Having a beach wedding and hoping to find the perfect centerpiece? Not to worry: this theme makes the most of modest elements. Sure, you can hand your florist 20 grand or call up Preston Bailey for some crystal trees ... but even if you keep things super-simple, your tables will still look grand.
Still, a word to the wise: most beach weddings take place in challenging conditions. Wind is no friend to flames, so make sure any candles are shielded.
Plus, all that sun can really beat down your flowers. So if you're using live blooms, test them out. You can take steps to avoid common problems (drooping tulips, browning hydrangeas), but you need to know what to expect in your own unique setting.
Finally, an important style secret: what goes under your centerpieces can be just as important as the showy stuff on top. A mirrored tile might bounce light, but these days, it just doesn't look that fresh.
On the other hand, something like a bamboo mat or banana leaf, a palm frond or a few looped blades of sword grass will make your tables look like the hand of an old pro was involved.
Sand and Candle Centerpieces
These have to be the
gold standard when it comes to beach weddings. Brides use them over and over, because they're inexpensive, easily styled and lots of fun to look at. Plus, you can find the makings almost anywhere.
The essential ingredients: sand, a candle, maybe some seashells and a glass container. After that, it's all about design. So here's a few ways to make your sand and candle centerpieces really pop.
White-Out. If you just grab the first sand or shells you find, you might find the look a bit blah. Try to really work the colors: focus on bright white, for example. Start with a white pillar candle, and set in white sand. Scatter light-colored seashells around the base, and prop up a zesty white starfish against the candle. The effect's much brighter (and more bridal) than the usual grays and bieges.
Of course, other brides crave more color and zing. So alternately, you could place a bright coral votive inside your bowl, and scrunch a small sea of aqua organza underneath it.
Style Secret. It's funny how boring sand can look when you just pour it into a bowl ... almost like concrete. Give it much more interest by mixing it up the top layers with tiny seashells or pebbles. Also, be sure to tuck in a starfish or two as a focal point for each bowl. They really draw the eye, while piles of just-plain shells can be pretty sedate.
Bling up the Bowl. If all this isn't enough visual excitement, add more by lashing a starfish or sand dollar to the outside of the bowl. Combine an aqua satin ribbon with raffia for rich yet rustic tying material.
Surrounded! Every great centerpiece deserves a solid supporting act. Popular choices include rose petals, mini adirondack chairs for nautical chic, smaller votives, individual orchids, or large chunks of beach glass that bounce the light beautifully.
Cylindrical Stylings
Tall glass cylinders are some of the most stylish centerpieces you could ever want. And yet, their simplicity borders on criminal. Spend a bit of time staging these ahead of time, and you'll have some astounding designs that any good friend can easily toss together a few hours before the reception.
The Ingredients:
A glass cylinder vase (about 10" tall and 3.5" wide).
A large floating candle (about 3" wide).
Anything else your heart desires ... or nothing, since they already look perfectly elegant.
The Theory. Glass cylinders are sleek and modern. Fill them with water, and you get extra reflected-light mileage out of your floating candles. These centerpieces look gorgeous as is, but you can also personalize more by including "drowning" fruits, flowers or other inserts.
Fab Fillers. Try adding these interest-grabbers to the bottom of your cylinders: sunken hydrangeas or orchids, sand and seashells, whole and sliced citrus fruit, silk flower petals, beach glass, vase gems or river stones.
Design Secret. Make sure your floating candles are nearly as big as the cylinder is wide. If they're smaller, they'll float to one side and look lopsided. Also, don't overstuff your cylinders with fillers. Three shades of hydrangea blossoms or citrus fruits crammed all the way to the top don't look nearly as nice as they should. Instead, fill each cylinder anywhere from 1/4 to 2/3 of the way to the top, leaving the rest of the space for water or air.
Remember, though, if these babies are going outside, the candle needs to be well below the top of the cylinder. Also, clustering adds major visual punch. Plan on grouping these in threes. Fill the water to three different heights for a sophisticated, graduated look.
Amazing Aqua
Oh, this is too easy ... and yet too cute. Take some ordinary but stylish little fishbowls, and fill with aqua-tinted water ... don't forget to add that touch of
yellow! Now, finish them off by slipping in masses of simple, bright-white blooms: hydrangeas, white peonies or even carnations. Gorgeous and witty.
Potted Orchids
No wonder this solution's so popular for the terminally chic. (And no more wailing about expensive blooms that die three days after the reception!) Simply deck each table with a tall, ethereal potted orchid. Replant each one in a pretty terra-cotta pot with a shell motif. Cover the soil with sheet moss or flower petals.
Then, style the base with a simple frame you've lashed together with bamboo and raffia. Or simply tuck a banana leaf underneath each pot. These look extraordinary, you don't have to fret over flames, and at the end of the night, they make great prizes for an impromptu raffle ... or touching gifts for your loyal bridesmaids.
Faux Coral "Trees"
This is a hot idea that's sure to get guests talking ... and it offers some height for cheap. Put a cool tropical spin on the usual bare-branch solution by spray-painting masses of curly willow, birch or other decorative branches a bright coral red. Place the finished result in a vase filled with white sand or clear gems. The results: haute and exotic.
