When it comes to weddings, putting a new twist on a time-honored tradition can yield some unique and wonderful memories. Discover how to transform the traditional floral centerpiece and decorate the tables at your wedding reception with some impressive non-floral elements.
Candles
Candles are sometimes used in combination with flowers as a centerpiece, but they work well on their own as well. Use electric versions if your venue views real candles as a fire hazard. Include different sizes and shapes of candles to form a sculptural look and to give your reception a romantic glow.
Branches
Are you amazed by the beauty of blooming branches in the spring, or boughs bedecked with colorful leaves in the fall? Ask your florist to use these elements in your centerpiece. Even bare branches twined with tiny lights or strings of beads lend a wonderful natural beauty to your reception tables. If you’re having a holiday wedding, procure some branches encrusted with artificial snow and hung with glittering pine cones, pendants, or lights.
Driftwood
For a beach-themed wedding, obtain some big pieces of driftwood, perfectly weathered by saltwater, sand, and wind. Make sure they’re clean so they don’t sift sand onto your tables. Add seaweed, shells, bits of netting, and feathery grasses to the ensemble.
Lanterns
If you’re in love with the modern combination of the elegant and the rustic, place lantern centerpieces on the tables at your elegant wedding venue. The lanterns give a sense of cozy intimacy, and you can accessorize them with ribbons, flowers, or other bits of finery to tie them into the rest of your wedding decor.
Clocks
Your love is timeless, and time is precious— whichever sentiment you prefer, you can make your point by incorporating beautiful vintage clocks into the centerpieces at your wedding reception. Borrow some amazing old clocks from friends or purchase some from thrift stores and antique shops.
Feathers
Do you love the roaring twenties? Think Great Gatsby glamour and fill bead-bedazzled vases with huge, feathery plumes. Tall feathers that are all one color have the biggest impact.
Books
Imagine thick, beautiful volumes, your favorite old romance, and modern stories, piled on the tables at your reception. Add handwritten, framed cards with some of your favorite quotations, and include a candle or two or a bud vase with some choice blooms. The books represent your shared love of words, and they provide great conversation pieces for your guests.
Hot Air Balloons
Encase round helium balloons in netting, reminiscent of old-fashioned hot air balloons, and weight them with little baskets or vases. Add tassels, ribbons, or flowers as you like, and you’ll have fun centerpieces that guests will love to look at.
Fruits and Vegetables
Bring the farm to the table! Use small wooden troughs or bowls, milk pails, or pottery pieces and have them filled to overflowing with fresh fruits or vegetables, interspersed with leaves and flowers. Invite guests to take a piece of the farm-fresh goodness home with them after the wedding reception.
Vases, pinecones, shells, desserts, lamps, candelabra, games, and photos can all turn into fantastic centerpieces. Use your imagination and find your own way turn the usual floral centerpieces into something unique and special.
