Table centerpieces for wedding receptions add an element of beauty to an otherwise simple table crowded with dishes and silverware. Craft centerpieces can run the gamut, from floating flowers or tea lights to something more creative that speaks to the couple's interests or personalities. Creating the centerpieces yourself -- likely with the help of your wedding party -- helps keep costs down and adds a personal touch to your reception tables.
Sprayed Driftwood and Pine Cones
Collect pieces of driftwood, pine cones and small branches with dried leaves attached. Scrub the items with a bristled brush, working carefully around delicate parts, to ensure that no insects are living in your soon-to-be centerpiece. Coat the pieces thoroughly with a metallic spray paint, such as gold, silver or bronze. Arrange the pieces artfully on the table, creating a small circle. Use elevated tea light holders to hold the small candles above the items. This gives your table a shimmery, metallic feel. This centerpiece idea works best for winter night weddings or on tables with rich-colored coverings, such as burgundy.
Bowls With Candles
Fill a large, shallow bowl with a colorful item, such as cranberries for an autumn wedding, or marbles year-round. Plant a single large pillar candle in the middle of the bowl, or rest several small pillar candles or tea lights on top of the items. Use a clear glass bowl for added effect, or match the bowl and candles to the wedding's colors. This is a simple centerpiece that works well for modest weddings or outdoor affairs.
Photos of Couple and Guests
Gather old pictures of you and your spouse with the wedding guests. Using your seating chart, split up the photos among the table assignments. Frame the photos, either using an eclectic mix of frames for a funky, laid-back look, or a matching set, which you can often purchase cheaply at a dollar store. Ensure that the frames have a support on the back to stand upright. Arrange the frames on a Lazy Susan. The guests can spin the arrangement to see pictures of you and your spouse with everyone at the table. If the inside of the Lazy Susan looks bare, put a small, stable flower arrangement there. Keep the water low to avoid splashing when the Lazy Susan spins. This centerpiece works best for smaller weddings, when you can ensure that every guest is represented. Dig into family photo archives and make copies, if necessary, or remember to take a photo with unrepresented guests at showers or engagement parties.
Goldfish Centerpiece
Move away from flowers and candles with a live centerpiece. Buy glass tanks with fitted lids and lay down gravel that matches your wedding colors. Leave the tank bare, or artfully paint on you and your spouse's initials in glitter paint on one side. Submerge a small artificial plant, if desired. Add one or two goldfish to each tank. During the reception, have the DJ or a wedding attendant lead a simple game to decide who gets to take home the tank at each table. For example, it may be the person with the closest birthday or the youngest. Have a member of the wait staff deliver the tank lid, a small container of fish food, and a pre-printed list of instructions you prepared about caring for the fish to each table. This centerpiece can work well at any wedding, but you must designate someone to do a check at the end of the night and gather up all unwanted fish to take home. Be prepared to care for several fish if your guests didn't take them home.
Souvenir Centerpieces
Create a gift basket for each centerpiece that speaks to the couple's past and interests. For instance, include maple leaf candy for a spouse from Vermont or even beer from a brewer near your hometown. Add in personal touches, such as a box of saltwater taffy to signal your love of beach vacations, pennants of your universities, or balls imprinted with a logo of your favorite sports team. Include a treat connected to the location of your honeymoon, such as macadamia nuts for a Hawaiian trip. Encourage your guests to eat up or pick through the baskets to take what they like.
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