Wedding Table Decorations & Flowers

Most brides envision their wedding long before the day arrives. Are you fantasizing about white tulle and fairy lights? Will your wedding have a dark, romantic feel with deep rich colors, candles and red roses? Whether a wedding reception is formal or casual, your decoration scheme will create the atmosphere you desire and a backdrop for beautiful memories. Once you have determined your budget, you are limited only by your creativity.

History

Gifts, food and costumes for wedding ceremonies have been a major expenditure for families in every region of the world for centuries. The importance many Americans place on table decoration evolved from practices of 19th-century European aristocrats. In an 1854 etiquette book, the author guided readers to "tastefully surround" the wedding cake with fragrant flowers. French table settings were excessively tall and included sculptures and constructions made of sugar candy.

Types

Table centerpieces can be edible with chocolates interspersed with fruits and surrounded by flowers. Use candles to set mood lighting and use fabrics and heavy vases to ground your centerpiece. Allow green pieces (such as ferns) and flowers to spill over the top of tall vases. Fill woven baskets with a rich assortment of fruit and flowers, inviting guests to take a piece of the decor home. Living or animated centerpieces include clear vases with goldfish or designs made from blinking LED lights. Carefully choose textures and colors of tablecloths, napkins, silverware and plates to highlight and complement the centerpieces. Small bouquets with name cards is another way to greet guests at their table settings.

Theme

Decorations often borrow their colors and designs from themed weddings. For example, choose a period in history (such as the Renaissance), the season of the wedding, a holiday, a location or even a movie to spark inspiration for the rest of your decorations. A royal Renaissance table might feature a rich purple tablecloth topped with gold plates and a mini-harp centerpiece amid colorful roses and greens. A tropical-themed wedding would conjure the feeling of the Caribbean by using white tablecloths as a backdrop for tropical fruit towers and shot glasses full of sand and shells containing mini umbrellas with guests' names on them. Winter or Valentine's Day weddings often feature rich reds from the linens to the flowers.

Considerations

Take into account the decor and dimensions of the space. If your space has high, wood-beamed ceilings, choose large, round tables and grace them with tall, dominating bouquets in your color scheme. If your room and tables are on a smaller scale or your tables are rectangular, choose a shorter piece for the centers of your tables, maybe a delicate orchid plant or an elegant glass cylindrical vase with a Japanese fighting fish in it.

Cost

Simplicity in decor can be as dramatic and breathtaking as decadence. Use in-season natural pieces to save money. Fill a clear vase with pine cones and colorful fall leaves in autumn or arrange Evergreen sprigs and poinsettias in the winter. You also can save by inviting local art students to create original small sculptures for your centerpieces. For a more personalized touch, frame three photos of the bride and groom, place them in a triangle facing outward at table guests and surround them with chocolates and candies.