One of the biggest wedding decor decisions to make is what to do for your table centerpieces. Due to the central focus they have, they will significantly influence how your special day will look. If you’re trying to make the most of your wedding budget you might be wondering if it’s actually cheaper to make your own centerpieces. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know when deciding whether to DIY or not.
Yes, DIY wedding centerpieces are cheaper than pre-made wedding decor or ordering from a florist. You can create beautiful centerpieces for your wedding with a little effort and basic supplies. Practice making them in advance so your centerpieces have the same high-quality look as more expensive items.
Like most of the money-saving tips we talk about at Dream Wedding On A Budget, good planning is the key to maximizing your wedding decor budget. DIY can quickly become more expensive than you think if you spend money on lots of little bits and pieces of equipment and supplies that you don’t end up using. So, a good plan is essential. Read on to find out more.
Cheap Centerpiece DIY Ideas
At your wedding reception, the tables will become your guests’ ‘home base’, and they will likely spend a lot of time sitting at the tables; so, the table decor will catch their attention the most. The centerpiece will be the key to showing your decor theme and setting the tone for your reception, be that Rustic, Elegant, Vintage, or many other styles you might choose from.
Start by searching Pinterest for inspiration for the look you like. From floral-heavy looks to beach-inspired shell jars, there are thousands of designs to consider.
1. Choose A Minimalist Look
Whatever decor style you choose, it is always possible to overdo it. Generally, less is more when it comes to decor planning, so focus on just a few elements for each centerpiece, rather than a large collection of objects that will distract guests’ attention, rather than creating a tone or ambiance.
Limiting the number of items will also help to reduce costs. Keep the DIY materials list as small as you can by measuring how much twine, lace, or burlap you need before you buy from the craft store.
1. Recycle Containers
The key to having the best, yet cheapest centerpieces you can is to start by thinking about what you already have access to for free. Items such as glass bottles, small vases, and candle holders all make amazing centerpieces. If you have to buy them though, even at dollar store or thrift store prices, the costs can add up quickly.
Repurposing household jars and bottles is a great way to cut this cost to zero. Ask your family and friends to save these too, and you’ll have all the containers you need in no time.
These containers can make wonderful centerpiece inclusions:
- Food jars of various sizes – pasta sauce, coffee, baby food, jelly, pickles etc. Anything in glass can be suitable
- Glass bottles – juice, beer, wine etc. You’ll be amazed at the wide variety you usually throw away.
- Cans – soup, beans, honestly even pet food cans can be reused as decor components!
How many containers will I need?
A common design rule of thumb is to plan for groups of three. So if you have round tables, with one centerpiece per table, you could use 3 containers of different sizes for each centerpiece.
For a rectangular table, you could work with one centerpiece for every four people. So, a table with eight on each side, plus two people at each end would have two centerpieces.
Multiply these numbers by your number of tables, and you have your container target number. Try to start gathering these containers well in advance (months, not weeks!), as they need some time for soaking off labels and other work to get them ready. No one wants to be begging friends for used pasta jars 10 days out from your wedding!
2. Use Your Own Greenery
If you’d like to include some greenery in your centerpiece, start planning by looking around your own garden, or your family and friends’ gardens. Are there any trees, hedges, or other foliage that you could trim and use for your centerpieces?
Flowers might be harder to come by at the exact time that you need them, but greenery is generally more available and reliable.
Look for leaves on the smaller side that will complement your other elements.
Take a few samples ahead of time so you can test out what will work best. You can keep the cuttings fresh by standing them in a jar of water before you’re ready to use them.
3. Use Photos
Find some of your best pictures of you and your future spouse, then get cute, but affordable picture frames. Include them as one of the elements of your centerpiece.
You may be able to cut costs on these by printing them at home on good-quality photo paper.
4. Use Potted Plants Instead Of Flowers.
Potted plants are usually much more affordable and longer lasting than arranged flowers and make excellent table centerpieces. You may even be able to borrow other peoples’ potted plants to use and then return.
Other plants you could consider are cacti, or herb and vegetable plants in pots that can be placed in someone’s backyard vegetable garden following the wedding.
You could give tiny potted plants to each person at the table to take one home if you wanted to integrate this concept into the wedding favor as well.
6. Prop up the Pineapples
Are you hosting a wedding in the summer somewhere warm? Lining the table with pineapples involves little to no planning ahead of time, other than purchase, for a quick, kitschy setup on the big day!
If you’re in a destination location, find out what other good-looking fruit will be available during your stay, and consider what other types you could use.
7. Decorate Carefully
When you’ve decided on a style and centerpiece design, think about the easiest way you can decorate your elements. Do you have experience with crafting and DIY? Some techniques can be harder than they look, so make sure you have some time to practice.
It’s a good idea to buy just a small amount of supplies first if you aren’t sure how it will go.
For example, if you haven’t used hot glue before, it can take some practice to avoid getting glue strings everywhere. Also, if you haven’t painted much before it can be tricky to avoid undesirable brush stroke patterns without practice. Try these techniques out on a small scale first, before you jump into purchasing supplies for a very large decorating DIY project.
