From centrepieces to glassware, dressing your wedding tables yourself takes just a few simple steps For couples expecting to walk down the aisle in 2020, it’s been a tumultuous year, as the coronavirus has scuppered most long-awaited plans.

However, the government did provide some relief when it announced in June that wedding ceremonies could go ahead from 4 July, with up to 30 guests.

Unfortunately the news wasn’t as promising for wedding receptions. Although they were initially given the green light to go ahead from 1 August, the prime minister Boris Johnson made a U-turn on the government’s decision, postponing them until 15 August at the earliest.

The government confirmed this week that wedding receptions can go ahead from this Saturday, but only in the form of a sit-down meal with up to 30 guests, in a Covid-secure venue.

The new guidance will not apply in areas such as Greater Manchester and Preston, where local lockdown measures have been imposed. Tablescaping: How to create a beautiful dinner setting

With strict rules in place, it’s likely that you’ll be organising the decoration of your own wedding reception table and providing the embellishments for the sit-down meal. But given the smaller numbers, it might be easier than you think.

Party architect, Johnny Roxburgh , tells The Independent: “While the 30 guest limit may be disappointing, the reduced numbers will for some couples be an opportunity to spend more lavishly on fewer people.”

If you’re going solo on the wedding table design, make sure you keep the possibility of delivery delays in mind for items you buy online.

Claire Berry, a wedding planner and founder of design agency Perfect Cartel , says: “Allow extra delivery time for anything ordered online due to enhanced safety measures, and if you can, order at least two more of anything than you think you need and count everything twice.”

To help you create a beautiful setting for your guests and celebrate in style on your big day, even if it wasn’t the original party you had imagined, we’ve consulted wedding planners who have shared their tips on making the day as special as possible.

You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent . Tablecloths

Roxburgh recommends having long tables to seat your guests at: “I think they’re such a good way to create an intimate atmosphere, while at the same time complying with social distancing,” he says.

A beautiful tablecloth is a perfect base for your table setting, you can either use it to add colour and vibrance or keep it simple with a plain white option that you can build upon with flatware and glassware.This cotton tablecloth (H&M, £8.99) is an inexpensive find that can be machine washed should any wine be split. The simple design offers the ideal canvas to style with other decorations, based on your chosen colour palette. Start your table design with a simple, white […]