IKEA wedding table styling challenge

I’m no stylist. I think we all know that…

But when Ikea Australia asked me to take part in its wedding table styling challenge, as a bride-to-be, I thought it sounded like a lot of fun! And it was.

The challenge was to create any kind of wedding table setting using nothing but what you can buy in Ikea, apart from large ticket items like the table itself, for under $500. And above is the result, my very pink and floral dessert station. I know it isn’t very good but hey, you can’t take yourself too seriously! Everything there, edibles aside, is from Ikea, right down to the faux flowers (really not that bad, don’t you think?), the frames, the napkins, the table covering, all of it. Tempting as it was to get one of my many stylists friends to do it for me, I think you can probably tell I didn’t!

It’s really amazing how much pink and floral stuff Ikea has, for somewhere known for its basics and minimalist Swedish design. You just have to look. I have nothing floral or pastel pink in my home (well that’s a lie, I do NOW) but I went through a very enthusiastic “nanna chic” stage a couple of apartments ago in 2008 (which scared away all potential boyfriends) and I think a little part of me is still in love with the roses.

Do not underestimate the choice and value of Ikea’s textile department these days. I headed straight there for a ‘table cloth’ and found a great choice of linen and hessian-type textiles, for just a few dollars a metre. Very good to know. I then layered this with some lace, also ridiculously cheap. All the while I’m thinking up money-saving ideas for my own wedding…

Being restricted to only buying things from one store is HARD and I felt immense pressure going round and round (and round and round) the aisles with no real plan before I got there. But it does force you to be creative. It also ensures you buy way too much, just in case. So yeah, I bought more than was humanly possible to fit on my dining table and didn’t use a lot of it. So if you want to know if you can do a dessert station from Ikea for $500? Um yes. About three times over.

The above shot is brought to you by my iPhone camera and some really poor daylight during this week’s crappy weather! Hopefully I get marks for enthusiasm. My fiancé was also very happy to eat all the props afterwards. I sent him to work with this today so I think he may win boss of the week.

Of course, being a bride to be, I am on a diet. So it was less of a styling challenge and more of a don’t-eat-everything-on-the-table challenge!

Thanks for the opportunity Ikea, it was fun!