One of the coolest perks of the working as a stewardess onboard a superyacht is having access to fresh flowers (flown in) from markets all over the world, lavish decor pieces to use (often hand selected by the yacht owners interior designer) and being trusted to bring a beautiful table setting to life using YOUR personal creativity!
But when you’re starting out, it can be intimidating hearing the words….
“Can you pick the table decoration today?”
Cue : PANIC MODE!!!! 🚨 🚨 🚨
Like, where do I even start? What will the guests like? Where can I find quick inspo?
We’ve ALL been there.
So, I’ve pulled in three of the best table decoration stew accounts in the industry to give us some of their expertise insight! With these tips, you’ll be a seasoned pro in no time.
Introducing…
Kirsty from The Original Table
Kirsty is a 29 year old Chief Stewardess with 7.5 years experience on board, currently working on a 115m Private Motor Yacht, who LOVES to brunch her way around the world, sampling every plate of pancakes she can get her hands on.
Kirsty started the account during a pre-contract quarantine period as she needed a creative outlet that would hopefully inspire others in the industry as well as a hobby to potentially fall back on once she left the yacht industry.
What is your favourite table to create, that you get a 100% guaranteed guest reaction from every time?
My favourite table to create would be the Positano – inspired table. The mix of citrus, greenery and crisp white linen is always fresh and can be built on nicely.
What is the very first thing you consider when preparing to pull everything for a table?
The time of day/occasion and the menu on hand. A more Asian inspired menu for example would pair well with certain elements whereas a seafood menu could lend well to a sea – themed scape.
Do you pull your napkin, placemat, or decoration first and why?
I pull the placemat, followed by the napkin and then the napkin ring last. I like to establish a base before I add decor and I often get decor inspired by the style or colour of the ring itself.
Where do you find inspiration for table decoration or napkin folds?
It’s simply dependant on my mood whilst pulling the setup. Sometimes I will build a table based on one item such as floral arrangement or an elaborate ornament. The table tends to flow nicely when you have one solid item to refer to!
What is one of the biggest mistakes (that junior stews can learn from) that you made when pulling/laying table decoration in the past?
Always be aware of the amount of food that the chefs plan to send out and the platters to be used. Should service be buffet or family style, ensure open space down the centre of the table and avoid smaller rocks, gems and stones as they cannot be removed as quickly as larger items should the need arise.
If you had no budget restrictions, what is a dream table that you would choose to create on board?
I would love to do a wedding / anniversary celebration with unlimited white floral arrangements. Hydrangeas spilling down the centre and sides of the table! Just crisp, white and understated. Silver and glass decor elements with large candle holders down the centre in contrasting heights. Not to mention hundreds of faux candles scattered around the deck!
You can find Kirsty @TheOriginalTable on Instagram here.
Issie from The Nauti Table
Issie is a 24 year old Second Stewardess with over 3 years experience on board, currently working on an 80m Charter Motor Yacht, who LOVES a sunrise yoga session, everything about Barcelona and a good cheese board.
Issie started the account 2 years ago during a New England season whilst in lockdown where the owners had pretty much become live aboard… who can blame them! Having previously worked on a slightly smaller boat that had only 2 cupboards of deco consisting of smelly shells that the deck crew had collected some 6 months ago, used candles and a variety of daring coloured gems… she was amazed to find a whole pantry dedicated to table deco on her current boat! This excitement of having so much possibility to create, mixed with the monotonous routine of being locked down on trip was the perfect opportunity to create a little side hustle!
What is your favourite table to create, that you get a 100% guaranteed guest reaction from every time?
My absolute favourite is what I like to call the ‘beachy neutral driftwood’ table. It consists of coral, shells, starfish, pampas, driftwood and sometimes flowers! It’s super easy to put together yet looks thought out and full on the table, it’s multi-seasonal as it works for both The Med and Caribbean vibes and the soft neutral tones give off a boho beach club energy!
What is the very first thing you consider when preparing to pull everything for a table?
The first thing I do is check in with the Head Chef to see if there is a certain cuisine or twist with his menu (Italian, Mexican, Moroccan etc). I find that this is always a good starting point when thinking about deco, you don’t have to go full scale theme all the time but sometimes just subtle hints of a theme is enough. But mainly because you don’t want to miss the 1 opportunity of a trip to get the sombreros and ukulele out for a Mexican lunch!
Do you pull your napkin, placemat, or decoration first and why?
I usually always pull the placemat first, then the napkin, then deco. I find it easier to work the deco around the placemat and napkin as you can pick out some of the colours there to use in the centrepiece. But more importantly because deco is sadly last priority. If your guests want to eat lunch 2 hours behind schedule at least you have the basics pulled and you can quickly throw on some fresh flowers and get straight into service.
Where do you find inspiration for table decoration or napkin folds?
For decoration Pinterest is definitely my favourite – I can scroll for hours on there! As for napkins we have a super old school book called ‘Top 100 Napkin Folds’ and I rely on that multiple times a trip.
What is one of the biggest mistakes (that junior stews can learn from) that you made when pulling/laying table decoration in the past?
I remember one of my first table decorations I did on my current boat for the boss at breakfast, I used 2 aqua blue mermaid statues with matching aqua blue placemats and some bright pink gems sprinkled around. It was hideous, I think he must have thought he’d accidentally gate crashed a 3 year olds birthday party. The problem was I was still pretty new to the boat and hadn’t got chance to really familiarise myself with all the deco in the pantry. I got totally overwhelmed with the options and went with the first things I found! I haven’t used the mermaids since.
If you had no budget restrictions, what is a dream table that you would choose to create on board?
I would love to create a @mcqueensflowerschool inspired hanging flower arrangement which spreads the whole length of the dining table. They always use the freshest and most interesting combination of beautiful flowers. Possibly for an event like an engagement or wedding onboard would be really fun!
You can find Issie @TheNautiTable_ on Instagram here.
Shan from The Floating Table
Shan is a 35 year old Chief Stewardess with 10 years experience and is currently working on a 58 metre Private/Charter Motor yacht. She started The Floating Table as a platform for the girls to refer to when setting theme tables – and look where it is now!
What is your favourite table to create, that you get a 100% guaranteed guest reaction from every time?
Any of our themed tables – Asian, Thai, Mexican and Greek.
What is the very first thing you consider when preparing to pull everything for a table?
“Which set should we use”. As we have many beautiful plate sets (Dior, Glancy Fawcett etc) so this determines the colour theme and we go from there.
Do you pull your napkin, placemat, or decoration first and why?
Placemat, then napkin, napkin ring and decoration last. I never really “plan“ decor, I just go with it once I see the base of the table. Really depends on mood and what creatives juices are flowing, sometimes also not flowing. Haha.
Where do you find inspiration for table decoration or napkin folds?
Decoration comes from good old Pinterest. If I am really stuck, we do a lot of pull through napkins as we have an array of napkin rings however when I give the service girls free reign they get creative and we just go with it….
What is one of the biggest mistakes (that junior stews can learn from) that you made when pulling/laying table decoration in the past? Not being PRE-prepared. I’m all about PREP! The more you do sooner, the less rushed you feel and the quicker things can be done without the stress element that causes mistakes.
You can find Shan @The_Floating_Table_ on Instagram here.
Thank you Kirsty (The Original Table), Issie (The Nauti Table) and Shannon (The Floating Table) for sharing your design wisdom with us.
May we all have less table design induced panic attacks moving forward!
Follow me on Instagram for more updates.
Madison Jay x
PS. If you’re reading this thinking ‘I WANT THIS JOB’ – Download my FREE GUIDE to help you decide is being a Superyacht Stew right for YOU?
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