Are you struggling to decide how much you need to spend on your wedding?
Download our free calculator here to help you finalise your wedding budget number.
How Much Do Wedding Centerpieces Cost?
Professionally created wedding centerpieces typically cost between $30 and $200 per centerpiece. DIY centerpieces can range from zero if using completely recycled items and your own elements, to $50 per centerpiece if you purchase a lot of supplies.
When planning costs for centerpieces, you should consider the seasonality of your elements also.
For instance, for Winter weddings, having fresh flowers will be very expensive. Consider other plants such as poinsettias. They will be less expensive than other flowers, but they still look gorgeous. Their cost starts at less than $20, although seasonal flowers like tulips may be less expensive if the event is held in the spring or summer. Tulips cost less than $20 for a dozen in the summer.
For other centerpiece elements such as craft or hardware supplies, you may be able to take advantage of Black Friday sales, or other discounts during the year. Having a plan well in advance will help you to take advantage of these savings.
5 Things to Consider While Selecting A Wedding Centerpiece
Here are the top five things to consider when selecting a centerpiece:
1. Choose A Color Scheme
Deciding on your wedding color scheme early in your planning will help during your centerpiece design also. You will be able to steer towards, or away from certain items based on your color scheme. This will make the decision process easier.
2. Table Shape
Some centerpieces will work better with round tables, and others better with rectangular tables.
For example, a large round arrangement will be wonderful on a round table but may take up too much place setting space on a rectangular table.
Try to hold off on centerpiece planning until you’ve selected a wedding venue and confirmed the table layout.
3. Centerpiece Height
Choose whether you want taller centerpieces that are “wow” pieces or something simple and elegant.
If you want tall centerpieces, make sure it’s something that will steal the show. Centerpieces that are over three feet in height are increasingly quite common. Just be careful to ensure they are solid if you are going really high; the taller they are, the more probable they may fall over. Choose something lovely and intricate if you want to use a smaller centerpiece.
4. Consider Your Guests
Don’t forget to think about how the centerpieces will work for your guests when they are sitting at the table. While an arrangement idea may look amazing when guests enter the room, if it stops any possibility of talking across the table, or being able to eat properly you might want to think about something else.
After all, your guests might spend hours chatting with one another and unwinding at the dinner table. The appropriate centerpiece selections will make everyone’s experience more pleasurable.
5. Venue Restrictions
Before you make any significant decisions, you should review the rules and regulations of your location. Open flames and breakable glass are prohibited in many places, including small tealight candles.
Times for set up and pack down may also influence your centerpiece options. If you need to have someone help set up and decorate on the morning of your wedding, try to avoid anything too complex, so you can reduce the chance it will get messed up.
For pack down also, if this needs to be done late at night, you might want to consider how to make this easier. You could allow guests to take things home, or have items such as greenery able to be disposed of on-site.
How to Avoid Costly Decor Mistakes in Weddings?
Whether you’ve just begun preparing or have only a few weeks until your big day, take a minute to review these common costly wedding planning mistakes to ensure you’re completely prepared.
The Color Scheme of the Wedding Décor
Not having a clear idea of your color scheme early on can be very costly. If you have to rebuy items to make them match before the wedding it could be a large waste of money.
You may want to be sure your wedding decor’s color scheme complements your wedding dress color scheme. If this is the case you should hold off on decor purchases until you’ve decided on a dress. Use colors that complement one another rather than mixing up a random array of colors and hues.
The general rule is to pick no more than three colors. Add a metallic hue as an accent to finish off your color scheme. If you use more than three different colors in your wedding, it can become too busy and you may lose the ‘feel’ you’re aiming for.
Try To Make Use Of The Venue’s Current Decor
This is another common mistake made by couples. When you select your venue, be sure to keep in mind what decor is currently in place and plan other items that are complementary, rather than completely replacing what’s already there at a higher cost.
Inadequate Lighting at the Location
Lighting is an essential component of a wedding. The majority of couples want their wedding lighting to be unique and imaginative.
Your special day can be gorgeous with the appropriate lighting. Be sure to think about what time of day you’ll be on-site, and consider whether you will need lighting in addition to what is already there. Speeches, dinner, and dancing all benefit from their own lighting scheme so it’s a good idea to spend some time thinking about this.
FAQs:
Should Every Centerpiece For A Wedding Be The Same?
Every table does not need to have the exact same centerpiece. Mixing it up with a few different patterns that you may scatter throughout the reception is a great idea, particularly if you are sourcing recycled items.
You can use candles at some and flowers at others, or you can use both simultaneously.
How Tall Do Centerpieces Need To Be?
As a general rule, keep your short ones at 12″ or less and your tall pieces at 24″ or taller, this way people can either talk over them or around them, not an awkward mix of both during their conversation.
What Significance Does A Table Centerpiece Have In A Reception?
The centerpiece is significant in the reception since, most of the time, the guests will be seated at their assigned tables. The centerpiece is the key item to illustrate the theme or tone of the reception.
Are you struggling to decide how much you need to spend on your wedding?
Download our free calculator here to help you finalise your wedding budget number.