Go Green with Thirty Wedding Table Centerpiece Ideas

With so many people in tough financial circumstances, it is hard to plan a wedding. Even if you have saved money for a wedding reception and aren't having financial problems, it feel awkward to spend lots of excess money these days on expensive wedding items when so many people are having a tough time. Some couple want to go green or at least have their table centerpiece do "double duty" and serve as something else. Some couples are very non-traditional or just are not fans of flowers on their table. Other do not want to allocate the money to something that only lasts one day and want to buy something that they can use again.

1. Instead of flowers - consider a dried sheaf of lavender with a taffeta ribbon or dried or fresh decorative herbs or a wreath placed on the table decorated with dried flowers; leaves, herbs, or autumn leaves.

2. Scour yard sales, flea markets, and consignment shops for interesting bottles, vases, and containers to fill one stem each with simple flowers, vines, and leaves.

3. Flowers - but shaped into something - margarita or beer - especially thematic if you also have a signature drink. Get inspiration from Blooms Today and 1-800-flowers alcohol beverage arrangements such as a margarita made out of carnations, or the beer mug arrangement.

4. Do you collect something like models, vintage collectibles, or snowglobes? Why not display some on each table on top of a mirror or tray as a centerpiece? For example, do you collect vintage model trains? How about set up a small round on the inside round of the table and a train car or two - maybe some other decorative train items like small trees, etc

5. Beautiful branches are more austere but can be beautiful without being too frou-frou. Think of cherry blossoms, dogwood, curly Japanese maple, bamboo, pussy willows, or a branch with pretty leaves, such as lilac trees often have a heart shaped leaf and look pretty in a vase.

6. Pretty hard candies in a large bowl.

7. Balloon animals - you can do these or get them done in advance.

8. Goldfish or colorful fish in a fish bowl, seamonkeys or other pet like item to watch

9. Games to play - board games set out on the table with the place settings, rubix cube type puzzles, slight of hand magic tricks, legos, something to occupy people while they are waiting for their turn to get food or for people who are non-dancers

10. Photo albums, especially great if you can get old photos of the people at that table with the bride or groom.

11. Scrapbooking items to decorate to add to an album - make a page to surround a table group shot

12. Cards and poker chips

13. Origami paper arrangements you can make these well in advance with simple instructions you find online or in an origami book. You can use simple papers or special origami papers.

14. A lantern

15. Italian cookie tray or wedding cupcakes

16. A box of Godiva candy in a gold box

17. Fall foliage, pine cones, acorns, gourds, pods in a nice grouping

18. One really unique flower like a peony, rose or zinnia submersed in a water orb like a fish bowl. This is also very pretty grouped in odd numbers of 3, 5, or 7.

19. Beginners origami kit with pretty papers to use

20. Coffee with coffee syrups and fixings

21. Tea assortment and tea service, bubble tea items

22. Pretty Marbles or sea shells in a glass jar

23. Floating candles in a bowl such as seen at favormart.com. Candles, especially handmade organic ones, are beautiful on a table.

24. Does your wedding have a theme to it? Such as Cinderella themed weddings can have a castle on the table. Several wedding stores sell thematic centerpieces for western, art deco, twenties, etc.

25. A mirrored candle or other similar decorative candle from stores like Pier1 look pretty grouped together with mirrored orbs and stars or other multi-sided items that reflect light.

26. Battery operated fairy lights in a punched metal container

27. Mad libs and pencils.

28. A full plant like a fern or ivy or a pretty herb plant.

29. Re-use containers you have at home but wrap them in coordinating fabric with a bow.

30. Venus flytrap or other plants that are interesting looking and in the case of Venus fly traps - interactive!