Does anyone have any ideas for inexpensive DIY centerpieces? I went out today to a well known place that specializes in realistic looking silk flowers. I naively thought they would be cheaper than a florist. Boy was I wrong. A simple bowl of white roses was $250. That times X number of tables is just outrageous!
So now I want to get creative. Maybe those LED candles or baskets of lemons with greenery and lace. IDK. I’m not the crafty creative type.
I saw this at a wedding once…and it was a nice thought…and fit the wedding couple perfectly.
Each table had a food gift basket…in a basket, wrapped in cellophane, with a nice bow. At the end of the reception, they were all taken to a soup kitchen where they were given to the folks there. BUT it took a LOT of time to assemble them and make them nice…and I’m not sure how low price they were!
We are having hurricane candle in the center…medium sized. Six or so votives, and a garland of greens with probably babies breath in them around the candles. The garlands are about $30 each (see link from @oldfort). We have the votive candle holders…and need to order the candles…not very pricey. The hurricane lamps come from the venue. Total cost per table should be under $50. Or so.
We had a friend who used grapevine wreaths and decorated those and put in the center of the table. It was in a more rustic setting…so again…perfect.
Not sure how much you want to spend, but you could get bulk flowers from costco:
https://www.costco.com/bulk-flowers.html
I don’t really care for fake flowers, and real looking ones are quite expensive.
@TatinG Pinterest is your friend…lots of ideas…type in “inexpensive wedding centerpieces” or add lemons and you’ll be surprised what appears!
Also, check out Craigslist. Brides are trying to sell MANY of their decorations. BTW, my D bought 25 navy table cloths (her venue only had white and were going to charge $35/table for navy). So she bought them online for $11 each (they were very nice!) …and then sold them all online after wedding for $200.
@TatinG Is there a theme to the wedding? Table shape?
I like the trend towards longer family style tables with greenery down the center. The link in post #4800 has some garlands that look nice draped down a table.
I have seen lanterns as centerpieces that look really nice. Cheaper than arrangements and can be resold or repurposed after.
People get creative with books and other objects to create centerpiece tablescapes. Pinterest can give you ideas (or send you down a rabbit hole of overabundance 
).
oops…edit to add that @oldfort beat me to it: @TatinG also check out the bulk flowers at Costco. I know bride that used them and the flowers were beautiful. That being said…it requires someone to get them, store them, arrange them, etc., something that I absolutely could not have dealt with before the wedding…
Look on Pinterest. There are so many ideas. Also, check out You Tube for a tutorial. A group of staggering height LED candles wrapped with pretty lace or ribbon is a good idea. Place it on a mirror to give the illusion of more. Check out Costco flowers. They are not as expensive as a florist and they have good reviews. Dollar Tree has lots of vases. You can put glitter on them, lace or ribbon, you can bling them out with rhinestones (sold on a continuous roll at Michaels). Something I wanted to do was buy frames and put pictures of the bride and groom when they were little kids in them. But that got nixed right way
The guest tables will be round for easier conversations. I can’t use real candles as no open flames are allowed at this venue. We’re fire phobic here, ha. I may use the flickering LED candles on mirrors maybe with some sort of greenery and babies breath. It’s a citrus grove locale so that’s why I thought of baskets with lemons as the bridesmaids will be wearing yellow. There’s a barn on the property and a historic ranch house.
I am no good at flower arranging so the bulk flower idea won’t go unless I’m putting one stem on one bud vase which I could cluster. Otherwise it will look like the amateur attempt that it will be.
I’ve looked at Pinterest, Martha Stewart etc.
I really love the lemon idea given the citrus grove locale and yellow bridesmaid dresses. Add a lemony cocktail or posh lemonade table.
I also like those glass jars and vases filled with cut or whole lemons.
Hmmm. My daughter says there is some website where wedding couples sell off their used stuff…sort of like a bridal craigslist. She looked there for charger plates. She says there is a ton of stuff. I’ll try to get the name.
Here you go!
I ordered Costco flowers for a bridal luncheon last summer and was very pleased. Gorgeous hydrangeas for the tables, buffet, powder room, entry, and just about every other horizontal surface in the place for ~$100.
That’s good to know. I may order from Costco for D1’s shower. If they look good I may do that for the welcome party the night before.
My g/f did the food pantry for center pieces. She said it cost her less than $75.00 per table.
So many good ideas here.
Took up on Thumper1’s lead, I showed this to D1
https://www.bridalgaragesales.com/mixed-vases/
She wants to put some flowers in those small vases and also use it as a name place holder. She is putting garlands on tables with tall/low (alternate) flower center pieces, and those small vases with flowers in them. Those small vases are going to be DIY.
We have LOTS of English ivy in our backyard. My middle sister and fellow creative soul cut tons of it and we used for swagging on the staircase, buffet and dessert table, etc. She also travels with 60 yards of white bridal netting (also used for swagging). That netting made it through four friend/family weddings before being retired.
Did mason jars w/burlap and ribbon around them, then added white flowers and blue hydrangea. DIY.
Thrift shops also have lots of vases and glassware for very little $$. If you don’t care about being matchy-matchy, you can get all kinds of stuff for as little as fifty cents per piece. (It’s all stuff we’ve cleared out of our parents’ houses!)
@CountingDown thank you for mentioning mason jars! I love them as decorations and the smaller ones filled with mints or m&m’s to give as favors. When my D1 announced her engagement I immediately thought of mason jars only to be shot down by both daughters saying no. But I think the simplicity of them is what makes them a standout as a decoration.
They were all the rage five years ago, so may be out of favor by now. OTOH, we had dozens of them because I do canning, so it was a no-brainer to divert them to a different use! (Don’t buy them at a craft store. Terribly overpriced.)
@CountingDown - yay to English ivy! It is a pretty looking vine which is nothing more than a noxious weed, so any application that depletes it is very welcome. OTOH, any environmentally-inclined folks should avoid using salal in their green garlands etc. it has been oberharvested in the forests of OR to BC creating all sorts of ecological issues.
I went to a luncheon for a women’s organization last spring. The centerpieces were very nice. They took two cylinder vases, one just slightly smaller than the other and put one inside the other. Between the two levels, there were sliced lemons and limes, and then the interior vase was filled with white ‘stalky’ flowers like tulips and star lilies. They were really lovely. I’m pretty sure the flowers were ordered through costco.