Non-floral wedding centerpieces
My best friend is an offbeat bride and she’s planning an awesome personality-filled offbeat wedding for October. There’s a problem though — centerpieces. We’re trying to find something that’s DIY, doesn’t cost much, and doesn’t involve flowers. Yikes. Any suggestions? —Miranda
Any suggestions?! Even though we skipped centerpieces all-together at our wedding, I inhaled dozens of ideas online during the planning process. Here are a few of my favorites …
- Rocks
Easy, natural, cheap. When combined with pillar candles, rocks can make for a nice organic feel to a table, or you can go for super sparse and zen. In this picture, you can see a couple who went for stones, candles, and b&w photos of themselves. Here’s a little more visual inspiration, courtesy of the folks at the humorously titled website Stoned Creative. - Sticks
Again: easy, natural, cheap. I’m not totally sure about the bright red paint used in this centerpiece, but I do sort of like the idea of fake birds. Bonus points if you make 2D bird-shapes out of felt. Lots more great stick pictures and ideas over here. - Leaves
Dude, I’m totally sticking with my hippie theme here, aren’t I? But check out this simple concept: vase, fall leaves, candles. Tada! - Paper Lanterns
Works best with an asian theme, natch, but with a little creativity could be applied to almost any theme. Check out these battery powered options - Books
Dude, I am in love with this concept, which I first read about on Kvetch, where a bride themed each table after a writer, complete with a stack of books and a little framed quote. This idea is an obvious fit for academic/literary types, but could be extra funny with cheap romance novels and pulp fiction, which you can get for pennies at any second hand store. Stack ‘em and wrap ‘em in ribbons — suddenly trashy fiction becomes an entertaining conversation piece. Stick a wedding-branded bookmark in ‘em and they’re kitchy favors! Like Muglies, only readable. - Medical Glassware I’ve never actually seen this done, but the idea of Erlenmeyer flasks Volumetric flasks are even cooler looking.
with colored water and candles on a clean white table clothes makes me all happy inside, in a total chemistry geek-love kind of way. - Records?! I’m convinced after seeing this shot that more could be done with old vinyl records at weddings. Kate used them as place settings, but it doesn’t take too much creativity to imagine how they might be used as the awesome base of a DIY centerpiece. And again: cheap!
For a bazillionty more ideas, check in with the ladies at Kvetch. Oh, and I’m guessing some of my readers have some amazing ideas — anyone?
Comments
49 responses to this entryEmily
February 16th, 2007 · 7:20 AM · #so totally not as impressive/original as these, but we have a million old mismatched vases (actually left over from a death in the family). so we’re sticking them on tables with short pillar candles in them and tying ribbon around the vases. bootleg, but we think successful.
Rachael
February 16th, 2007 · 7:40 AM · #I’ve been to a wedding with peaches in vases in the middle of tables, and I’m thinking about doing the same with apples for mine.
Ariel
February 16th, 2007 · 7:42 AM · #Nice, Rachel! Yeah, it seems like all manners of fruit can make great centerpieces — bowls of cherries can be really striking.
Priscilla
February 16th, 2007 · 7:59 AM · #Great ideas! I made decoupage wine bottles for centerpieces for my wedding– just put them on some pretty fabric with candles. I spray-painted the wine bottles and gued on romantic pictures and sometimes quotes. I also used them as favors for important people in the wedding party. They looked really nice.
Christine
February 16th, 2007 · 9:15 AM · #I agree! Fruit and veggies. Very stiking if each table is a single variety with contrasting votive candles tucked in amongst the produce.
Laura
February 16th, 2007 · 2:10 PM · #This would require a lot of photo frames, but I love the idea of a large candle as the centrepiece with 3 or 4 photo frames with different photos of the couple grouped around the candle so that no matter where you’re sitting at the table you can see at least one or two pictures. Bonus - this will get your guests to mingle a bit as they check out the different photos at different tables!
Maya
February 19th, 2007 · 12:42 PM · #Ahh the non-floral centerpiece: How do I love thee? Here are a few:
-Simple wood/terra cotta containers (can be stained or painted to match palette) filled with wheatgrass or baby tears moss - you can ‘nest’ candles here or any number of fun creative things.
-Edibles: Coffee beans, and in fact dried beans (lentils are a lovely bright green, for example) of any sort look fab in a clear vase with a candle in the middle and are v. cheap.
You can also go sweet like some of my couples have and do candy (I don’t suggest chocolate, it melts and looks a mess in the least bit of heat) such as jelly beans (all kinds of colors) sour balls, peppermints (wintery) or any of the millions of other sorts. You can do lollies/suckers sticking out as non-floral ‘flowers” or get really creative with it.
-Interesting found china, wood or silver (eBay, thrift stores, borrow for deals) such as footed bowls look great with floating candles in them. Make sure they are waterproof first!
