Happy Thursday! Can you believe it’s only a week until Thanksgiving? As we’re all planning our Thanksgiving menus and tablescapes, I can’t think of a better time to share more detail shots from the rustic fall harvest dinner shoot I styled with our vintage rentals for Nfocus Magazine’s November Epicurean + Entertaining issue. When I designed this autumnal alfresco tablescape, I didn’t want it to feel too predictable–no orange, no gourds or pumpkins. Instead, I wanted to give Nfocus readers (and all of you lovelies!) a way to elevate traditional fall decor with plenty of handmade touches and an unexpected color palette of jewel tones, amber and gold.

I dip dyed all of the linens by hand to give the table runner and napkins an ombré effect. I love how the textiles look against Stockroom’s vintage amber bottles filled with raw cotton, rosemary sprigs and lovely florals designed by Hillary at Brocade Designs.

While I worked to avoid typical fall decor, I couldn’t resist my favorite fall element–leaves! I collected bags and bags of fallen dried magnolia leaves, dipped them in a muted, antique gold paint and strung them together to form chair garlands. The way the leaves reflected light from the setting sun and fluttered and danced in the crisp fall breeze was stunning!

Elizabeth Hardin at Hardink Calligraphy made the tea-stained menus and guest name tags, which I tucked into handmade wreath place cards at each setting. Those wreath place cards, by the way, are a snap to create. I simply plucked some pliable green branches with berries from my backyard and bent them into wreath shapes, attaching the ends of each branch with floral wire and adding a few mums for a pop of color. After dinner, guests can take the wreaths home–such a fun and simple Thanksgiving favor idea!

By far, my biggest DIY endeavor for this shoot was this rustic branch chandelier. I started the project from scratch by collecting twigs and branches from my yard and then bending and intertwining them to form a circular chandelier. Floral wire helped keep them in place. Once I was happy with the basic shape, I added in battery-powered twinkle lights and wove in lots of berries, mums and raw cotton–all of which can survive an evening without water.

Thanks to the Chef Tyler Brown of the Capitol Grille for creating a beautiful farm-to-table menu to go along with my styled dinner party and to the lovely team at Nfocus Magazine and photographer Michael W. Bunch for sharing these photos and inviting me to be a part of their Epicurean + Entertainment issue! - Elizabeth

Venue: Travellers Rest Plantation

Flowers: Brocade Designs

Paper Goods: Hardink Calligraphy

Concept, Rentals and Styling: Stockroom Vintage

Photos: Michael W. Bunch

Food: Chef Tyler Brown of the Capitol Grille

 

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