The Prettiest Place Settings from Real Celebrations

plates
Photo: Elizabeth Messina Photography

Get inspired by beautiful tableware, from dinner plates to chargers.

01 of 32
plates
Elizabeth Messina Photography

Wedding table settings can vary greatly, but a few main elements can generally be expected: Every guest will need utensils, a napkin, drinkware, and dishes to eat off of. While each piece of the puzzle is important, plates are often the first thing guests will notice, considering that they take up the most space, and are what place cards and menu cards typically sit on. So, although plain-white options are readily available, you may want your dishes to pop a little more. If you're hoping to capitalize on your table's design potential, your plates are a great place to start.

To help you get inspired for your own celebration, we've rounded up some of the prettiest place settings we've seen at weddings and related events. Formal, casual, classic, nontraditional, bright, muted, pattered, solid—whatever you consider the style of your dreams, you'll find it in this list. For seamless, cohesive tablescapes, choose one look to copy for your own special day. Or, for a more eclectic affair, you can mix and match your favorites.

If you have other details—like your centerpieces—picked out, click through for ideas that'll complement them. Alternatively, use the dishes that catch your eye as a launching point for the rest of your décor search! If you're not sure how to incorporate plates into the broader scheme of your party, show a planner the ones that tickle your fancy and create a game plan together. Then, once the wedding's all done, consider keeping a set for you and your spouse—dishes this lovely deserve to be repurposed.

02 of 32

Alternating Dishes

plates
Ashley Sawtelle

This wedding's place settings featured alternating middle and bottom dishes.

03 of 32

Floral Plates

plates
Abby Jiu Photography

Floral plates were especially seasonal at this springtime wedding.

04 of 32

Blue China

plates
Joseba Sandoval Photography

Classic china is always a timeless option—this wedding's dishes were no exception.

05 of 32

Intricate Plates

christine-dagan-wedding-placesetting-4319_01-s113011-0616.jpg
Love, The Nelsons

This bride wore a patterned wedding dress, and selected dinnerware that would match. "I wanted a design that would playfully tie into the vibrant colors of the gown," she shared.

06 of 32

Purple Chargers

plates
Ben Yew

These gorgeous purple chargers looked lovely beneath floral plates.

07 of 32

Textured Dishes

ciera preston wedding place setting
Ashley Sawtelle

Textured white plates dressed up this reception's wooden tables.

08 of 32

Complementary Plates

abby elliott bill kennedy wedding table
Corbin Gurkin

Odd Mom Out's Abby Elliott chose a selection of mismatched vintage china for her reception, which reflected the day's lighthearted mood.

09 of 32

Gold-Leaf Dishes

plates
Lacie Hansen Photography

These patterned plates were beautifully refined.

10 of 32

Muted Plates

plates
Caroline Tran Photography

Floral plates sat atop uniquely-rimmed chargers at this wedding. How dreamy and romantic!

11 of 32

Festive Dishes

plates
Jenny Haas

These fun, festive plates were from Target! Who knew gorgeous dinnerware could be so affordable?

12 of 32

Pink-Rimmed Plates

plates
L. Hewitt Photography

The peachy-pink plates at this reception went well with the napkins and centerpieces.

13 of 32

Leaf Plates

place setting
Corbin Gurkin Photography

Nature-inspired patterns are always eye-catching, as these botanical plates went to show.

14 of 32

Elegant Dishes

plates
Kayla Barker

Ornate dishes, like this textural set, always look perfectly polished.

15 of 32

Wooden Chargers

plates
Tec Petaja

We love how these gold-rimmed dishes contrasted with wooden chargers.

16 of 32

Mismatched Plates

plates
Lydia Jane Photography

This eclectic tablescape featured a range of unique dishes, from translucent pink plates to floral ones.

17 of 32

Speckled Plates

plates
Lexia Frank Photography

Classic Party Rentals provided these blue splattered plates, which went with the wedding's campy enamelware mugs.

18 of 32

Green-Leaf Plates

plates
Bryan from For the Love of It

These "Emerald Vine" Lomoges plates were from The Ark.

19 of 32

Detailed Plates

plates
Magnus Bogucki

The place settings—from the figurines to the plates—were wonderfully whimsical at this wedding planned by Italia Celebrations.

20 of 32

Navy Blue China

jessie-tristan wedding tennessee table setting blue willow china
Laura Dart

This bride collected "Blue Willow" china for her reception.

21 of 32

Flower-Rimmed Plates

plates
Marta Guenzi

Supremely-sweet blooms patterned these pretty plates, which were chosen with the help of planner Sara Carboni.

22 of 32

Butterfly Plates

plates
Sally Pinera

At Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead's wedding, guests dined off of one-of-a-kind dishes, including butterfly-patterned plates and bold, blue chargers.

23 of 32

Green-Blue Plates

plates
Michael + Anna Costa

These seafoam-hued plates sat pretty atop clear, gold-rimmed chargers.

24 of 32

Leaf-Rimmed Chargers

plates
Corbin Gurkin

These The Ark chargers, which were rimmed with golden vines, were absolutely ethereal.

25 of 32

Light-Blue Dishes

plates
Samantha Kirk Photography

These matching plates and chargers were colored a soft, hazy blue.

26 of 32

Cement Chargers

plates
Lavender and Twine

At this reception, china from the venue rested on industrial-chic cement chargers from Buena Tile + Stone.

27 of 32

Red-and-Pink Plates

plates
Sandra Åberg Photography

Pink and red are gorgeously romantic—they combined beautifully on these warm-hued plates. The table settings were planned by Brenda Babcock.

28 of 32

Patterned Plates

plates
Belathée Photography

Gold is such a celebratory color—it was used creatively in these place settings.

29 of 32

Gold-Rimmed Dishes

plates
Michael Radford

These gold-rimmed dishes were exquisitely simple.

30 of 32

Mixed Plates

plates
Sierra Solis Photography

Various plates were used at this anniversary party. We're especially sweet on this deep-green dish.

31 of 32

Colorblocked Plate

katie-brian-wedding-placesetting-3458-s111885-0515.jpg
Gideon Photo

These yellow-and-white plates were casually cool.

32 of 32

Clear Plate

plates
Angga Permana

Classy, clear plates at this glam wedding showcased the lacey tablecloth underneath.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles