Whether it’s breakfast in bed or dinner with the whole gang, make it an event to remember with considered table settings and special touches. 


 

Breakfast in bed

For this occasion, you’ll, of course, need a sturdy breakfast tray that’s large enough to hold all the food and drink, plus a few other extras. If you don’t have a tray with legs, a simple serving tray with a lip will do. It’s best to avoid roughly textured trays like rattan or straw, especially if you’re serving hot drinks; instead opt for a serving tray with a smoother surface like timber or bamboo to avoid any spills. 

Check out our video, three ways to style a breakfast tray, for different breakfast tray looks, then add extra touches like a handmade card, a small vase of flowers, a scented candle or a framed family photo. 

If the tray is heavy, consider bringing an extra large cushion or side table to take the load off Mum's lap, and don’t forget a large napkin or a pretty tea towel to prevent crumbs from getting into the bed (the worst!).


 

Afternoon tea

Instead of a perfectly matched tea set, embrace the ‘vintage look’ with mismatched teacups and saucers in soft pastel colours and floral patterns and stripes.
 
Avoid any packaging on the table and decant milk in milk jugs, place sugar in sugar bowls (try sugar cubes instead of loose sugar) and opt for loose leaf tea using teapots with infusers.  

Find more styling tips and recipe ideas in our blog post on twists on Australian afternoon tea favourites.

 
 

Share-style lunch or dinner

Abandon colour rules and layer your table with a patterned tablecloth, mismatched crockery and colourful glassware in contrasting shades. We’re loving the fun and whimsical patterned tablecloths, runners, napkins and napkin rings from Australian table linen brand Bright Threads. 

In keeping with the relaxed look, do away with placemats and loosely style the centre of the table with sculptural glass vases and jugs, leaving plenty of space for rustic timber boards and serving platters. 

Just like cushions on a sofa, antipasto food groups (meats, cheeses, condiments) work well in odd numbers. When assembling, start with the cheeses, placing them as far apart on your board or platter as possible. Then, drape the prosciutto like a ribbon and fan out the salami. Finally, fill the gaps with olives and condiments, using little bowls or ramekins and not forgetting a small empty bowl on the side for olive stones. For more tips, check out our blog post on how to create the perfect antipasto platter.


 
Offer varying plate sizes to your guests, so those who'd rather graze can opt for a smaller side plate. Aussie homeware brand Ecology has a great range of beautiful stoneware dinner plates and side plates, which you could quite easily mix and match. 


 

Formal lunch or dinner

When it comes to finer dining, a proper table setting with the right cutlery in their rightful places is everything, Refer to our blog post how to set a table to guide you on the setting of bread plates, glassware and course-by-course utensils.

Cloth napkins are essential for this occasion. We love a bit of napkin-folding at Temple & Webster, so here are a few ideas from our TikTok to inspire you:

- Straight single pocket napkin fold
- Angled multi-pocket napkin fold
- Rose napkin fold


 
Go big on flowers for your Mother’s Day table. Group vases of different sizes, shapes and heights and fill them with Mum’s favourite seasonal blooms sticking to a colour palette of just a few key hues to unify the look. Make sure you cut the stems relatively short so the arrangement sits low enough for everyone around the table to enjoy conversation. 

Wishing you all a beautiful Mother's Day, however you wish to celebrate with the mother figures in your life.