Centenary Dinner

Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to coordinate decorations for the Centenary Dinner of my local church.  The first challenge was the budget ($200) for 200 people which meant I had to put my thinking cap on as to how to do things cheaply as well as effectively!  After some brain storming I came up with a few ideas all pretty reliant on free things (milk cartons and tree branches) and cheap tissue paper, wrapping paper and kitty litter!  I utilised some of Martha Stewart's ideas including the puff balls and the cherry blossoms pattern.

The colour scheme was black, red and white, the colours of the Uniting Church, which gave us a focus for the decorations.  I mocked up some table decorations, milk carton holders for the tea lights and punched the table numbers using Papertrey numbers. Once we had agreed on a design it was time to get to work!

We had a working bee one Saturday when lots got done folding forty puff balls, making the candle holders, cherry blossoms, and tying ribbons on 200 menus.  

The team of people helping me kept working on things in the evenings, like fluffing pom poms and sticking on blossoms until we were ready for the set up.

We had access to the hall Saturday morning, which was just as well as it took about 3 hours to get things done.  First the puff balls were hung in the centre of the room in a grid pattern.  I had attached them to hula hoops wrapped in tissue paper to make it easier.   And then we got to setting the tables.

It came together quite well in the end with the centre pieces adding colour and focus, and each place setting having their own menu and handmade rose chocolates to take home.

With large vases of cherry blossoms in the corners of the room it came together beautifully.

Finally, I have to say I could not have achieved all this without the wonderful team of volunteers who assisted in so many ways, on so many days! The feedback was very positive and a great night was had by all.