Got Flowers? Not in these Creative Non-Floral Centerpieces!

This past Saturday at The Sutherland, our bride, Laura, designed her own non-floral reception centerpieces that equaled the work of a professional.  Their elegant simplicity dazzled under the pavilion market lights as the December evening sky turned to dusk.  Inspired by Pinterest, she created everything herself, including the boxes which were made from recycled shipping pallets.

While I am constantly blown away by the floral creations dreamed up by my wedding design colleagues, the thought of spending thousands of dollars on flowers for my own wedding made me uneasy because 90% of our guests traveled from long distances and would not be able to take the centerpieces home, which means all of the beautiful blooms would be tragically thrown out at the peak of perfection.  I did follow tradition by using flowers for the ceremony, the wedding party bouquets and boutonnieres, wrist corsages for special guests, and a a floral centerpiece at the head table.  For the guest table centerpieces, I filled vases of all shapes and sizes with our family’s favorite red and orange candies, as well as popular red and orange labeled candy bars (think Reese’s, Kit Kats and Take 5 Bars), and instructed our guests to take bags of the candy home as their favor.  A simple photo of a lollipop centerpiece on Pinterest (and my love of all things sugary) inspired an explosion of candy-themed creations.  Here are just a few:

When my college friend Amy accepted an invitation to a wedding near her hometown in Wisconsin, little did she know that one of the bride and groom’s non-floral reception centerpieces would become a member of her extended family.  Over three years later, Sammy the Fish resides in the middle of the family’s kitchen table where he remains the center of attention.  (Note from Amy:  Sammy has since received a bigger home.  The original bowl was smaller and filled with a few marbles and a starfish.)

If you, too, are looking for an alternative to flowers for your wedding centerpieces, here are some of my favorite non-floral Pinterest finds to get your own inspiration board started.  Happy Planning!

A yummy 3 for 1 alternative – Centerpiece, Favor and Wedding Cake all wrapped into one.

These book and clock centerpieces seem perfect for an English Garden themed bridal shower.

Candles are a simple, economical way to bring elegance and romance to any occasion.

I adore the cheeriness of this whimsical centerpiece that makes me long for a tropical getaway.

A colorful, fruity alternative to traditional floral centerpieces.

These are three distinct, innovative centerpieces that bring height to the room’s design scheme.