Interesting Ideas for Decorating Your Wedding Reception Table on a Budget

Budget limitations should never be a reason to postpone a wedding. As a matter of fact, weddings and receptions on a budget can be more fun to plan because they require thinking outside of the box. Human beings are just more creative under pressure. But, with all of the planning that goes along with your big day, you might not have time to come up with all of the ideas yourself. And budgeting for a wedding planner means taking funds away from other places. Here are some ideas for wedding reception table décor that are inexpensive and sure to have all of your wedding guests praising your creativity.

Fish

I know this sounds strange at first blush, but hear me out. A friend of mine featured pairs of fish in beautiful (and inexpensive) colored bowls for her wedding. Her bride's maids wore gold, and the fish and the bowls reflected her wedding colors. Each bowl was tied with a ribbon, and a little card was attached to it naming the newlywed fish couple in the bowl. And the best part was that some of the guests got to take the fish home to commemorate the wedding. This idea is especially great, because it is so versatile. The fish can be housed in round bowls or tall vases. You can add bamboo for height, and polished stones in the bottom that reflect your wedding colors. A simple, shallow and elegant glass bowl will run you around $10, and goldfish come as cheap as $.15 a piece.

Photographs

This centerpiece idea is becoming more and more popular because it is such a simple, yet interesting idea. Arrange an assortment of picture frames (preferably white, or wedding colors) in the center of your table. Inside them, place pictures of you and your soon to be spouse's favorite moments, or have some pictures taken especially for the occasion. Guests at your wedding will enjoy looking at the moments that led up to your special day, and you can share them with relatives that live far away. The price per frame will depend on the type of frames that you want: some frames are as cheap as $1 and they go up from there. Include the price of prints, and you have an inexpensive and meaningful centerpiece.

Balloons

Balloons make good centerpieces because they do not obstruct anyone's view. And if you're looking for a place to cut corners to give other areas of your budget a little more breathing room, this is a great idea. Your local dollar store sells balloons by the hundred for about $3 per pack. Mylar balloons are also another popular option, but they are a little more expensive (around $3 per balloon). If you really want to get creative, you can have the message or picture of your choice printed on mylar balloons of all shapes and sizes at places like www.balloonprinting.com for around $4 per balloon if you buy in bulk.

Candles

An assortment of candles is always an elegant touch. Candles are easy to find, and can be as expensive or inexpensive as you like. I recommend finding candles of all different shapes and sizes and in a variety of colors that go along with your wedding colors. Be sure to spring for a large doily, or mirrored surface to go under the candles so you don't ruin rented table cloths, or leave yourself a lot of clean up. Candles can run you as cheap as $1 per candle, but I would budget for around $5 a piece. For a little more personalization, check out www.consolidatedlabel.com where they print all sorts of labels on every kind of candle. This way, every guest can take home a memento and light it on your wedding anniversary!