Wedding Centerpieces on a Budget

Many cost conscious couples decide to create wedding centerpieces on a budget.  Weddings have the reputation of being very expensive. A thrifty bride and groom can cut costs on a number of traditionally expensive decorations, by making the decorations themselves. Shopping around and looking for the best deals can also be a great money saver. The money saved from cutting costs can be put towards a honeymoon or savings for the newlyweds.

The good news is cheap wedding centerpieces can be just as beautiful as the more expensive centerpieces. There are a number of different options a couple can choose from. Purchasing close out or clearance centerpieces can be very inexpensive. The trick is making sure there are enough centerpieces, and that they will match the wedding decor. Most likely, you will not be able to purchase anymore or have them custom colored if they are on the clearance rack. Buying centerpieces in bulk can also save you money. If you know somebody else who is getting married you can sell them the centerpieces you do not need.

Wedding CenterpiecesAnother easy way to save is by having the budget centerpieces made by friends and family members. Dollar stores are a great option for anybody who needs to design wedding centerpieces on a budget. Dollar stores have a ton of things like candles, candle holders, flowers, and confetti that can be made into gorgeous centerpieces. Glass bowls can be used to hold floating candles and most will never be able to tell where they came from.  The best part about purchasing decorations from a dollar store, is that most of the time, there are huge quantities available. They also carry a number of different colors of candles and ribbons that can be used as centerpieces.

Themed wedding receptions may include props that can be found for free. If you live near the ocean and are planning a beach wedding theme, the decorations are all over the beach. Centerpieces can include some beautiful shells, driftwood and rocks. A large pillar candle surrounded by seashells makes a stunning centerpiece for any beach wedding.

Choosing wedding centerpieces on a budget does not have to leave you with limited choices. There are a number of different centerpieces that can be created for next to nothing. Use your imagination and ask around, be resourceful. Planning a wedding is not easy, but it can be done on a budget.

Simple Wedding Centerpieces

Making wedding centerpieces can be a fun, yet tedious chore. That is why it is often best to keep wedding centerpieces simple. While simple wedding centerpieces may be ideal, keep in mind however that simple does not necessarily mean cheap.

Like most couples, you probably want everything to be perfect on your wedding day. While there are many things that couples agonize over, most people agree that centerpieces are an important part to any wedding. After all, your guests will be eyeing your centerpieces throughout dinner and afterward.

Simple Wedding CenterpiecesTo get started with ideas for simple centerpieces, think of things that will be easy to do on your own, especially if you have a lot of centerpieces to make. A simple, yet elegant centerpiece you can make consists of using fresh flowers and a vase. Talk to your florist to find out which flowers are available.

You can then add your fresh flowers to any style of vase. If you want to add more to your vase, opt for pebbles or stones to go on the bottom of your vase. Or, choose to put several different flowers in your vase to spruce it up a bit. Whatever you choose, this is a simple idea that can be done quickly for beautiful fresh flower centerpieces.

Another idea for simple wedding centerpieces involves using tea lights or votive candles. Tea lights are less expensive than votives and can be purchased in bulk, but their burn time is not quite as long. Using these candles can jazz up any wedding centerpiece however. Tea lights can be placed inside wine glasses and votive candles can be placed in small vases. For added appeal, place flower petals around the glass. You can designate a few people to light the candles as guests arrive at the reception.

If you like the idea of using candles in your wedding centerpieces, opt to use floating candles for your tables. Floating candles are a bit more unique, yet have the same beautiful appeal. Purchase glass bowls and fill them with water. Then add the floating candles and sprinkle the water with rose petals if you wish. Once again, designate a few people to light the candles beforehand.

If you want to steer away from traditional flowers and candles, you can choose to use fruit or chocolates in your centerpieces. Simply purchase elegant bowls or serving platters to be placed on the tables and fill them with assorted fruits or chocolates. Stick to fruits that you can work with the night before, such as dipping strawberries in chocolate sauce.

Lastly, you can use colored stones in your simple wedding centerpieces. The stones will bring in the colors and elegance of your wedding and will sparkle under the light. Use the stones to fill champagne or margarita glasses, or use them in stylish vases or glass bowls.

Beach Wedding Centerpieces

At my beach themed wedding, I had the most beautiful beach wedding centerpieces that were the cheapest and easiest centerpieces ever. I went to the dollar store and bought enough shallow glass bowls for all of my tables, two for tables that were longer. They had little bags of seashells in their arts and crafts section and I picked up some of those too. I had the idea that I wanted to have some kind of lighting that was romantic but not too distracting so I got some floating candles just to see what I could do. The outcome was amazing!

I filled the bottom of the glass bowls with the seashells and then filled them with water almost to the very top so the candles wouldn’t touch the seashells and had room to float around. When you drop the candle in there and light them it is absolutely gorgeous! If you want to prolong the life of your candles, don’t light them. Once they have burned for a while it soon just becomes a big blob of melted candle wax floating on the water.

