Want 10 New Centerpiece Ideas in the Next Five Minutes?
Of course, for some lucky brides, it's not that hard — they just set the florist free with some thoughts about "mood" and a blank check. Others are happy to find their venue offers perfectly decent centerpieces as part of the evening's services. Neither of those brides are reading this.
Since you are, you're probably somewhere in between. And it's possibly up to you to at least design, if not actually produce, the cute things that'll unify the design and provide a focal point — or a talking point, even! — at every table. (And no, "what was she sniffing?" is not the type of talking point we'll leave your guests with, promise.)
At first, the task can seem overwhelming. But if you check out the centerpieces showing up at weddings across the country, you'll find there's a big trend toward keeping it simple that works in your favor. And it's easier than it looks to dream up dozens of great ideas.
How? Just mix and match, stealin... — ahem, borrowing — from popular building blocks you'll see everywhere. Just keep your overall look in mind (traditional? contemporary?) and you'll be sure to come out looking like you were born to style weddings.
The Building Blocks of Fabulous Wedding Centerpieces
Not all centerpieces have all these elements, of course. If you actually used them all at once you might have some sort of horrible gravitational accident ("Sorry about the black hole, honey. I'll work in the garage next time."). But most of them use a few. Just play along with our creative nomenclature, and you'll be off and running.
The Guts
The guts, the contents, the gear, the goods. This is them. Going for the most stately and traditional to aggressively modern, these is a list of popular, well "¦ stuff that brides build their centerpieces around.
- pillar candles
- floating tealights
- candelabras
- roses, gerbers, hydrangeas, callas
- black magic roses, orchids
- flowers plus interwoven bear grass
- hypericum berries
- flowered branches, curly twigs
- green ranunculous, brown or green roses, green mums, gomphrenia, proteas
- small citrus fruits wrapped in contrasting satin ribbons
- ferns
- large variegated leaves, curled into clear cylinders
- wheat grass
- medium gauge copper wire, curled and spiraled
- tall curly willow or flowered branches pushing vertically above floral arrangements
- peacock feathers (a collar for roses, hydrangeas)
- white ostrich feathers (typically in Eiffel vases)
- traditional white blooms dyed startling colors (acid green, aqua blue)
- tropical exotic flowers, reeds, bamboo
- lotus pods, artichokes, kale "roses"
Thematic Guts
We're going to take a brief detour here and list a few popular "thematic" centerpieces. Those are little more specialized, so we won't linger long.
- candy bouquets (oversized lollipops, chocolate long-stemmed roses)
- cookie towers
- individual cakes
- tiered favor box "cakes"
- terra cotta pots, painted or natural
- wine bottles
- sand castles
- flower-filled conch shells
- pumpkins, gourds
- galvanized pails, watering cans
- birds nests, birdhouses
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The Containers
Okay. Let's talk vessels and cylinders, fishbowls and boxes. These are a few of brides' favorite things when it comes to holding The Stuff.
- bubble bowls ("fish bowls"), ivy bowls, hurricane lamps
- footed pedestal bowls, urns
- silver mint julep cups
- eiffel (tower) or trumpet vases
- mason jars
- photo cubes
- gift boxes, hat boxes
- wooden crates
- clear glass cylinders
- square vases, square bowls
- oversized martini or wine glasses
The Treatments
A rose is a rose is a rose, it's said. But wasn't a rose something else when you lopped off the heads of a dozen and sent the stems to your cheating ex in college? Of course it was.How you treat Your Stuff says at least as much about your style as The Stuff itself. Here are some popular treatments, ranging from Princess Di-ish to Edie Sedgewick-y.
- flowers, nosegays
- flowers, wired to topiaries
- flowers, paveed
- de-stemmed single flower heads floating in water: gerbers, roses, peonies
- blooms arranged into pomanders or spheres
- maple or oak leaves, roses, orchids, gerbers: submerged entirely in water (aka "drowning rose")
- callas, bear grass, sword grass: submerged and twirled in bubble glass
- roses, orchids, gerbers: submerged plus underwater lighting
- vegetables (gourds, succulents): submerged
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Killer Container Fillers
Of course, it isn't always enough to have fabulous flowers and Baccarat vases (or wheat grass and stainless steel). Sometimes we ladies just need an extra design element. Voila: pretty stuff that goes into the container. Hey, plain old water isn't always thrilling enough for events like this.