On the book bit: Bookends or architechtural finials are often really neat and interesting to look at - they can be painted, textured, etc and put flat-side down with candles, maybe some moss and make a great talking peice.
Cheers! Maya
Nani
February 20th, 2007 · 1:00 AM · #My idea for my own wedding, since Henry and I met on flickr, was to print out tiny versions of pictures we took early in our courtship, then pick up a bunch of those photo holders that have clips attached to tall, skinny springs and put those around the room (we’re not having a formal sit-down dinner thing).
katie d.
February 20th, 2007 · 12:42 PM · #i am currently conducting a scientific experiment with old jars, potting soil, and seeds. the idea is to figure out what does well and how long it takes and do it for our center pcs. but there is a lot of room for catastrophe, so it might not be worth it if you have a weak heart, or don’t have a back up plan for the jars…
Miles Johnson
February 24th, 2007 · 9:46 PM · #We created very simple and inexpensive centerpieces for a budget wedding. Granny Smith apples in a low bowl, a few cybidium orchids on top, and some glycerized birch leaves. The apples were the small, bagged apples you get at the supermarket for $3.99. The most expensive item was the bowl. They looked great and were relatively inexpensive. They could be made by almost anyone with a little time.
J
February 26th, 2007 · 8:34 AM · #I am having a fall wedding as well and will be decorating the buffet tables with long willow withes and scattering leaves.
Do you really need centrepieces? I find they get in the way of people talking across the table. Keeping it low with braches etc creates impact without impasse! And, tree bits are free!
Jezebel
February 26th, 2007 · 12:42 PM · #I’ve done it! I’ve found the perfect centerpiece for our Pagan Handfasting.
Start with 4 kinds of 2.5″ herb starts. I choose Thyme, curry plant, purple sage, and rosemary. Buy 6″ pots from Ikea and plant your herb starts a few weeks before the big day to give them a chance to settle into their new home.
I can stay within my $200 budget for the centerpieces and my friends and family will have something useful to take home instead of a bunch of flowers that will die.
Some girlfriends actually applauded when I told them my idea so this is going to be perfect!
Katty
February 28th, 2007 · 8:33 AM · #We are getting married this fall in a back yard bbq style wedding. we are placing wooden bird houses on the picnic tables. We picked these up at an unfinished wood store and are now working on decorating them with paint, ribbon, and rhinestones. They look cute and will be useful following the celebration! Yeah for inginuity! Boo for my poor spelling skills!
Cat
March 7th, 2007 · 8:29 PM · #for a gothic or halloween wedding you can get inexpensive cardboard coffins. We will be stacking 3 varied sized coffins on top of eachother, tying with ribbon and placing a few small tealight holder on each level.
On top of those we’ll have bat shaped table number cards with photos of the two of us at the age corrosponding with the table number.
trish
March 12th, 2007 · 12:39 PM · #another cute centerpiece i am doing is wineglasses (not expensive kind) and put a small candle in them, or if you are a candle maker you can place a wick and wax directly in them. Tie some ribbon around the glass and hot glue a small silk rose and leaves. place it on on of those small mirror bases at the dollar store and throw some silk rose petals around it. VERY CUTE!
jenica
March 13th, 2007 · 7:41 PM · #FISH
we used fish for our centerpieces and luffed them. you can find fish in all colors to match your wedding colors. plus you can do several different sizes of vases and fish in order to create some texture on your tables.
Ariel
March 13th, 2007 · 7:42 PM · #What did you do with the fish after the wedding?
jenica
March 15th, 2007 · 3:46 PM · #they became happy little pond fish afterwards. we used very cheap red and white goldfish, although if you used something more expensive you could put them in tanks throughout your house or give them away to the wedding party. how cool would a fish be as a parting gift??? here, have a little live love from our hearts.
April
March 19th, 2007 · 12:45 PM · #We are doing low 10″ bowls with three 3″ floating candles in them. Those will sit on black napkins with votives and rose petals around them. Best part is that I found the bowls at a party supply store (to rent) for 1.50 each.
Jennifer
March 20th, 2007 · 7:27 AM · #I did a mardi gras theme for my wedding in Sept. We even rented a Bourbon St. sign, fake jester who was the hit of the party. girls wore dark plum, centerpieces were lightpole candle holders with a street name/landmark of new orleans, played jazz during appetizers, each guest got a mask, beads inside a hurricane glass. Bridesmaids walked in with boas on. Cake was jester like in purple. I explained Mardi gras framed on each table. People had a BALL. And who cares if it wasn’t mardi gras season. My gown even had an amethyst overlay!
