How To Create An Epic Pie Dessert Table.

via

It seems that Winter might actually be on its way at last. The temperature seems to have dropped in the last few days and I actually had to scrape ice off my car windscreen this morning which wasn't exactly ideal given that I was wearing stilettos and a whisper-thin silk shirt. I know - completely practical right..?!

I don't know about you but these colder days make me want to indulge in comfort food - creamy, marshmallow-laden hot chocolates and steaming sticky toffee puddings - and I couldn't help but be reminded of the EPIC pie dessert table that we created as part of our Autumn editorial - The Fall - last year.

It appears that we weren't the only ones smitten with this cornucopia of edible delights - a fair few of you lovelies professed your love for it too as well as pinning it within an inch of its life.

We like this very much indeed.

And so it felt right to share a 'how to' this afternoon with you gorgeous lot so if you should so wish, you can create a pie dessert table of your very own. Obviously the sunlit glade is optional...

Shall we get started?

Getting The Basics Right

So you want to create a Pie Table then do you. Without meaning to state the bleeding obvious folks, you'll need to start with a table. It sounds simple but it's worth considering just how many cakes and pies you'll be displaying on your big day and then scaling your table accordingly.

We used a trusty trestle table approximately 2m in length which accommodated about 25 desserts or so along with some floral decor. It's also worth thinking about the aesthetics at this stage too. Is your table a piece de resistance on its own or does it look a little worse for wear?

We loved the iron legs and the weathered timber of our table so we didn't want to conceal these aspects completely; instead we created a wide neutral runner from a swathe of the softest oatmeal linen to complement the colouring of the cakes and pies that would go on top.

If your tabletop has seen better days then I recommend opting for a tablecloth - preferably in a colour that will complement your wider colour scheme. It's worth noting that white tablecloths are not your only option - in fact these can appear cold and unforgiving in photographs so choose a soft neutral instead for that touch of elegance.

Don't feel that you need to splash the cash either - why not visit your local haberdashery for swathes of fabric at bargain prices and hem the edges for the final polish. We love Barry's Fabrics in Birmingham.

Creating Interest

So you've got your table avec/sans tablecloth/runner. And you're ready for the next stage.

I'll be honest. Plonking a host of cakes and pies onto your table in a haphazard fashion along the length of your table is not going to entice your guests to dig in.

Just no.

This next stage is crucial folks. It's all about the display...a display so fine it would make Mr Selfridge proud. It's all about interest and heights and pretty cake stands and flowers. Since our table was inspired by Autumn and the great outdoors we opted for lots of log stands in different sizes on which to pose our culinary treats.

This actually involved me standing over the boy shouting 'here' and 'cut there' as he chopped the hugest branch into segments for me and which resulted in a visit from our neighbours complaining about the noise of the chainsaw... but I digress.

Don't be afraid to experiment at this stage. Move your stands around, stack them on top of each other, invert them for unusual shapes, cluster them in groups. Some arrangements will look instantly amazing, others will look pants but at this stage it really doesn't matter. Another top tip is to use lots of different sizes too - it breaks things up and adds interest.

Once you're satisfied with your cake-stand set-up now is the time to add your floral arrangements into the mix. Admittedly it's by no means compulsory to add blooms to a dessert set-up but I like the colour and fragrance they bring to the table. Again choosing a mixture of small and large centrepieces is advised so that you can cluster to your heart's content. Don't forget to experiment with the positioning of the flowers, you can always try plucking single heads or strands of foliage to scatter along the table too - we took this approach with clusters of berries and fruits.

Lastly add your pies. Remove them from foil or protective casings and centre them on an appropriately sized stands - smaller stands for miniature tarts and larger platforms for monster gateaux.

Cakes & Pies And The Odd Pear Too

We purchased all of our pies from M&S. We're not going to lie to you folks...every single tartlet and torte, crumbly pastry and flan came from the bakery section of this food hall. That's how blindingly easy it is to create such a set-up.

Of course if you want to foster a bit of competition between guests or if Great Aunt Mabel wants to have a 'role' in the planning of your big day then there's absolutely no reason why you can't ask your nearest and dearest to get their bake on for your pie table instead.

We chose a mixture of smaller individual tarts in a range of juicy flavours and larger traditional fruit pies to create interest and then added in a few wild cards to mix it up a bit - including a chocolate torte and some almond flans.

Lastly, to cater for those not so enamoured of this kind of dessert we added quartered figs and pears which not only looked pretty but added a healthy element to the set-up too.

Finishing Touches

Lastly it's all about the finishing touches. Mismatched plates, striped napkins, antique cutlery and beautiful signage all had their own role to play in our set-up and there's no reason why you can't use them in your own big day too.

There aren't really any hard and fast rules when it comes to finishing touches - this is where you come into your own lovelies! Some of you might opt for a fun banner above your sweet treats such as this one. Alternatively you could go DIY crazy and make lots of DIY cake toppers like these. The key is to try to tie it back into your own wedding theme and your personality quirks as a couple.

For those of you lusting after our own super stylish pie signs, we've included a free download for you so you can integrate a little bit of RMW into your big day. There's even some cocktail coasters too!

Just click the download button below and you'll download the templates in various versions of Word and Pages for you to play with. You might have to move some of the text and images around to get them looking spot on - unfortunately all the different versions of word can be a little unpredictable! You can download the two fonts used in on the templates from DaFont and Iginomarini.