Turning tables

BENGALURU: The pandemic may have come in the way of partying. But here in the city, Bengalureans are reinventing the way they hold intimate gatherings. They are now turning to professionals to set up their dining tables to create different kinds of looks. From providing furniture to fabric, flowers, table centres, lights and candles, everything is focused upon setting the mood for the event, says Anjana Thomas, founder of The Whole Nine Yards, an event planning company which specialises in dinner set-ups. 
“People have smaller groups of friends and families and so, the demand for a cozy set-up has risen in recent times,” she says.

The theme of the tablescape can be either vintage or giltz and glamour, depending on the mood that the client wants to set in. For instance, Pratiksha Kataria’s disco theme is a rage among young adults. The founder of Tablescapes By P, who started the brand last year, says she was overwhelmed with party orders for birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc during the pandemic. “I do only six set-ups a month, complete with my personal touch and supervision at every occasion. I don’t charge according to the number of guests. Whatever be the event, be it in a private garden or at a hotel room, my packages start from 
R 15,000,” says Kataria, who gets additional materials like candles, specific kind of cutlery, etc from her own inventory to the event, if need-be.

Naadia Mirza, co-founder and director of Dotted I, a quirky gifting brand, finds herself creating intimate sit-down dinners or a set-up for small parties with a handful of people. “We customise according to how people want the setting to be,” says Mirza, who also runs another brand called Naadia Mirza & Co, which only focuses on table styling, as they are, according to her, an important part of the whole indoor event. “We accentuate whatever people have at home and enhance the environment by using our products as part of the theme chosen by them,” she says.

Even flower studios like Flower Box are helping in beautifying your table set-up. “Besides floral gifts like bouquets and hampers, we get requests for dinner setups, baby showers and every occasion that can be celebrated or observed. Clients are mostly looking for very fresh, long-lasting flowers, eye-catching designs and great service,” says Meghaa Modi, flower design artist and founder, Flowerbox.

CLEARING THE CLUTTER
Decluttering the house prior to a party is a huge task. In fact, Rohini Rajagopalan, a certified professional organiser and founder of Organise With Ease, has been getting multiple requests during the lockdown. “Having a decluttered home ensures you don’t have to stress prior to hosting anyone or having an event at home. It also helps optimise your space and know exactly what you own, thus making it easier to plan such events,” she says.