Don't get me wrong, I love flowers. They are actually probably one of my favorite things. I am constantly buying new flowers and making new arrangements for the antique and beautifully tarnished champagne cooler and sits in the middle of my kitchen table. One thing that I have noticed with almost every single one of my brides is that they are shocked when they get the quote from the florist they want to use for their wedding. Flowers aren't cheap. One way to cut back on the cost of flowers for your wedding is to pick a non traditional centerpiece. I have curated some images of centerpieces that I love. These are centerpieces that you don't typically see at weddings, but if done right, people won't be able to stop talking about them.
Image via Free People
If you are having an outdoor wedding or a wedding more on the casual side, a centerpiece like this could really set your wedding apart. This stick tee pee could be easily constructed using some twigs and the string of your choice. It would look really cute with an air plant, succulents, or maybe even some small votive candles underneath.
Image via Etsy
Picture some beautiful geodes, air plants and some greenery arranged in the center of your table. I think this idea could be really cool. You can find geodes for cheap on eBay or at your local antique stores. Air plants can be found at local nurseries. If you don't want to spend money on greenery, you can always cut some from your backyard and keep if fresh by sticking it in a little bit of water.
Image vis Her New Tribe
I love the idea of potted plants as a centerpiece, so much so that I am going to give you two different ideas in this blog post. I think that succulents and cacti potted in terra cotta pots are a great statement centerpiece. This could work in spring, summer, or fall weddings. You can buy cacti and succulents and your local Home Depot or Lowes for next to nothing. Terra Cotta pots can also be found at local hardware stores for around $1 a piece... I'd say thats pretty good. You could even mix in some vintage pieces for potting your plants from antique or thrift stores.
Image source Unknown
Let me just say this, there is nothing more dreamy to me than melting pillar candles grouped together. This one is a little tricky because most venues don't allow you to have candles outside of a container. If you find one that does, please let me know because I will love them forever. Regardless, whether a backyard dinner party or a wedding, pillar candles are pretty beautiful on their own.
Image via Ali Harper
Another candle centerpiece.. they are just so pretty. I'm also a sucker for taper candles. You can find antique candle holder like this at a flea market, antique store, thrift store, or heck, you may even know someone who has a lot you can borrow. Candles grouped together like this are beautiful on their own... you don't even have to add anything to them!
Image via TwoFold LA
How gorgeous is this for a beach inspired wedding. Coral as a statement centerpiece with taper candles and shells surrounding it all... I think this is divine. If I was having a beach wedding, I would want my centerpieces to look like this.
Image via Lauren Michal
One last candle centerpiece... This is seriously so easy and cost next to nothing. I'm not a fan of wine bottles as centerpieces, but I am a fan of this. Wine bottles (labels removed) with taper candles. This would look so good in a dimly lit room. You can collect wine bottles, ask your friends to collect wine bottles, or even ask local restaurants if you could have the ones they are going to throw out. An odd number of these bad boys grouped together in the center of your table and voila, you have yourself a good looking (and cheap) centerpiece. If want your bottles to be really wax covered, I would suggest melting a candle in each one before the big day, and then adding new candles for the actual wedding.
Image via OnceWed
This is once of those ideas that is so simple, yet so pretty. A simple fern leaf put in a vase. I would do several of these gathered on a table. For these, you could literally just buy a few ferns from a nursery /Home Depot/Lowes, cut off the leaves, and place them in a thin necked vase. I would look for vases at thrift stores. If you are looking to buy vases that are all the same, a good place to start would be save-on-crafts.com
Image via Divine Day Photography
This is one of my absolute favorites. This idea consists of potted herbs and candles in votives (you really could just do the herbs by themselves). You can buy herbs for super cheap at you local Home Depot/Lowes along with terra cotta pots. For the smaller candles and votives, I would look on amazon, save-on-crafts.com- or even eBay. You may even be able to find some at some yard sales (I have found a TON that way). You could also make this centerpiece more unique by using vintage planters found at thrift stores, antique stores, flea markets, or yard sales. Bonus: the herbs smell like Heaven.
Image via Brandon Chesbro
This idea is SO simple and the only thing you have to pay for is the vases. Magnolia blooms and leaves are so gorgeous on their own, all you have to do is put them in a little water after they are cut. You would only be able to use the blooms for a summer wedding, but the leaves can be used all year round. I would do several to a table.
Image via Etsy
This picture isn't necessarily a good representation of what you could do with feathers, although I love the antique trophy they are placed in. To liven these up a little bit more, I would add in some sticks for height and more texture, plus a little greenery for a pop of color. These would look really good mixed in with some fern leaves!
