Elegance reigns supreme in fall bridal tabletop designs, including runway-inspired styles, haute couture colors, and a kaleidoscope of sparkling accoutrements.

"Sable instead of dark brown is all the rage this fall," says Ed Libby, owner of Ed Libby & Company, an event-design firm that has created scores of innovative interiors for New York City's glitterati. "Tabletop designs have more couture interpretations. People are drawing from Pucci prints, and the combination of apple green and peacock blue are the new fashion-forward tabletop color schemes."

Navy blue, hot on the fashion runway, is also finding its place on tabletops. In addition, melon-colored floral designs are replacing orange in fall motifs, and butter hues are favored over standard-issue yellow. Brown and pink are also being used together.

"Fall tabletops will incorporate lots of texture with earthy elements," in colors like rich platinum, chocolate, and turquoise, says Thomas Kehoe, owner of Kehoe Designs in Chicago. Kehoe is famous for fashioning unusual table runners made with small gray and brown stones and mother-of-pearl shells stained in chocolate brown: "Every bride loves them," he says.

First-class fabrics have found their home on bridal tabletops, says David Beahm of David Beahm Design of Manhattan. "Brides crave romance, and they want an 'older' style that says 'rich' and 'opulent,'" he says. Two to three layers of fabric with beading, sequins, embroidery, and lots of detail are very popular.

Today's brides also forego standard hotel tableware for something special. Riedel wine glasses that highlight the best characteristics of each wine variety, cone-shaped glassware, and frosted charger plates make a superb statement at first glance, much like the wedding invitation.

For the ultimate in personalization, Libby draws upon the culture and history of his clients: for an Indian affair at New York's Wedding Library, he embellished napkins with material from an antique wedding sari and used silver Maharishi chairs donated by the couple's families. "We wanted it to look like an eastern family having a wedding in their home," Libby explains.

Glitter and sparkle, which always convey celebration,...

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