Affordable Centerpieces for Your Wedding Reception
When it comes to decorating your reception tables, the centerpieces for each table play a major role in setting the tone and style of your wedding.
They'll be one of the major focal point for your guests while they're eating their meal, and spectacular or unique centerpieces can add an element of sophistication or surprise to your event.
The most established kind of centerpiece — and the most expected — is flowers. There are literally thousands of popular floral centerpiece designs, from tall lilies to tightly packed roses.
You should really shop around and check out different wedding supply shops and online specialists to see the different possibilities, and look at the varying prices. Also remember that you'll need a centerpiece for every table ... which could get expensive if you're planning to invite a large number of guests.
For a cheaper option, buy the flowers yourself from a wholesaler, and put together simple displays such as six tulips in a glass vase. You could also use the bridesmaids' bouquets as centerpieces to really get the best value out of them. Believe it or not, brides do this all the time!
Instead of fresh cut flowers, consider using potted plants as centerpieces. You can decorate terracotta pots, and choose flowers that coordinate with your wedding colors.
These centerpieces will last long after your day has ended, and provide a gift as lasting as it is lovely for your special guests.
Popular alternatives to floral centerpieces include candles and fruit. Candles are a wonderful way of creating an air of romance and enchantment for your wedding, and look particularly great if your venue's dimly lit. But if you plan to hold your reception in the afternoon, with plenty of natural daylight, candles may not produce the appropriate dramatic effect.
You could purchase candelabras for each table for an elegant look, or introduce a less formal but lovely centerpiece of floating candles and rose petals in a large glass bowl. Just ensure that any holders or bowls you use are heat-resistant, and also check with your venue for any restrictions on the use of naked flames.
Fruit is an attractive, decorative choice — your guests might even nibble on it later in the evening! Other edible choices include candy, chocolate lollipops or Hershey's Kisses. Use your imagination to display whatever treats you choose in an exciting, visual way, using glitter, flowers, tiered trays, rose petals, vase gems and so on.
Be as original as you like when it comes to your centerpieces. You could start by displaying something really personal, such as hand-written poems or family photographs in ornate picture frames.
If you're having a themed wedding, create a unique centerpiece to reflect the wedding motif. For example, wonderful centerpieces for an Asian-themed wedding is a bonsai tree, individual water fountains, or large origami creations. Anything that ties into your theme is bound to wow the eye.
I’m planning a Beauty and the Beast themed wedding for July. I keep seeing people using the domed single red rose for the centerpieces but I want to use that on the cake. So I thought of finding some simple brass or faux gold candelabras (three tiered like Lumiere) on a mirror and scattering rose petals around it and maybe some branches or ivy. I’m having a hard time finding affordable candelabras though. The cheapest I’ve seen online are $80 a piece and I’d need about 20. That’s definitely not in the budget. At very least I’d like half the tables to have them and the other half I could do the rose or a clock or tea cups or something else reminiscent of the movie. Any ideas would be much appreciated. Thank you so much.
Krysta,
You could always do beauty and the beast in frames on each table. Another thing is check with your local florists or event rentals for candelabras. I wouldn’t buy them I would rent them.
* heh look at this ( I think this is perfect!! It looks like the enchanted rose). Use taller cylinders, with longer stem red roses. ( dollartree.com has cylinder vases for a buck each!)
Head to a flower market or wholesale flower shop even walmart, and grab up 3 dozen of red roses. You will have one rose for each cylinder, and the others will be for the rose petals. Craft stores or walmart has the glass beads in the craft section along with the floating candles. save on crafts website has evrything you need too.
Krysta,
* also try this site for roses in bulk
I hope this helps!! If you can buy these items in bulk, you should be able to create centerpieces fro under $10-15 a table.
Thank you,
Mayra
Mayra,
Can I see the venue link? Also what color linens will you be using or renting?
* some ideas
* more ideas
am thinking of using two centerpieces idea with different glass vase shapes for an event.i need help
Jones, Could you tell me what ideas you were thinking of? Thanks!
hey all, im not getting married for a couple of years yet, but im slowly working out my budget
im not the average joe bloggs, and im not overly keen on flowers, so i was thinking for our centrepieces that we could have some form of fountain, even a drinks fountain; as we are having cocktails instead of wine (as i sed im not traditional!) problem is i have a very traditional ‘family-in-law’ and i think they will frown upon anything! and also will this look too tacky? the colours are green and white, and themes are butterflys and kind of mystical/fairytale!! any ideas would be a great help!!! 