All-Natural Table Runners
Why not pile interesting materials down the table as an eye-catching alternative to the usual damask or linen runners? Inexpensive but intriguing: try a line of driftwood, punctuated with glass votives and scattered orchids. Or, for more of a splurge, go with a whole heaping pile of star lilies, orchids or rose petals.
Share Your Sense of Style!
What designs did you dream up for
your beach reception? Trade ideas, share your inspirations, and post your mock-up pics ... or the finished result!
You Might Also Like ...
Planning Your Poolside Wedding
Style Guide to the Nautical (Preppy!) Wedding
Plan a Destination Dream Wedding
Pull Off a Hawaiian Luau Wedding Reception Anywhere — With Ease
Beach Wedding Favors With a Personal Stamp
Tags: 
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
My wedding is 8/30/08 and my colors are turquoise, coral, green, yellow and chocolate brown, It’s beach themed and I need ideas for romantic centerpieces, flowers, and sand dollar favors.. any ideas?? I’ve chosen turquoise dresses and calla lillies, but other than that I’m stuck
April 7th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Got some new beach centerpiece ideas … today’s “Best of” flickr!
If you like any of these ideas, here are the links to see more:
ROW 1
1) Cute lighthouse CPs for bridal shower. 2) High-end beach wedding menu display. 3) and 4) Enchanting centerpiece and whimsical snack holders (beach pails!) from Anne Ruthman photography.
ROW 2
Hot! 1) Custom mini-beach scenes from Little Landscapes. 2) Bright and modern aqua/pink tabletop design. 3) Table CP and adirondack chair favor from a gorgeous pink and pale yellow beach wedding. 4) Simple but lovely island centerpiece with orchids and limes.
ROW 3
1), 2) & 3) Three beautiful table designs from my event planning heroine, Mishka Designs. And 4), a beautiful potted orchid … a great, lasting choice for a CP.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I’m getting married 8/3/08. My colors are coral and pool (aqua). For my wedding favor I did an ivory organza bag with aqua bath salts, I glued seashells to the outside of the organza bag and tied it with a natural kinda bamboo style tie. It came out wonderfully. I’m thinking about adapting one of these cool centerpieces to tie in the coral, this website is wonderful and I’m grateful for all the cool ideas. Thanks!
April 6th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Jenn: My color is canary yellow also I am getting married8/8/08, in Negril Jamaica and the resort we are getting married at their centerpieces start at $80 so I want to do my own, if you come up with any cute ideas please share and I’ll do the same. So far I’ve come up with a runner of flower petals in lime green, yellow and red, abstractly scattering sea shells, starfish and votive candles. I just face the dilemma now as getting all that stuff to Jamaica.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Hey , website is awesome! i am getting married June 28th, 2008. i am having a beach theme wedding and was wondering if i could get some ideas for my centerpieces, my color is canary yellow. thanks again
February 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 am
This site is great. Gave me some fab ideas. Thanks so much!
January 29th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
OK, I was going to just share this very cute centerpiece idea (plunk the lovely florals in a plastic beach bucket!!), but the whole wedding was SO cute, as was the couple in their adorable lobster bibs, I had to include a few more. How relaxed and fun is this wedding?
January 29th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Hi Gail, there is a very pretty mood board at StyleMePretty that uses very similar colors; go here for the full graphic and some nice descriptive text about her choices … almost exactly halfway down the page.
StyleMePretty Chocolate/Ivory board
Personally, I LOVE the modern approach of taking a simple arrangement of flowers (cut OR live) and tucking them in short containers wrapped with sumptuous fabric (aka silk shantung) or wild, designer papers … which is one of the ideas this board shows. HTH!
PS, how can chocolate and ivory not be gorgeous for summer? Show them this board or one you’ve created yourself and I bet they’ll change their minds. In my mind, the popular combos (choc. brown and pink or aqua, or the newer ones like choc. brown plus orange, teal or purple) are more conceptual than seasonal. They look wonderful any time of year.
December 12th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Hi Gail
My wedding is July 5th, 2008, and we have finally chosen our colors of Chocolate Brown, Ivory Cream with a very nice popping pink as the flowers, which we have chosen as calla llillies, and Hydrangeas-love them both, the stem of the bouquet will be chocolate brown. Although we are stuck as far as the favors and centerpieces. We want it simple and since we are on a budget, was thinking along the line of a vase with a mix of callallillies and hydrangeas with votives around it, and a mirrored center-it took me so long to decide on these colors, we loved them, but friends and familywere like, oh no, not for the summer. Anywho, the bridesmaid dresses will be chocolate brown with an ivory cream belt added to the high waist. can you help with colors and some more suggestions.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:21 am
Josie, your wedding is wwwwaaaayy to important to combine it with your in-laws b’day !!!
July 19th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Looking to see if anyone sends out reminders a week or two before wedding??
July 9th, 2007 at 2:55 am
I am a bride to be. am also planning my wedding on my in laws b’day.any ideas on a theme of the wedding and party combined?
September 3rd, 2006 at 1:05 am
hello there! this article is very interesting & helpful. i accidentally found it while looking for some different banquet themes,i’m currently working at hyatt regency saipan,we’re on an island so your beach wedding centerpiece ideas will work here. anyway,i’m hoping if you have other theme ideas like safari dinner theme or the likes. thanks alot.
July 2nd, 2006 at 9:06 pm