Ah centerpieces. Who doesn’t love a beautiful centerpiece? Unfortunately, using only flowers can get quite pricey for the bride and groom. So, here is a snippet of my Wedding Centerpieces article for you to get some inspiration.

Wedding Favors:
By utilizing your wedding favors as a centerpiece, they can be easily accessible to your guests and they help you cut costs elsewhere.
• Arrange a vase in the middle of the table and place brightly colored and folded hand fans inside. Decorate with a few colorful flowers.

• For a holiday themed wedding, purchase mini Christmas trees and hang with shiny ornaments. For an extra touch, place a picture of your guest inside these pretty hanging frame ornaments
to serve as a personalized wedding favor.

Nature: Even if you still want flowers for your wedding, there’s no reason to make that the only item in your centerpiece. Adding a few other plants can make your centerpieces look different and will still save you money. Some quick examples include ferns, tree branches, berry branches, or even wheat stalks.

• For an Asian inspired reception, place a bamboo plant
in the middle of the table and surround it with various pictures of the couple glued onto wooden hand fans.
• Another idea is to grow your own flowers in pretty ceramic pots of different shapes and sizes, and place these in the center of your table. Accent them with some mini watering cans that can double as favors.

Candles:
Candles have become a favorite among centerpieces, and it’s no surprise why. They provide just the right glow for your party guests and transforms a so-so setting into an awe-inspiring one.

• Get candles of varying sizes and bunch in the center of the table. A variation of this would be to grab candle-holders of varying sizes. Place these on top of a mirror base for a soft glow.

• Top a variety of wine bottles with these wine cork candles.

Make sure that you avoid placing flammable items in the area, but adding extra details will go a long way. For example, scattering some leaves or sand around the candles can help tie your theme into the centerpieces.

Dessert: Desserts make beautiful, and tasty centerpieces that will certainly not go to waste!

• Place a vase with some sturdy branches and hang some personalized cookies
or custom fortune cookies packaged and tied with a ribbon from the ends.
• Speaking of candy, this one is sure to be a hit at the kids table: Buy a variety of jars and vases and fill with brightly colored candy. Some ideas include conversation hearts, gumballs, M&Ms, jelly beans, Skittles, Hershey’s kisses, saltwater taffy, or pillow mints. Insert some over-sized, colorful lollipops inside for a yummy flower-alternative.

Many of these ideas can add a unique touch to your wedding without denting your budget. If you liked these suggestions, there are even more in my Wedding Centerpieces article in the Wedding Ideas section.

Picture Credit:

• http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/weddings
• http://www.rossirovetti.com
• http://decorvillage.wordpress.com
• http://kvetch.indiebride.com/
• http://www.california-wedding-ideas.com/
• http://www.redphotoco.com
• http://blog.pinkcakebox.com
• http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com
• http://strawberrydreams.wordpress.com