When building a table for the launch party that celebrated Luxe Linen’s 2016 line, Grace Song of Charis Events & Design wanted to start with a solid base. “The inspiration began when we fell in love with two of their newest linens – ‘Creation Natural’ and ‘Cashmere Iridescence Dupionique,’” Grace explains. “[They created] a very romantic texture that played a tremendous role in our tabletop.” She notes that her team desired to match the elegance and historical concept of the venue while adding a bit of glamour into the design. From this idea sprang forth the name of the tablescape, “Memoirs of Romance,” meant to represent its propensity to linger in a viewer’s memory.

When formulating a color scheme, Grace’s team felt that they needed a combination of hues that would exemplify the true spirit of romance, which lead them to featuring a classic blend of blush, ivory, and taupe. With additional elements such as chic chairs, small accent tables, and a gilt bar back provided by Revelry Event Designers, Grace need to select pieces that fit the bill of a vintage love story. “We used the ivory pipe and drape to create the white canvas and then incorporated the gold bar back as a backdrop,” she notes. “We arranged countless votive candles to showcase the beautiful floral arrangements and accented them with romantic ivory sofa chairs with espresso wood trim finish on each end of the table.” As an extra eye-catcher for the wandering viewer, the team included a square, white, three-tier sugar cake with a simple design of blooms matching those featured in the centerpieces.

With the inclusion of soft-hued perennials in varying shades of pink and coral, the tablescape achieved a nostalgic, Victorian feel. To emphasize this motif, gilt candelabra in differing heights were added, matching the vases and flatware set about the table. “We cascaded the florals down to the floor to add a dramatic feel to the table, which brings [out] the pure love and unbridled femininity,” adds Grace.

As a final touch, the team wanted to feature a written element in their design. After some consideration, they decided to use calligraphic stationery to top each place setting with one of their “all-time favorite” quotes from style icon and praised philanthropist Audrey Hepburn: “Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.”