Trees as Centrepieces
April 23rd, 2008 @ 12:24 pm by Mrs. Gingerbread
Last week Mama Gingerbread and I hit up Chinatown in an attempt to find some rectangular glass vases for my flower arrangements. Then something caught my eye and threw me off track. Bonsai pots!My grandpa has raised bonsai trees my whole life.
Now, if I wasn’t already planning to have cranes as placecards, I might have scrapped the flowers altogether in favour of bonsai centrepieces. But I want the cultural accents to be subtle so cranes + bonsai seems like a bit much. However, the pots seemed like a good way to incorporate something that has familial significance without taking it too far.
Unfortunately, after speaking to my florist, it seems like bonsai pots are too low and my dahlias and other big flowers will look crappy in something so low. Boo!
So, even though I won’t be using them, I still love the idea of bonsai trees as alternative centrepieces.
Is anyone NOT using flowers as centrepieces?
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22 Responses to “Trees as Centrepieces”
I’m planning to use potted herbs too–or maybe potted flowers.
I am using potted plants… Either herbs or succulents.
My sister used potted tulips for her (early April) ceremony flowers, and then we all walked up the hill to the reception venue, carrying colorful tulips with us. The tulip pots doubled as centerpieces, and then tripled as favors for some of the guests!
Miss GB–would you consider having dahlia blooms (ie sans stems) floating in bonsai pots of water, kind of like lily pads?
We’re getting married in October, so I’ve bought old-fashioned apple baskets and am putting red/orangey apples in the baskets. I’ve also lined the baskets with orange and chocolate brown satin ribbon to tie in the fall theme.
We’re using architectural finnials and globes painted black for some fo the tables, and pillar candles on the others.
i’m using twist bamboos as my centerpiece since the favors will be part of that theme.. =)
We’re using mini wedding cakes and candles. There will be three designs, all black and white.
Happy Planning!
We used a candle in a hurricane vase surrounded by apples. If I were to do it again, I’d use individual cakes.
We are going with branches (at this moment, however there is still time for change! “wink”) I would love to see pictures of all the above ideas!! you guys are so creative!
We’re using a candle in a hurricane vase as well! Around the candle I’m filling different size votive candle holders with M&Ms - my favorite candy, from my home state of PA.
I’m just not that into flowers, and wasn’t excited at the thought of having them when I could use something that is more “me”
i’m thinking of using potted plants as centerpieces too. possibly mums. does anyone have any pictures of potted plants as centerpieces in action? or any of the other non-flower centerpieces?
We’re using miniature trees - not full-on bonsai, but cedar saplings grown in small pots so they stay little. We’re having a forest-themed wedding, and my parents are avid gardeners, so they’re quite happy to grow our little trees for us!
We’re using low containers of lemons, as we are both in love with citrus and it picks up on one of our accent colors. I’ve been trying to sort out what kind of low containers - perhaps I’ll checkout bonsai pots. Thanks Miss GB!
We’re getting married around Christmas, and I’ve been tossing around the idea of using small, table top Christmas trees with ribbons on them as center pieces.
We used photo lanterns made from 3 5×7 photo frames attached together (we used joiner’s tape) with sepia toned pictures printed on vellum. Then we put candles in the middle and voila! cheap, lovely centerpieces that allowed us to show off some of the pictures from our many travels together.
I thought about bonsai trees briefly, until I discovered their price : ) Then, I thought about actually growing just one bonsai tree for the sweetheart table. I really like the idea of having a sweetheart table for Lauren and I at the reception. And for it to have something special and peaceful on it. A little spiritual homebase in the middle of the drunken raucousness!
This is the one thing about my reception that I’m in love with. I’m totally going against the flower as centerpieces (much to mom’s weird face) My love and I are book buffs. I’m a librarian and he’s a history professor, so we’re doing old copper lanterns on top of old books with tealights and votive candles. 
I’m so excited.
You could use succlents instead of dahlias. The Hens & Chicks and some of the others come in very large flower like sets and in lovely reds and dusty pinks with green. They can easily be planted in the bonsai pots.
We are having terrariums as our centerpiece. Though these suckers have been much much more leg work than I thought, I’m excited for them. I ditto the hens and chicks.
I like the idea of potted plants — I wish I’d thought of that when I was planning!
Mrs. Gingerbread, Vancouver
Age and Occupation: 32, Psychologist
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Software Engineer
Engagement Date: Sometime in the fall of 2004
Wedding Date: July, 2008
Blogging Since: March 24, 2008
Venue: Rainforest wedding, beachfront restaurant reception
About Me: I recently moved to Canada from Southern California. Trying to plan a wedding in a new city, not to mention a new country, is tough, but the fact that we can get legally married here more than makes up for it! The wedding will be an opportunity for most of our family and friends to see our new city for the first time so it will be both a wedding and a reunion. Besides my future wife, I am also madly in love with a good bargain, Swedish pastries, Tivo, and my two dogs and calico cat (in no particular order).
That’s a great idea! I love Bonsai trees.
We used potted herbs and plants instead of flowers.