- gel beads
- vase gems, clear
- vase gems, bright striking colors
- vase gems with underwater lighting
- cranberries, kumquats, cherries, frozen green peas (can take water)
- coffee beans, candy corn, dried indian corn, popcorn, dried peas, lentils (keep dry)
- colored water, underwater lighting
- citrus fruit, arranged cut side out
- block of floral foam wrapped in sword grass or hosta leaves (placed in square jars)
Snappy Container Wrappers
You've tossed in the callas, the vase gems, a magnificent beta fish for good measure — but something's still missing. What could it be?Perhaps it's the snappy container wrapper. Because that bubble bowl can look a bit bare without a little something wrapped around it. Miniature "bowl lingerie" is hard to find, but satin ribbons are easy. Hurrah!
- ivy
- raffia
- multilayered satin ribbons
- berry sprays/garlands
- bark strips
- marabou feather boas
- bear grass
- bear grass threaded with crystals
The Underlayments
What a pretty word, eh? "Underlayments." Sounds like something that involves a lot of rivets, and maybe some naughty lace. But in this case, it's something that goes under your container to make it look even more fabulous. Yeah, like that's possible.
- contrasting table runners
- doilies
- reflective mirror tiles
- criss-crossed satin ribbons
- hosta leaves
- sheet moss
- "stone" runners, cut into squares
- bamboo rolling mats or soba trays
Surrounds
Contrary to popular belief, this is not the unfortunate transformation your fiancé wreaks on your living room before you even tie the knot. ("Your TV isn't wired for 5.1?? Don't worry, honey, I'll take care of that. Can you hand me that coat hanger?")No, surrounds (at least in our minds) are those sophisticated little things you toss around your centerpieces to give them even more visual interest. Rose petals and vase gems are the most traditional. You can simply scatter them around your creations like little moons in loose orbits.
Or, if you're feeling a little more luxe, you can arrange your centerpieces in a soldierly little line all the way down the table, filling the spots between with heaps of petals or orchid heads. Or if you really want to cheer up your guests, you could always scatter gold coins.
- vase gems
- rose petals
- round votive holders
- beach glass
- seashells
- teacups (as votive holders)
- loose dendrobium orchids
- river stones
- square votive holders
- glass ornaments
- miniature gourds (plain or hollowed to hold votive candles)
- polished black river stones
And Now, Over to You
Whew! Well, that's enough out of us (do I smell something burning?) You've probably thought of a few great centerpiece ideas yourself. Trade ideas in the comments field below ... and don't forget to include some pics of your mock-ups or final results!
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PLEASE HELP! My wedding colours are victorian lilac and sage, but I want so badly to incorporate peacock feathers into the centrepieces and maybe my bouquet. Would the blue in the feathers go with victorian lilac (silvery purple)?? I think it can be done but I still have my doubts. Please let me know your honest opinion on this.
Hi Tina,
Wow! You have lots going on here. Here is my idea. You can’t have all these themes….basically there are 4 - 17th birthday; family reunion; Christmas Party; Tuscan Garden Theme. That is too much going on!
If this was a party during the summer (outside), I would say to go with the Tuscan Garden Theme. You still can if you want. For a Tuscan garden theme, I think of terra cotta pots, urns, etc. filled with flowers.
I would nix that theme totally and go with a Christmas Theme to pull it all together. You don’t need to do the red/green/poinsettia “thing” though. I love this centerpiece (or a variation of) right on this forum! Here is the link:
http://www.favorideas.com/learn-about/centerpiece-ideas/six-easy-winter-centerpieces
I would do a centerpiece like that one - utilizing blues and silver. Here is another “winter” idea that I absolutely love…..iced branches!! Here is the link:
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/icedbranches.html
That is absolutely beautiful for the winter! You could fill the room with tall iced branches in buckets with little white lights, and then carry the same thing through to tables centerpieces (low) which some votives next to it! Simple and gorgeous! I believe that simplicity can be beautiful.
Now, if you don’t like that idea, I would stick with the first idea I gave you for centerpieces. For favors…..since it’s a family reunion and it’s at Christmas time……get a large artificial tree…..string with white mini lights. Get plain colored Christmas bulbs (the satiny kind) in the “colors” (i.e., blue and silver?) that you choose. Have someone with good penmanship write everyones name on an ornament on one side and on the other side could be “2007 XXX Family Reunion”. There are lots of ways to do this, check online or go to a place like Michael’s to see how you could do this! Good luck!
I am planning an event that will combine a 17th birthday, family reunion and Christmas party all in one. . . OUCH! The chosen theme is Tuscan Garden. Any fabulous ideas for pulling the events together as well as an awesome gift/favor for all attendees. The event will take place in December. Many thanks!
Hi Sarah:D
Does the bride-to-be have anything specific that she likes? Is she having any kind of “theme” wedding (such as beach wedding, etc.)? If you answered yes to either of the two questions, you may want to play off of that for the shower. If there is no “theme” or specific “colors” that you need to use, here are a few ideas….
Do you want to do flowers?
(1) I love the low clear square chunky type vases, which are very popular right now. You can get them at Walmart or Michaels. Then arrange some roses or other flowers in the pave style. Go online to see. It’s basically lots of flowers stuffed into a small vase. Roses and other flowers cut real short. Type in “pave arrangements” on the computer and you will see what I mean.
(2) Do you want to arrange just a few flowers? A really neat vase that I saw are magnetic vases (sold at Target). Go on their website and type in “magnetic vases” - they are sold in a set of 5 for $40. They only hold 1 flower –really sleek looking and VERY different. Then you could put a couple of votives next to them. OR, if you don’t want any candles, just scatter some colored gem stones. OR, just have the flowers alone!
(3) Go to the following website: http://www.hostesswiththemostess.com
Go on that site and go to bridal shower themes. There are lots of ideas with different examples - all of them are unique.
Good luck!
I am looking for some modern looking bridal shower centerpieces. I am stuck I have tons of ideas passing through my mind but just can’t stick to one. HELP…..
:DHi Tamryn:
A couple ideas…..I’m not sure what the mini piano in a bottle looks like, because I couldn’t find it on the web, but it sounds different! Would you put these on all the tables?
A couple of ideas would be to use sheet music.
(1) You can buy sheet music rather inexpensively or even download it FREE from the computer — I saw some free sites. Wrap it around the outside of a glass cylinder vase (you can buy these at Walmart or Michaels), and then put some red roses in the vase (or whatever kind of flower you like). I just think that black, white and red looks good together! You could also roll the sheet music and place it INSIDE the vase and then just fill the vase with some shredded metallic tissue paper or some silk flowers.
(2) COPY the sheet music on to a heavy stock paper and burn the edges a little and then just display the sheet music. Of course, you would need to get some stands for these….and then if you wanted candles….I’m not sure about it…but it’s an idea.
I found one site that sells “music” votive holders: go to http://www.shindigz.com and then in the search box type in music theme. The votive holders are $1.79/each. On this site, they also have a “music note” centerpiece. They are $11.96 for 6. If the votives are a little too much (price wise), you can always get plain votive holders at the dollar store and then go to a craft store such as Michaels and look for “music note” stickers or anything else music related that you want, and just attach the stickers to the votive holder - viola! your own unique votive holder!
You can do any of the above, or simply use what you have (the mini piano in a bottle) with some votives. Then, if you think you still need a little more, you can always sprinkle some “music confetti” around these. Go to http://www.chicoparty.com and type in “music confetti” - they have lots to choose from.
Good luck!
:D>-:D>-:D:D
I Love the Ideas…
I’m trying to come up with a unique music-themed centerpiece…at the moment I’m stuck with a mini piano in a bottle…I need to somehow incorporate candles. It’s for a 50th. Any ideas?
Hi Karen:
A first birthday - how fun! Since your daughter is so young, I would go with the whole “Tinkerbell” theme - plates, cups, napkins, etc. I would use a balloon - Tinkerbell, of course! as the centerpiece. You can buy the little weights to hold it down at any craft store or dollar store, or wherever you get the balloon filled. I saw one website: http://www.allaboardtoys.com that has LOTS of Tinkerbell stuff - invites, plates, balloons, etc. If you wanted to go with something a little lower on the table, you can always get the little Tinkerbell wands (also on that website) and arrange them in a colorful sand pail filled with shredded tissue. Good luck!
Hey my daughter 1st b-day is coming up and im having a tinkerbell theme. Any ideas on a center peice to match?
Hi Patti, Here are 2 ideas for baby shower centerpieces.
(1) Get a white wicker basket (or spray paint one white) and fill it with shredded tissue paper (pink for a girl, blue for a boy, or just go with pastel green or yellow - whatever you want) and then buy some small stuffed animals and place in the basket. You can buy some really cute, soft, cuddly, inexpensive stuffed animals at Hallmark stores for $6 each. If you know what kind of animals the parents are decorating the room with, you can buy those animals, or….you can’t go wrong with a bear; a bunny; a rabbit, etc.
(2) The second idea would be if you need more than one centerpiece. Buy some SMALL, inexpensive, colorful plastic sand pails - you can get these at dollar stores, etc. Again, fill them with shredded tissue and then just place 1 stuffed animal in each. OR…you can do the wicker basket idea but with a very small one. Good luck!
Hi Patiti:
I am looking for an idea for table centerpieces for a baby shower. The mom and dad are doing the babies room in an animal theme. Any ideas?
a more modern and fun centerpiece idea is a small fish bowl, seting on top of a mirror with a fish that is the color of your wedding… you can dress this up as much or as simple as you would like. ideas would include adding a floting candle on top of the water, matching rocks or stones in the bottom of the bowl … and dont forget to include a bag under each fist bowl so that at the end some one can take home the fish
Thanks so much for the wonderful ideas Gail!
Hi Heidi:
For your barn reception. How about lanterns with a candle in one of your colors in it. They are available on EBAY. Just go to http://www.ebay.com and type in “lantern centerpiece” and you will see what I mean. Also available from IKEA at IKEA.com. You could also try stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc.
Hi Ashley:
For your parents’ 25th wedding anniversary…..Is it during the day or night? If it’s at night, simple glass bowls with “gem stone marbles” on the bottom and a floating candle in a silver color on top would be really nice. If your budget allows, it’s always nice to put it on a small mirror. This makes a simple, elegant and inexpensive centerpiece. You could place some Hershey Kisses which are already silver colored around that if you want. Another idea…..what about getting silver frames, say 5 x 7 size, at the dollar store or another discount store like Walmart and putting a copy of their wedding picture in it. You could place a couple of votive candles or tealights next to that. OR….get a silver pillar candle and use a glass globe around it. Again, on a mirror if the budget allows.
Good luck!
I’m having a Zen/Asian-Inspired wedding next summer. My centerpieces are going to be spiral bamboo in low vases, river rocks & water on top of a light-colored bamboo table runner surrounded by tealights in glass holders. I might have hand-dyed ribbon encircling the vases or tying together the bamboo - but I think it might be too much. The Zen is earth, water, fire & air (everywhere).
I am getting the runners, bamboo & ribbon off eBay (they have them constantly):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=005&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=150069339924&rd=1&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230111254349&rd=1&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5675875852&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
Thanks for the idea Lynette! That sounds wonderful! I was thinking of doing something like that and I probably will do something like that for my parents 25th. Thank you so much for sharing!
Keeping it simple — for my parents 50th we did simple ‘goldfish’ bowls that had a ring of red and gold around the rim. We added red and gold vase beads (marbles) and floated a gold candle (rose shape) on top. We then scattered red and gold ‘Kisses’ around the vases. Looked lovely and gave the guests a sweet treat!
I’m have an introdution to my event planning business and I need a very unique idea for centerpieces. My colors are light/royal blue & white/silver. Any suggestions? Thank you