Sparkling Ideas for Decorating your Passover and/or Easter Tables

As Easter approaches this weekend, and Passover is in full swing, it's time for talk of holiday decorations. Here on the Sparkle and Ink blog, we always try to help you with tips for making your home sparkle. Holiday time is a great opportunity to add a little sparkle to your table, especially if you are having company. Last year, I posted about my tablescape design for Easter, so this year, I thought I'd bring you another perspective. For Easter/Passover 2013, Martha Finnegan of "Tables by Martha" gives us her input on holiday decorations. Martha is an incredibly talented, certified, floral/tablescape designer. Her designs are both unique and elegant, and definitely help to add a WOW factor to an event.

Sparkle and Ink: When you meet with clients to decorate their holiday table, what's the first question you ask?

Martha: When I first meet with a client I ask a couple of key questions.  First, what is the purpose and mood of the event (for example, romance, business, celebratory, or otherwise)? Then, I always bring pictures of my past work and other ideas I have found, to see what sparks the most interest. 
Sparkle and Ink: What's your favorite part of decorating holiday tables?

Martha: My absolute favorite part of doing tablescapes is the end result! I love to see the clients face when it's complete.

Sparkle and Ink: What types of materials do you use in your tablescapes? 
Martha: I use everything from antique jewelry boxes, pearls, LED lights, and anything else that we decide will add to the ambience.
Sparkle and Ink: How large is the largest table that you've been asked to style? What occasion was it for?
Martha: The largest party I have done was a wedding for 250 people.  The theme was Central Park. I re-created the park by creating small lit trees with blooms and hanging votives as centerpieces. I also designed all of the bouquets, decorative elements for the rehearsal dinner and the church as well.
Sparkle and Ink: Can you give us some ideas of how you'd decorate an Easter table or a Passover Seder table?
Martha: Here (pic below) is a culmination of ideas for an Easter tablescape.  I decorated a rose centerpiece by wiring jelly beans.  I used orchid flowers that I wired and put them in containers of wheat grass to look like butterflies. I also glued pink feathers on a piece of burlap to use as an overlay tablecloth. The napkin rings are mini-nests with little blue eggs that I had found. When thinking of bases for the candles, I happened upon little pink bonnet-type hats in a party store, and flipped them over to form a perfect base (a cost effective, and attractive solution). I then added the candles to the table topped it all off with a few scattered blossoms, and voila! 

The finished table:

How fun and colorful!

For the Passover table (pic below) I utilized several of the symbolic items from the Seder to create a centerpiece. These items include romaine lettuce, apples, beets, radishes, and parsley. For an added effect, I lined the inside of the vase with cucumber skin.  Eggs are used as place cards by writing the guests name on them and I also gave each person a small dish of nuts.

Love that gold table runner and the gold chargers as well! Martha created such a meaningful passover centerpiece. Aren't her tables so unique and striking? We can't thank her enough for sharing her holiday ideas with us! 

What are you doing/have you done to decorate your table for the holidays? Share with us in the comments below, we'd love a link or a pic as well! 

Here's more info on working with and contacting Martha: 

Martha Finnegan, of Tables by Martha can be reached via email: Martha.finnegan@gmail.com or by phone: (631) 374-9006. Martha works out of her home and utilizes her own inventory and yours whenever possible to keep design/decorating costs manageable. She offers the option of renting the vessels and other decor. Martha designs decor for everything from individual arrangements to house parties, showers, business gatherings and weddings.

Sparkle On!

 - Kathy