Part 1. centerpieces?

Every party planner or bride will ask that question at some point when considering the overall budget. Flowers are a big chunk of the party budget, so I was eager to look for alternative options online. There are ways to save money with a little creativity and patience. Here are a few ideas for centerpieces that I found on several online resources:

From top to bottom:

1. Candles/ candelabra/ Candlesticks/ Moroccan glass votives/ Empty wine bottles
2. Moroccan lanterns/ Birdcage/ Chinese lanterns--Lanterns can usually be rented but you can also find them at TJ Maxx, Pier 1 Imports, Cost Plus or any world market bazaar
3. Ostrich feathers usually set on eiffel vases can easily be rented
4. Submerged flowers (real or artificial)
5. Themed cakes, cupcakes or candies. The cupcakes can be favors but if you opt for a cake, it might be a way to mingle with the guests during cake cutting and your guests can mingle with each other by going to the other tables to try the different cake. It's a great conversation starter
6. Potted plants--Take a trip to your local home depot or Ikea to look for plants or just go to your favorite florist or the flower market to check out all the potted flowers and plants.
7. Other--If you opt for a theme wedding, say a beach wedding, you can get apothecary jars and fill them with sand and coral and you could also give away some sand dollars as your favors with your names and wedding date painted on it.  You could also put those apothecary jars to use for another theme such as Hollywood glam and fill them with perls that you can easily get from Joann's fabrics.

Stay tuned for my next post on flower centerpieces....