the alternate title that I was considering for this post was
'when plan A turns into plan B turns into plan C'
because the point of this post would be when you plan your decor for a party,
plan for a last-minute change in case of unforeseen events
(rain on the day of an outdoor event, for example)
and then plan for any other casualty that may occur however remote the possibility.
in other words: be ready to think on your feet!
was designed for a guest list of seven, for a brunch to be held indoors.
so a large table to fit all of the guests and a long, low centerpiece was plan A.
recap: plan A illustrated below:
yep, that was the plan.
until two of the guests cancelled.
ok, no problem...
actually, it was more than fine because hosting a smaller group
meant that the brunch could be held outdoors on the patio.
all of the same planned elements could be used for the table setting,
with a few adjustments...
cue plan B:
the planned centerpiece goes from being long and low
to being arranged on an ivory china pedestal in a round configuration,
adding height to the center of the round table now being used.
removing the darker green/gray pumpkins and leaves from the plan A centerpiece,
and using only the pale ivory and warm spice tones for the pumpkins and gourds and leaves,
made the arrangement more simple -
which is smart when being used on a smaller table.
the place settings remain the same -
except the decision is made to serve Champagne instead of red wine,
so the bowl wine glasses change to flutes.
as planned, place cards are simple manilla tags tied to coffee cup handles.
mini pumpkins sit in each cup, and the napkins slip through the cup handles.
the guests were a bit delayed, so brunch became a late lunch.
fortunately the menu was quiche and salad, easy to hold over.
the weather was warmer than planned for,
but other than that it was a lovely and relaxing autumn afternoon!
sometimes, you just can't know what might happen...
a little extra preparation makes it possible to tweak the plan and come out looking like a pro!