3 Wedding Reception Table Centerpieces

My wedding was two weeks after my best friend’s, and since many of the same guests would be attending and we were using the same reception hall, I was struggling with ideas of how to make my wedding reception look different. I wanted it to portray my personality and not look like a duplicate of my friend’s wedding.

I found that the most dramatic difference was the table centerpieces. Because we were renting the same reception hall, we were also renting the same décor. And though the wall decorations and ceiling icicle lights would be an exact replica, the place where my guests would spend the most time—their tables—I could personalize with my own decorating flair.

My wedding was two weeks after my best friend’s, and two other friends got married weeks after I did. But, each of our reception centerpieces was unique, and I think that’s what made our weddings stand out. My best friend really loves candles, so her centerpieces were composed of varying levels of pillar candles, floating candles, and tea light candles. My other friend is a big reader, so she had stacks of old books and autumn leaves on her tables. My other friend is a dental hygienist, and she had inscribed toothbrushes on each table. I personally had chocolates and origami flowers as my centerpieces (though it took days to make the flowers with help from my sister and mother).

Your table centerpieces are a big part of decorating your reception hall and a big opportunity to infuse a bit of your personality into your décor. If you’re looking for a few creative tips to get you thinking, here are three centerpieces ideas I wish I had thought of for my wedding!

Engraved Stones-

Many companies, including Serenity Health & Home Decor, offer affordable engraved pocket stones. You can scatter these on each table with meaningful words like “hope” or “trust” or the traditional “love.” They add an inspirational touch and will also function as table favors. There are also larger stones which you can look at where you can engrave custom sayings if you and your husband have a meaningful mantra you’d like to share or a special verse or poem.

Cupcake Tiered Stand-

Instead of wedding cake, I did ganache filled cupcakes. They were a HUGE hit—my uncle confessed to eating six of them. That way, you don’t have to hire someone or beg a friend to cut and serve the cake, and they are a lot cheaper than a wedding cake/ sheet cakes. That being said, you can kill two birds with one stone and use them as centerpieces. You can get some classy tiered cupcake stands to display the cupcakes on each table, and then your guests don’t have to leave the table for the cake cutting!

Glass Bowls with Bright Fruit-

Depending on your wedding colors, glass bowls with bold lemons or granny smith apples will make large and vibrant centerpieces which are out of the ordinary. Potentially, these fruits can also serve as pre-reception appetizers. Accented by tea light candles and mirrors, these will be the simplest and brightest centerpieces ever.