Anyone do non-floral centerpieces? I need ideas!

[ellaila]

Hi,

We''re having a small wedding in Newport, RI, and our dinner is going to be in a very small dining room that seats only 40. There will be six tables, and I really don''t want to do big floral centerpieces, as I think it''ll overwhelm the room. I keep thinking of maybe something like a mirror with lots of different height candles on it and maybe have each table have ribbons of a certain color on the candles - one a sage green, one with blues, one w/soft yellows, etc. And maybe some rose petals scattered too. I *think* that would be pretty -- but I''ve never seen it in person, so who knows? In my mind, I like it though

If any of you have done non-floral centerpieces, please share photos and ideas!

Thanks!

 

[dani13]

Hey-
I do have some pics of non- floral centerpieces (candles). Let me post a few...

 

[dani13]

I know they both have flowers in them, but you can at least get an idea of what you can do with candles, and I really like the rose petal idea....

 

[ellaila]

Thanks, Dani! I really like the first one ... I think I want to keep the tables looking pretty flat, so that even people seated not near the windows will have a clear view of the ocean. I really like the idea of a lot of candles with just either rose petals or even just some flowers strewn on the table, like in that first photo ... hmmm.

 

[dani13]

Your welcome!

You know my FI is prob so pissed off that I clog up his hard drive with all my wedding related crap! lol

Yeah, I think the idea of a lot of candles (either plain or in glass hurricanes like in the first photo) in all different sizes and heights will look GORGEOUS with either petals or a couple of small arrangements in glass square low vases. That is a great idea that shouldnt run you that much $$$....and, wont obstruct that awesome view!

 

[FireGoddess]

I did large red hurricane glass vases with white candles in them, and had a wreath of roses around the bottom.

 

[Rebemdee]

Make sure you check with the place you are having the reception; all our candles had to be in glass containers. How about a tall vase, like 10 inches, with a floating candle? It would give height to the table but would be see through. You could even put some flowers or pretty stones into the vase below the candle.

 

[Faerievert]

I did red hurricane glass vases with white candles too! but with clear glass gems and red glass hearts and black tablecloths. I''ll have pics next week

 

[Rebemdee]

I mean something like this. It's still see through but gives height to the table. I'd get a candle that more fully fills the top of the vase, so it doesn't look like a bitty candle floating around. Or, if you are ocean side, maybe get floating candles shaped like shells or starfish. Fill the container with sand or shells at the bottom, then add water and candle...you get the picture!

 

[Logan Sapphire]

We didn't really do floral centerpieces either. We did a lantern surrounded by moss with dendrobium orchids woven throughout. They weren't tall pieces at all; probably only 7-9 inches tall. Not a great picture, but you get the idea.

 

[AmantdeChat]

Just found these favors and centerpiece in one and thought they are a great idea!

 

[selflove]

Logan I love that non-floral centerpiece!

 

[ilovesparkles]

I worked at a hotel restaurant and there were many a wedding reception in our ballrooms. The candles on the mirror was something we did for taste tests and I thought it always looked really nice! I like the idea of the ribbons to add a little color and different heights of candles to give it depth. I also like the floating candle in vase idea. Both great looking center pieces!

 

[selflove]

This was our''s...just wanted to post so you could see the effect of the rose petals and lots of candles and a mirror as a base. The mirror and the silver flower holder reflected the candle light so nicely. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the coordinator had scattered rose petals everywhere and added the mirrors for us.

 

[ilovesparkles]

I found a couple of pictures that I thought I would post since I have nothing better to do

This is my favorite I really like the way the color is illuminated by the candles!

 

[ilovesparkles]

Here is a good look at candles among rose petals.

 

[MINE!!]

We did some really unique centerpieces. Each table entailed something that told wbout either the bride or groom. For exmaple, One table had an old fashioned lantern (that had a cnadle lit in it) and fool''s gold spread out on the table. With it, we has a little 4X6 frame that talked about me having Gold Fever in Co when I was younger and going into old abondoned mines looking to strike it rich. Hubby had a replica of a double decker bus and a london phone booth and a from that has the explianation fo him living and loving London. It was all very pretty... around everything (Centerpeices) were votive candles. It was a fun way for old freinds to take a trip down memory lane and new ones to get to know the bride and groom better. It was great.. people loved it!

 

[ilovesparkles]

Whoops the picture

 

[selflove]

MINE--that''s actually a great way to personalize your reception too. I love it!

 

[ellaila]

Thanks for all the ideas -- this place is just the best

I''ve got some dried rose petals at home and some candles, so I may play around and see what I can come up with! A friend offered me some hurricane vases, too, so maybe that''ll be my "height" and then I can do smaller votives -- maybe some in clear glass, some in frosted? Some widers, some thinner? I love the idea of a whole mix of things -- heights, widths, colors (ribbons) -- but I''m not sure if that''ll look too, I don''t know, messy?

Semi-related, have any of you tried freeze-dried rose petals as compared to fresh? They look beautiful, and I like the idea of not having to pluck petals off roses the day before my wedding (!!), but I don''t know if the price is ridiculous compared to buying real flowers? Anyone have a clue? I sent away for a sample from here http://www.petalgarden.com/

 

[ilovesparkles]

Lastly a bowl with floating flowers or you could do candles as well.

 

[flopkins]

I am going ot post some random pics I stole from theknot...
BrideStarr: I think this is her mockup of what candles and scattered rose petals would look like:

 

[flopkins]

knottie jenimac - she used cylinder vases of different heights.

 

[flopkins]

dunnos whose pic this is but I love the black ribbon accents on the vases.

 

[ellaila]

So many good ideas!! I think this weekend I'm going to go to Ikea and stock up on all sorts of glass candle holders and candles and see what I can come up with! I now think I want to mix up shapes too -- some fat square holders with square candles, some round, maybe even some blocks (like the 4-wick ones). I think I'll do a hurricane in the middle with the ribbon accent (I love both the black and the pink examples above!) and then surround that with a whole mishmash of different candles -- and then the rose petals.

That's today's thought at least ... who knows how I'll feel about that idea tomorrow!

 

[ellaila]

I just found this link too: http://boards.weddingchannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=415863&tstart=0

Some I don''t like at all (!), but some of it is pretty cool and unique!

 

[JCJD]

We had 3 tables at the reception, plus the cake table and guestbook table, and we had 5 bouquets (mine and 4 BM''s). My bouquet went on the cake table, my sis''s went on the guestbook table, and my 3 BMs'' went on the guest tables. We also had some of our engagement photos framed and they doubled as decoration for the guest book table at the ceremony site and centerpieces on the guest tables.

A Centerpiece

Guest Book Table at the Reception

 

[Mannequin]

I want to have cakes made for my centerpieces. I will be using these in lieu of one huge honking cake. FI and I will still have one to cut, but then all the tables will have a smaller 8-10 person cake. I''m going to see if I can get different flavors of cake and icing and different combos of our colors on each cake.

 

[codex57]

Surprised it wasn''t posted (altho a similar one was).

For one of our receptions, we just got large glass bowls. Low and wide. Filled it with water. Then tossed in floating candles and rose petals. Simple, cheap, looked nice, and filled up space.

 

[FireGoddess]

Here''s a pic of our centerpieces.