Weddingbee Blog

This post is not about my adventures with yoga, although I admittedly have some embarassing stories to tell. (Like one time, when I lost my balance and fell into someone else while trying to get into tree pose? That was calming.) Instead, I am going to talk about my ideas for DIY centerpieces.

To be honest, I have not spent much time thinking about centerpieces. I’ve remembered off-handedly admiring them at other people’s weddings, but I am usually distracted quickly by other things that are around me: the entrance of the bride and groom, the fish entree, the cutting of the cake. By the time that dinner was over and the dance floor was opened, I barely paid those lovely centerpieces another thought. That is, of course, until I started thinking about what to put on the tables at our restaurant reception in Vegas.

The (undecorated) private room at our reception restaurant

I knew that I wanted something. I would feel a little weird having completely bare tables. I knew that I didn’t want to spend a lot of time or money on them, given my brain’s way of diverting attention away from them. I also knew that I am not the craftiest of DIYers. So I started to think about what I could put together relatively quickly on my own.

I first thought about floral centerpieces. I could buy some flowers from Costco, arrange them in some modern vases from CB2, and then put them on the tables. Easy peasy (and so pretty)!

Above three images via Martha Stewart Weddings

However, I knew that there would be some logistical problems with this idea. When would I have time to go pick up the flowers? How early could they be arranged in vases? Was the setup a task that I felt comfortable assigning the fathers to do alone on the morning of our wedding? What would I do with the flowers and vases afterward?

Next, I thought about an idea that I saw a long time ago from Martha Stewart: lemons stacked in large bowls. I’ve always liked the burst of cheerful color that citrus fruits provide. It would look especially nice in contrast to the dark wood of our reception space. Moreover, the lemons would be able to hold up for a couple of days without any special care.

Image via Martha Stewart Weddings

Image via Love Olio / Photo one by Michele Michael / Photo two by Myrtle & Marjoram

But I started to think about how well this centerpiece fits in with everything else that we are making or doing. Nothing says “Vegas Wedding” like…a bowl of lemons? If life gives you lemons, put them in a pretty bowl and get married? Hmm, maybe that doesn’t really fit the mood or the spirit of our day.

Then, I stumbled across an old blog post on Weddingbee. Mrs. Lemon made a lovely centerpiece using candles and drinking glasses from Ikea. This was the perfect source of inspiration for me. This was something that I could envision perfectly in the room. This was a level of DIY that I could handle. (So maybe the lemons got me on the right track after all?) I also came across a similar setup, which I love.

Image via Save on Crafts / Photo by Jennifer Dery Photography

These ideas are going to be perfect for the feeling we are going for: intimate dinner-party celebration. I am planning to make a trip to Ikea in the next month to do a mock-up. I’ll keep you guys posted as to how it turns out!

What are you planning for your centerpieces? Are you DIYing them? Any tips to share?