ayesha,
i would consider having favor centerpieces. if you use favor boxes for example you can stack them in a tower and great arrangement. you could also have tiered glass plates and have your favors tied with elegant trailing ribbons and set them neatly on the tiers. would make for a great centerpiece. another thing if you are having waiters is to set a pitcher with the nonalcoholic beverage ( like they do at a restaurant) in center of the table so guests could help themselves. then have the cocktails away from tables in a very simple lounge type sitting. and last idea is a edible centerpiece of snack mix for the cocktails, have beautiful crystal or modern”glass” bowls full of mix. have in groupings, i personally love the bread and butter idea( also with the pitchers of iced tea?!?) baskets of fresh rolls and each setting having a small butter knife and a small dish of butter. i would be in total HEAVEN!! 
in a wedding you have a variety of different tastes and no matter what there will be someone that would have done things differently… so i would go with what i loved!! smile. the only thing that halts my thinking on the fountain centerpiece is when they run dry. i assume youwill be using more guest table sized fountains. another is having cocktails so readily available at the table, alot would be consumed quicker than an open bar. plus if children are there, they may decide to “taste test” the centerpiece.
Just remember that this is YOUR wedding, it’s not everyon elses. If they have a problem tell them they can pay for it.
We would love to have Old Faith Full as our wedding center pieces,but having trouble finding where, who or how to make it. We got engaged so it has special meaning to us. We want something that is tasteful and not cheap looking at the same time not expensive.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Chris, actually what i would do is buy up a flower vase( the slender kind you get with a single rose). then i would search for different pics of old faithful print on matte or glossy picture paper, put in nice frames. set the frame in center of the table with a single flower or rose in the vase beside it. then you could have rose petals scattered around the frame and vase. another idea is to use a cylinder vase, Doesnt need to to be to tall or wide and have a floating candle. you said it had special meaning to you, do you have any pics of you both at the site? if so you could use those in a frame at each table. it is a very warm hearted thing to do for centerpieces using pictures. a great conversation opener. try saveoncrafts.com for all your supply and craft items.
*example
*diy idea
* tri fold picture frame is great!!! ( you could take this and put votives in and around frame, would be awesome!) i love the fact the menu, table number and the picture are all in one!! how easy and practical is that!!
Tammy,
My son and his fiance are getting married at the beach in early Sept. We are doing alternating table arrangements. I went to Garden Ridge and purchased tubular looking glass vases, we are adding shells at the bottom, water and floating flowers in the middle in water and a floating white candle on top We are laying them on top of a squared mirror with two tea light candle holder on the side. We will be putting a few shells around on the mirrors as well . I have collected the shells over the years. .The cost is $3.00 for the vase, $1.00 for the flowers and about $1.25 for each floating candle. The mirrors can be bought cheaply.
The second table top idea we are doing is an oval table top vases from Walmart (around $3.00 as well) adding sand half way, adding a medium sized pillar candle in the middle adding more shells on top. Tying a bow around the vase (I am using tulle) in the middle and gluing a fake gerber daisy on the bow. Again laying it on the mirrors. We are doing flowers at the cake table, picture table and brides/grooms table. Just using the tubular shaped vases , putting rocks in the bottom and adding a dozen roses. We are getting our flowers from Costco. You can get 2 dozen roses for under $15.00. I am figuring on about $10. – $15. per table max. for arrangements. The biggest problem is going to be getting it down to the beach 7 hours away. Good Luck
My Son and his girlfriend are getting married in Aug and they would like sand centerpeices and i have no clue on what to do… Any ideals?
We are having a evening black tie wedding and some of the people coming dress too casually. How do I mention the black tie dress code on the invitation without being offensive?
You put “Blsack Tie” ont he invitations
Mandy use Hawaiin foods like Hawaiin chicken, lots of pineapple dessert centerpices on your fruit display. Shells that are iridescent.
Colleen maybe you can put some round christmas ornaments the same colors as your wedding or all the same color with long stemmed flowers or a flower coming out the top of the vase.
Hey,
I am having trouble with centerpeices as well. My wedding is in December though. I am on a strict budget but I want floral centerpeices.
contact with me at nazia_abbas2000@yahoo.com
Melissa, I do not know if you have decided what to do with your centerpieces yet but if not you could put some glass pebbles in the bottom add a stem of pink roses down in the container, add water and float a candle on top. You can even glue a band of ribbon in your colors either at the top or bottom of the container.
Hope this helps. Happy Planning
I am wondering could i have a romantic wedding and the reception be hawaiian?? Having hard time picking out centerpieces and the wedding is 10 wks away.
HEy does anyone have an idea on cheap centerpeices for a tall round shaped glass (plastic but it looks like glass) my colors are clover and pink!!!! and were using pink roses for our bouquets!!!