I absolutely love creating wedding centerpieces! They can completely transform the look of your wedding venue, and add a real wow-factor as people enter the wedding hall. What type of centerpieces are you going to choose as wedding reception decorations? Here are some things to consider.
Flowers or Not?
Still the most popular type of wedding centerpieces are ones created using flowers. These can be anything from a small posy of roses to elaborate arrangements in tall vases featuring a cascade of blooms.
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Choose flowers that fit with your colour theme and complement the flowers in your bouquets. I created the orange rose arragement above for a Fall wedding theme and added physalis around the outside to complete the look.
White or red roses are timeless classics and will never go out of style, so if you are not sure what to choose these are a good fall-back.
Candle Wedding Centerpieces
Candle wedding centerpieces are very popular and can be combined with flowers or simply used on their own. A collection of different size candles can give a simple but elegant look to your tables (see below left). I added color to the centerpiece with the addition of rose petals.
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Candelabras are an elegant choice that are always popular. These can work well in marquees (wedding tents) and other tall ceiling venues. You can see how I used them at a recent wedding (above right).
Floating candles are another option. These are readily available online and you can often find candles that will match your wedding theme. Be careful to use specially made glass bowls for floating candles – I have heard horror stories where brides have used ordinary vases and these have cracked during the wedding meal, making a total mess of the table!
I created the centerpiece below with gloriosa lilies in addition to the floating candles.
DIY Wedding Centerpieces
If you want to stretch your wedding budget, making your own DIY wedding centerpieces could be an option for you. I have put together some wedding craft projects where you can find step-by-step details for creating floral table decorations and elegant wedding centerpieces in a vase (shown below).
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If it is the first time that you have decorated a wedding, try to keep things simple. You may be very capable of making a single decoration, but when it comes to creating 15 centerpieces the pressure can soon add up.
Centerpieces Accessories
I find that it is often the little touches that make all the difference to my wedding centerpieces. Placing rose petals on the table around the decoration can give a very stylish look. Putting tealights around the centerpiece can also work well, and adds to the romantic atmosphere of the venue. Placing the centerpiece on a table mirror can also make the it appear larger as well as reflecting the colors of the arrangement.