Archive for the ‘Centerpieces’ Category

Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

April 20th, 2011 | Rss Feed

What kind of centerpiece do you want for your reception? Tall? Formal? Flowers? Pictures?  There are so many choices out there, you are sure to find the right idea for you.  Here are some ideas to get you started.  Are you more of a formal bride?  Like flowers?  Well, flowers make a beautiful more formal centerpiece.  You can choose real flowers, artificial flowers, or a combination of both.  The key thing to think about is height.  Your guests will want to socialize and that is hard to do if the centerpiece is within their line of sight.  Think about making the centerpieces either tall enough to see under or short enough to see over.  If you are using square or rectangle tables you may went to consider flower sprays low on the table. If your reception is going to have round tables then you may want to consider individual vases of flowers.

Another idea for centerpieces is candles.  There are many ways to use candles as a centerpiece.  You can use pillar candles, smaller votive candles, or candle sticks.  Candles can be used individually or grouped together.  Don’t be afraid to be creative.  You do not have to stick with one type of candle, try putting multiple types, shapes, sizes and even colors together on one table.  You can place candles on mirrors to make beautiful reflections.  One thing to be mindful of is the flame.  Try and either place your candle in a container whose sides are higher than the candle or make sure your candles are placed where the flames are safely away from anything flammable.  Another idea would be electric, flameless candles inside opaque holders so that your guests will only notice the romantic glow of the candle not the flame.

Are you a little less formal? How about picture frames as centerpieces?  Pictures on the table are becoming a new trend with brides and grooms.  These frames can be photos of the bride and groom together (remember all those great photos you took during the courting process).  Do you two have something you really enjoy doing together like maybe camping, hiking, skiing or such, then how about pictures that reflect the fun time you had doing those.  Another idea is old wedding photos of other family members (parents, grandparents, etc).  Pictures do not have to be only of people, maybe you have pets that are very special to you and you want to include in your special day.  Do you travel a lot?  How about pictures you have taken on your travels?  Let you imagination be the guide.  One thing not to overlook is the frames.  There are thousands of choices out there, be creative.

If you are the type of person who is maybe a little more eclectic, how about something less traditional like a sculpture, Mason jars filled with interesting items like buttons or ingredients for homemade cookies.  Vintage glassware also makes interesting centerpieces.  Are you into the green movement, then how about small containers of farmers market greenery like basil, oregano, or rosemary?  Love the beach?  How about sculptural seashells, coral like pieces or maybe a large conch shell?  Better yet, all of them together.  Keep in mind that if you are going the less traditional way, with smaller items like above, encourage your guests to take the centerpieces home with them.

Your wedding should reflect who the two of you are.  Use your imagination and have fun.

About the Author
Sharon Campbell is the owner of WeddingMuseum.com, an online wedding planning resource.  WeddingMuseum.com features free wedding websites, wedding planning ideas and tools, local vendor listings, wedding song lists and wedding store.

 

Wedding Table Centerpieces – Selecting Yours

July 12th, 2010 | Rss Feed

What centerpiece is right for you?

I get asked this question a lot…”What should I use as table centerpieces for my wedding?”  There is no single answer to this question, only a couple of things you need to consider before choosing your wedding centerpieces.

1. What type of feeling or mood are you going for? Do you want something glitzy or home-spun?  Modern or vintage?  Formal or casual?  Take cues from your wedding attire and invitations to lead you to your centerpiece style.

2. What height of centerpiece will work best? What is the height of the reception room?  A room with very high ceilings will need a tall centerpiece to fill in the space.  A room with low ceilings would need a low centerpiece.  One of Niki’s Tips is to never make a centerpiece that is 12-18″ high (unless you are using the skinny Eiffel tower vases), as this level will be right in the line of sight of your guests.  There is nothing more aggravating at a dinner party than not being able to see or speak to the person across the table form you no matter how pretty the bouquet is.

3.  What types of flowers or fill do you plan on using? The height of the vase is also determined by the length of the stem you will be putting into it.  A short-stemmed flower, such as a hydrangea, would need a small or medium sized vase, where long-stemmed calla lilies would need a medium to tall vase.

4.  Add some variety. Using twenty of the exact same centerpiece can be boring to the eye.  Try to choose two to three different styles of centerpiece and alternate throughout the room.  One may have tall flowers, the next only candles, the last a combination of floating flowers and candles for example.

5.  Put it all together. Choose a vase style or two that you like.  Next, add a mirror as a base to reflect the light and beauty.  If your vases are rounded, choose a round shaped mirror.  If your vases are square, choose a square mirror.  The beveled edge will add elegance, while the non-beveled edge is more casual.  Next add candles and candle holders.  Again, choose a shape that echoes your vase and mirror shape.  Generally scented candles are not recommended as they will often not mix well with the scent of the food being served and many people have severe sensitivities to these types of odors.  Usually four votives around your centerpiece works well.  Lastly, the filler – use the fill (rocks, pebbles, sand, sea glass, acrylic gems or diamonds, rose petals, etc) inside and around your vase if you’d like.  The fill that you choose is based on your answer to question #1 about mood and style.

There is no right or wrong way to design your centerpiece.  Don’t try to make anything too extravagant or you will probably just cause yourself a lot of stress.  Remember that simple can be very stunning.  If you choose items that you love and want to re-use to decorate around your home after the wedding day, then you will create beautiful centerpieces and memories.

About The Author:

Nicole “Niki” Synadinos has over 5 years of professional experience in the wedding and event industry.  She currently works as an event coordinator for Exquisite Events in St. Petersburg, Florida, and she owns and operates Center-Pieces.com, an ecommerce site dedicated to wedding centerpieces and décor for the DIY bride. 

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