What centerpiece is right for you?

I get asked this question a lot…”What should I use as table centerpieces for my wedding?” There is no single answer to this question, only a couple of things you need to consider before choosing your wedding centerpieces.

1. What type of feeling or mood are you going for? Do you want something glitzy or home-spun? Modern or vintage? Formal or casual? Take cues from your wedding attire and invitations to lead you to your centerpiece style.

2. What height of the centerpiece will work best? What is the height of the reception room? A room with very high ceilings will need a tall centerpiece to fill in space. A room with low ceilings would need a low centerpiece. One of Niki’s Tips is to never make a centerpiece that is 12-18″ high (unless you are using the skinny Eiffel tower vases), as this level will be right in the line of sight of your guests. There is nothing more aggravating at a dinner party than not being able to see or speak to the person across the table form you no matter how pretty the bouquet is.

3. What types of flowers or fill do you plan on using? The height of the vase is also determined by the length of the stem you will be putting into it. A short-stemmed flower, such as hydrangea, would need a small or medium-sized vase, where long-stemmed calla lilies would need a medium to a tall vase.

4. Add some variety. Using twenty of the exact same centerpiece can be boring to the eye. Try to choose two to three different styles of centerpiece and alternate throughout the room. One may have tall flowers, the next only candles, the last a combination of floating flowers and candles for example.

5. Put it all together. Choose a vase style or two that you like. Next, add a mirror as a base to reflect the light and beauty. If your vases are rounded, choose a round-shaped mirror. If your vases are square, choose a square mirror. The beveled edge will add elegance, while the non-beveled edge is more casual. Next, add candles and candle holders. Again, choose a shape that echoes your vase and mirror shape. Generally scented candles are not recommended as they will often not mix well with the scent of the food being served and many people have severe sensitivities to these types of odors. Usually, four votives around your centerpiece work well. Lastly, the filler – use the fill (rocks, pebbles, sand, sea glass, acrylic gems or diamonds, rose petals, etc) inside and around your vase if you’d like. The fill that you choose is based on your answer to question #1 about mood and style.

There is no right or wrong way to design your centerpiece. Don’t try to make anything too extravagant or you will probably just cause yourself a lot of stress. Remember that simple can be very stunning. If you choose items that you love and want to re-use to decorate around your home after the wedding day, then you will create beautiful centerpieces and memories.

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