Phyllis
March 30th, 2007 · 8:07 AM · #For my daughter’s June wedding we’re using glass cake stands with antique wedding cake toppers collected over the years. We’re also using crocheted doilies under the toppers and the florist is providing greenery and floral rings around the base of the cake stands.
Lara
June 9th, 2007 · 4:27 PM · #For my wedding we are going to fill fish bowls with red colored water and lemons. We may or may not float white candles in the bowls.
Shelene
June 19th, 2007 · 7:53 PM · #I’m planning a murder mystery wedding (assuming we don’t change plans again!) & I’m playing with the idea of having each table represent a different location (signified with some kind of sign-age): the conservatory; kitchen; garden; etc… and decorate each accordingly. That will give each table a little individuality & might even be a conversation sparker seeing as people will want to check out what the other tables are!
andrea
July 22nd, 2007 · 4:34 PM · #I see that lots of people have mentioned fruit, I was also going to use fruit with (mismatched) glass bowls of mine and borrowed from friends, full of character and edible!
Dawn
October 12th, 2007 · 6:46 PM · #These are all excellent ideas!! We are getting married in March! What would you suggest for a theme! I was thinking winter, is that weird for a march wedding??
Dawn
October 14th, 2007 · 8:55 AM · #We were also thinking of doing pastel blue and purple with a white accent! What would you suggest for centerpieces??
brandy
October 17th, 2007 · 10:13 PM · #Our wedding is totally “island style/beachy” theme. It is being catered by a place called rasta tacos, it’s a full on red yellow and green taco cart. It was our inspiration for our theme. Anyways, for centerpieces I found galvanized beer buckets, $14 for 5 at corona.com, they will be filled with ice and different kinds of beer (red stripe, corona, pacifico) with ribbon to match our colors tied around the necks of the bottles. For favors, we are placing a bottle opener in each place setting for them to open their beers with!
vicki
November 15th, 2007 · 6:59 AM · #did u putthe fish in the day of your wedding? just wondering,dont want them to go belly up,what kind of flowers float that i could use,any advice??
Angela
November 28th, 2007 · 5:40 PM · #we are having a june wedding and i wanted it to be really bright and playful. we are having a “Candy Shoppe” themed reception: there is going to be a table with several different sizes and shapes of glass jars filled with different candies in the colors of our wedding. Our guests can fill up goodie bags with their favorite candies to take home with them. Our centerpieces are candy bouquets - (made with lolliops and little tootsie rolls on sticks wrapped in colored celophane, etc). We are also going to have a few candy dishes on each table. Our guests can munch on the candy from the dishes and bouquets during the reception and take the leftovers home at the end. The name cards are going to be those big swirly lollipops stuck in little flower pots with stickers on the wrapper stating their names. There are a lot of websites where you can buy bulk candy online for really cheap. We are going to be saving a ton of money on flowers and then we don’t have all of these flowers left at the end of the day that will just die and be thrown out.
Maria
December 6th, 2007 · 3:33 PM · #I am having a rock show themed wedding (think hole in the wall venue that is smokey and dark and in the middle of Portland’s industrial district). I want to do centerpieces, have the option of doing flowers (as there are florists in the family) but am still undecided. I considered records, but didn’t want to stray from the idea that it’s a CONCERT, not a rock n roll theme. Any ideas?
Janice
December 10th, 2007 · 8:13 PM · #Having a Halloween wedding, so I’ll be making trick or treat candy bouquets for each table instead of flowers. I’ll also have crayons at each table and butcher block paper for doodling on.
mollyc
December 14th, 2007 · 6:18 PM · #check this for something sorta off the beaten path…maybe you can use them SOMEHOW? http://www.blissweddingsmarket.....000247.htm
photograbock
January 7th, 2008 · 1:35 PM · #Here’s what we did for ours…sticks, bottles, and tissue-paper (warning: large amount of photos):
Gertie
January 10th, 2008 · 8:55 AM · #We recently decided to go with those lovely 10″-12″ statues (lawn ornaments?) of faeries that are that kinda turquoise colour (oxidized copper coloured)
They’re going to be different for each of our 8 tables, maybe a lantern ornament, or a dragon or something, too.
Then we’ll have a draw at the end of the night for anyone who wants to keep one.
We’re spluring a bit on ours, ’cause it just happens to be one of the things we really want, to tie in our ‘magicakal’ theme, but i’m sure there are other less-expensive options in a similar vein.
Kym
January 20th, 2008 · 3:57 PM · #I love the book idea!! My partner and I are both book worms.