Beach Wedding Centerpiece

A couple other ideas that I tried were using sand dollars and starfish as well, depending on the season though, they can be kind of hard to find. Many specialty shops sell them but they are kind of pricey. During the summer time, beach themed weddings are very popular and beach centerpieces are easy to come by on the internet. Flip Flop picture frames of the couple are very popular.

If you plan on ordering tropical flowers for your beach wedding centerpieces, be advised that they are not usually carried in-stock in the United States because we do not have the right climate in most places here. They are very costly and will have to be picked up close to the time that you plan on using them because they will wilt very fast. Another alternative you could use if you want flowers it to use silk blossoms but they do not have the same look and are not as attractive as the real flower itself.

Wedding Flower Centerpieces

One of the most important decisions a bride to be will make is in regards to her flowers. She not only has to pick out the floral bouquets and boutonnieres but she will need to pick out the flowers for the church or wedding hall as well as the wedding flower centerpieces.

Most brides to be try to tie in and coordinate all the flowers they use for their wedding. If they choose to go with a rose bouquet they can also insert some roses into their flower centerpieces. Some brides to be choose to go with silk flowers as these can last forever. Many of the silk floral arrangements are made so well you would think they were real.

Wedding Flower CenterpiecesWedding reception flower centerpieces can be made in any height for your tables. Catering halls can also place the centerpiece arrangements on mirrored pedestals to make them appear taller but remember that you want your wedding guests to be able to converse across the table and you do not want the floral arrangement in the center of the table to get in their way.

A centerpiece can also incorporate other items like candles, shells, rocks and even balloons. It depends upon the theme and style of your wedding. Some even float candles in colored water along with rose petals. A creative bride to be can really add a personalized touch to her wedding by designing unique and personalized floral centerpiece arrangements.

One of the guests at each of your tables at the reception can take home the floral arrangement when they leave. Some couples place a sticker under one chair at each table and then announce that the person with the sticker under their chair can take home the centerpiece. Others might leave it up to their wedding guests to decide.

When a couple decides that they are going to get married they have a lot to plan and research. There are so many things that go into making your wedding the perfect dream wedding. Fortunately there are many books, magazines and services offered to help brides plan their ideal wedding.  In the end though every bride to be has her own idea of what the ideal wedding will be right down to the perfect wedding flower centerpieces.

Fall Wedding Centerpieces

Fall wedding centerpieces can be done with traditional fall colors, like deep oranges, fire red and sunny yellows. The possibilities are endless. The wedding reception area will look stunning with a combination of fall colors and seasonal foliage. The red and orange color combination, give off a feeling of warmth and tranquility, perfect for any wedding theme.

A fall wedding centerpiece can include candles, flowers, colorful foliage or even real fruit. A beautifully crafted candle ring made with fall foliage is the perfect addition to any candle centerpiece. An assortment of orange, red, and yellow floating candles in a clear red bowl, are another idea.

Fall Wedding CenterpiecesChoosing to really get in the fall harvest tradition could include centerpieces made with pumpkins or gourds. Surround the pumpkins with some elegant maple leaves to add even more color. The pumpkins can be painted with the names of the bride and groom to really personalize the centerpiece. Crabapples added to the set up, is a perfect way to add some red into the color scheme.

Using the beautiful leaves of fall can make gorgeous fall centerpieces as well as be an inexpensive way to decorate your tables. One way to incorporate the usage of fall leaves is to put them in a dark brown basket or a decorative box. You can add special touches of color by placing a flower here and there and for the head table you can do something extra such as surround the basket with a couple of colored wine goblets. You can use real leaves if you have access to some nice ones but you can also very easily buy fake ones in the store especially during this time of year. There is also special craft glue you can purchase for those who want to layer them a certain way.

Autumn wedding centerpieces made up of brass leaves in a variety of styles and highlighted with a votive candle would be stunning. The brass would provide the perfect glow to any reception area. Brass candle holders molded into leaves would look stunning surrounded by bright fall foliage. An assortment of red and yellow dahlias arranged in a brass vase is absolutely breath taking.

Bronze is another color that would fit into the fall color scheme. Bright red and yellow candles would be perfect set in a bronze plated taper candle holders. Surround the tapers with a variety of sunflowers and maple leaves to create the perfect fall centerpiece. Sunflowers placed in bronze vases another combination that could bring your fall wedding colors together.

Acorns are another traditional part to any fall decorating theme, and can be used to decorate any of your fall wedding centerpieces. Use a group of acorns or randomly include them in candle rings or other foliage. Apples are another common food harvested in the fall, that could make not only a beautiful centerpiece, but an edible centerpiece. A harvest theme could include cornucopias as centerpieces, surrounded by acorns and apples.

Copyright © 2009 www.cheapweddingcenterpieces.net All rights reserved.