A Dreamy, Woodland-Inspired Rosh Hashanah Table for 2020

I’m not gonna lie: Getting this post in post-able shape has been a journey. There were just so many photos to wade through. Like, hundreds. Because when the stars came out and the flames were flickering and everything was bathed in CANDLELIGHT, it was sort of hard not to photograph everything in sight.

So photograph everything in sight I did.

But I’m finally, finally ready to share it all with you. YAY! Find all of the details below alongside my suggestions for creating a beautiful tablescape of your own come September. Have fun poking around, and let me know if this ends up inspiring anything on your own table—my favorite thing about blogging is connecting with all of you.

P.S. You can find last year’s table here for more inspiration.

L’shanah tovah!

The Ambiance

I normally stick with pastels and pinks, but this year, I wanted to create something a little different to match the vibe of the disorienting pandemic era we’re all living through—something moodier and a little richer in color. And I felt like the best place to do that would be outside in some sort of deep, dark, woodsy setting. (It helps that I’ve been spending some time at home in Connecticut, where it’s so easy to get outdoors.)

This $12 orange scarf acted as both my “table runner” and the anchor for the entire color palette you see here (on top of a simple white tablecloth) (that I really wish I’d ironed), and flickering taper candles added to the angsty drama of the whole thing. (The two shorter ones in there are just the brass Shabbat candlesticks from my apartment, by the way—they’re from Terrain and I adore them—and you’ve likely seen the other, taller set in a million other posts around here). I thought it would be fun to have another blanket draping over one of the chairs, so I grabbed this other scarf as well.

Can we all band together to make scarf tablescapes a thing, actually? They’re so much less expensive than traditional table linens. And you can reuse them as SCARVES!! Don’t judge me for wearing my table linens around town when this is all over.

Moving on: You can find similar gold flatware at West Elm, CB2, Pottery Barn, and a zillion other retailers. It’s really all over the place these days. The marble cake stand is Sur la Table; I used the same one in last year’s shoot (honestly, nearly everything I used here is recycled, which I, for one, am happy about). I used those plates last year, too; they’re my parents’ (and actually, they’re chargers—I just can’t ever get over those gilded edges so I pretend they’re plates and call it a day)! But I love the similar look of these ones. Wowza. Just gorgeous. The goblets and tumblers are also stolen from my house—wish I could link ya there, too.

K, time for you to exercise your thumb as you scroll for forty years to get to the next section of this thing. Happy travels to you.

Have I mentioned I really wish I had ironed that tablecloth?

Really wish I’d done that.

Oh well.

The Flowers

YOU MADE IT! Hi again! Let’s talk flowers.

How I love this arrangement. Love love love it. The main thinking here was to pull something together that matched the rich, woodsy, deep-toned atmosphere all around it. When I went to shop for flowers, I actually brought that fateful orange scarf with me and held it up to all of the different flowers I purchased. I knew the flowers would eventually sit on top of it, and I wanted the palettes to match really nicely.

(Has a $12 scarf ever gotten this much love before? Doubtful.)

And then, of course, beyond the colors involved, I also wanted the final arrangement to feel organic and unfussy. If you’re looking for inspiration along those same lines, scrolling through Google or Pinterest images of “Dutch-inspired floral arrangements” (take a cue from those stunning still-lifes with the flowers spilling out all every which way) or “organic floral arrangements” is a good place to start.

I really love Pinterest.

As for the actual flowers I selected, it’s a low-high mix here: I picked out one really inexpensive bouquet of those orange mum-like flowers from the supermarket, one $5 bouquet of eucalyptus, and one $5 bouquet of orange globe amaranths (also called gomphrena, apparently). I bought the rest stem by stem at a florist in town (white astrantia, a few white anemones, white globe amaranths). The whole thing probably came to around $30 or $35.

I love the idea of bringing together those supermarket blooms with fresh-cut flowers from your local florist. That way, you can get a few of those pricier flowers, but the majority of your bouquet is less expensive filler. Because you do always need a ton of filler. Not every flower has to make a statement.

Okay—time for you to get to scrolling again. Bon voyage.

The Settings

I’m very curious to see what you all think of these reflection worksheets in a few weeks (it’s late July at the time of my writing this post; madness, I know). Personally, I’m so happy with how they turned out!! Basically, the idea was to include an interactive element of some sort; last year, I showed you how to make these honey dipper place cards, so I thought I’d try for something different and new.

These worksheets can be placed at each person’s seat, and they feature prompts to get conversation started (thinking about the younger set here!) and encourage reflection. Which is, of course, the real reason we’ll all be gathering together anyway. Find all of the details and printable templates over here.

The Food

I know, I know. It’s what you’re really here for. Find recipes for all of the delicious things on this table by checking out the full Rosh Hashanah page, or just click through one of the below to head straight to the recipe:

Keftes de Prasa
Ultimate Brisket Guide
Tzimmes Ravioli
Mini Mason Jar Apple Pie Kugel
Rainbow Apples & Honey Board (check back next week!)

Or take a cue from one of last year’s recipes and projects:

A Foolproof Round Challah Recipe
Pumpkin Challah Rolls
Apples & Honey Board
Honey Dipper Place Cards
Star of David Cupcakes
Mini Apple Cakes