a slight nod to Valentine’s Day. So keeping that in mind, we used our everyday white dinner plates. (And a rose on the plate because we thought it would look less boring in the picture!)

And then the salad plates! We really wanted silver as our accent color, which left me a little challenged as far as salad plates. I just don’t have enough of the same size and style to go around. But you can see in the picture above how we handled it! And how you can too if you ever find yourself in this situation.

The two places at either end got the heavier, fancier salad plates. This is a standard trick that works really well. Putting the different settings at the head and foot anchors the arrangement. And looks like you designed it that way on purpose!

Then we alternated the actual salad plates and the bread and butter plates. (Shhhh – don’t tell anybody we used the tiny bread and butters – we were counting on nobody noticing! Plus, some people don’t eat much salad anyway … ) (See the little plate peeking out across the table in this picture, as well as in the previous?)

Valentine-Colored Napkins

Even though we didn’t need to, we also used two different colors of napkins. We thought about all pink, but that was too boring. All red was too bright. And alternating them didn’t seem right either. So following the principle of the salad plates, we put the darker colors at the table ends. That was just bright enough to make it interesting, without overpowering the setting.

As you might imagine, since silver was our color, we used the silver tableware. (Just as an aside, I’m having great success putting my silver in the dishwasher. So many decorators I trust recommended it, that I gave it a try. So far, so good!)

(Update 2023: I actually stopped doing this, only because the silver seemed just a little duller to me after a while. It might have been my soap or whatever, but I’m comfortable hand-washing, so that’s what I do. If you have experience with silver in the dishwasher, I’d love to hear about it!)

Candles are so nice, I always think. Especially for a Valentine’s touch – so warm and romantic! We used some silver candlesticks in a complementary style to our plates. I got these at a vintage shop.

And cut crystal is always lovely too. I use this highball style for water, and they add such sparkle!

Special Wines for Your Valentines

As you might have guessed, we had some truly epic wines for the Birthday Valentine’s Day dinner. They were bottled the year my niece was born, and my brother babied them along in his cellar until she turned 21. Because we might never see wines like these again, we needed our perfect wine glasses.

So, I really must go to bat for our favorite glasses. We love Riedels. (The one above is a Riedel Vinum Bordeaux. Click on the picture to get a jump on shopping!)

When my husband was first teaching me about wine, he told me that specific wines taste and smell better in specific glasses. I was skeptical. I may have even demurely expressed my uncertainty – possibly with the words “NO WAY!!!” However, he quietly and patiently poured me the same wine in several glasses, and suggested I see for myself. Which I did. And ok, it made a huge difference! Really.

If you’re a wine lover and have never used a Riedel, give the glass comparison a try. And let me know what you think!

The Meal

Besides the place setting, the flowers, and the wine, dinner is all about the food! For this meal my husband made a fabulous roast beef with ravioli and a gorgeous wine sauce. And of course, we had those cookies!

So, here’s to sharing Valentine’s Day dinner with your tribe! And even if you don’t want hearts, your table setting can be a lovely subtle nod to the occasion!

Happy Valentines Day Everybody!

———- Shop The Valentine’s Day Post ———-

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Click on the item listed below for links to the pieces I used for this table. However, if the exact item isn’t available any more, I chose a similar option.

• White Tablecloth
• Black Charger
• White Dinner Plate
• Accent Salad Plate
• Salad Plate
• Bread & Butter Plate
• Salad Fork
• Dinner Fork
• Silver Dinner Knife
• Crystal Highball Water Glasses
• Riedel Bordeaux Wine Glass
• Red Napkin
• Blush Napkin
• Silver Candlesticks (similar)
• White Taper Candles
• Black Vase

This Post Shared With

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