Anne
January 26th, 2008 · 9:36 PM · #I have 2 ideas for non floral centerpieces. I’m getting married this Oct on a very victorian like island a few hours away from my house, and only accesible by ferry and horse drawn wagons once on the island. My aunit is a florist but agreed that if we went with a lot of flowers that she is bringing, they’d get ruined by the time we got there. I have been thinking about “hurricane” glass pillars with a candle inside and those beady type garland around the glass. Or my mom makes these cool glass blocks that you can get from Home Depot and you drill a hole in it, slide in battery operated white christmas lights, wrap a silky ribbon(wedding color) and some kind of decoration in center like leaves for fall or ornament for winter or whatever. They look cool and give a pretty glow.
I don’t know, just ideas.
Kenzie
January 28th, 2008 · 2:09 PM · #We’re doing green and yellow polka dot runners (my mom is making) with trifle servers filled with lemons and limes. Serving lime-aid on each table as well. Also whipping up some fun letterpress questions about us to place on each table (i.e. where was their first date, what dvd boxed set do they watch episodes of before going to bed, what’s his favorite band, etc) as ice breakers.
Kenzie
January 28th, 2008 · 2:14 PM · #another fun one… get mis-matched teacups (and saucers) at a thrift store — place cheap plants (i.e. fern or those multi-packs from your local garden supplier) in each cup, put 3 in the center of the table. Cute, organic, original and your guests can take them home.
Shel
February 3rd, 2008 · 8:16 PM · #Lara,
I saw what you said about red water and lemons. I would test that first to make sure the water doesn’t stain the lemons. If it does, maybe get fake lemons and coat them in clear spray paint?
Shel
February 3rd, 2008 · 8:19 PM · #We live in the gold coast, Australia and we have access to tons of sand and shells. I was gonna have jars of them, and some votives for mine! The wedding is in 8 months and we are saving all our glass jars.
Alyssa
February 10th, 2008 · 9:38 AM · #What do you suggest for a rustic theme. I like the rustic country things like grapevine wreaths and berries.
Dana
February 17th, 2008 · 12:09 AM · #I saw toward the top the use of grass/moss and candles… BEWARE: I went to a wedding with cute terra cotta containers, moss/grass, and candles… and they CAUGHT FIRE!! They were a really cute idea, just poorly executed. Make sure you use sturdy candles that will not bend!!
PoppyWhyte
February 18th, 2008 · 8:02 AM · #Unless I discover something else that sparks my interest, (like that murder mystery thing…how’d you do it?) I’ll be using potted succulent plants. 3 different species to a pot if we go with round tables, singles in a row if we get rectangle tables.
Succulents are very forgiving plants so if you buy them a few weeks in advance and only water them once, itz ok, they won’t die!!!
KM
February 24th, 2008 · 10:26 AM · #Were having a destination location on beach on east coast. Centrepiece wise, thinking about IKEA lanterns(painted purple) with tealights plus blue sand and shells. Low budget & No flowers needed.
We went to a fall wedding last year and the apples were great, we ate them on the way home and snacked on them at the end of the night.
Beth
March 4th, 2008 · 7:48 AM · #My friend created thousands of beautiful handmade origami cranes and scattered them on the tables, in the reception area, in the bathrooms, filled in vases, etc… It was amazing. They were made with a variety of different colored/patterned origami paper and were so unique and gorgeous.
A few ideas I saw from this article: Test tubes filled with herbs; asparagus wrapped around a vase (fill with whatever you like).
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....age2.shtml
jamie
March 20th, 2008 · 1:49 PM · #I just happened to come across this site and it is quite useful. Great ideas. I’m having my wedding this novemeber and also looking for a creative centerpiece idea without flowers. I was thinking about the apple in a low vase idea with vines and berried twigs. Any other rustic ideas?
Annah
March 25th, 2008 · 3:14 PM · #We are planning to use retro games that we are collecting from friend and online (Rock Em Sock Em Robots, Candyland, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Operation, etc.) We want the over all feeling of our wedding to be fun and playful. These games are colorful and will hopefully encourage people to loosen up and mingle, plus my partner loves games so it’s a way that something that he loves can be incorperated. Also very cheap most of the games can be borrowed or bought used for a couple dollars. WE’re also thinking about getting Janga and writing silly things that who ever pulls that block has to do.
Pam
May 3rd, 2008 · 10:58 AM · #We used tree branches in small urns (bought end of season for 60-80% off), and tied polymer clay leaf wine glass charms to the branches. The charms doubled as favors for the guests and were a big hit! The urns went home with whomever wanted them, to be re-purposed as planters this summer.
I made all the clay leaves, then used wire earring hoops and some beads to create the charms.
It can be done assembly line style with several helpers fairly quickly once all the leafs are done.
I estimate it took about 8 hours to complete 150 leafs from start to finish.
Brynn
May 8th, 2008 · 4:02 PM · #Having a Hawaiian wedding in Santa Barbara, CA - was planning to have Pineapples with candles around them as center pieces - but LOVE that battery lanters, may alternate tables - will add such a wonderful glow to the whole event.
Brynn