Think Outside the Vase: 12 Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

This week we decided to show you some gorgeous wedding centerpiece ideas that aren’t the typical vase+flowers. These ideas are all very DIY-friendly as well as budget-friendly, and although many of them are shown with flowers, they would work just as well without them!

If you missed last week’s then don’t forget to check it out – non-floral bouquets.

#1. Fruit. We especially love sugared fruit, like these lemons from Martha Stewart. Place them in a compote and tuck some leaves around them–easy!

#2. Goblets. Turn stemware upside down, put votives on top, and voila, you have a unique and elegant centerpiece for very little money! Annie Selke created this look for Rachel Ray by tucking large blooms underneath the goblets, but you could put any small objects – photos, spools of thread, moss, etc.

#3. Cakes. We love this tablescape, by The Sweetest Occasion. The centerpiece cakes double as your wedding cake (brilliant) and the doily runner is so pretty and doable as well!

#4. Birdcages. Spraypaint them gold, put some moss on the bottom, and tuck a few flowers in them. Gorgeous! Love these via Mints And Honey.

#5. Terrariums. Fill apothecary jars or even large mason jars with rocks, moss, and plants for lovely woodsy centerpieces on the cheap! Martha Stewart gives a tutorial for a succulent terrarium here.

#6. Books. Stack vintage books for centerpieces–bonus if they’re love stories! You could put whatever you want on top: flowers, candles, even globes! Photos by SimplyBloom and Erin Hearts Court (via OnceWed)

#7. Paper Pinwheels. These adorable pinwheels are inexpensive and pretty easy to make. You could suspend them from the ceiling, prop them up against candles or vases, or just lay them on the table. To make them, follow this tutorial.

#8. Candles/Winebottles. Candles are the standard go-to for non-floral centerpieces. Take them to the next level by putting taper candles in empty wine bottles for chic centerpieces that definitely won’t break the bank. You can cut the wine bottles to varying heights following this DIY tutorial, or if that seems like too much work, it still looks great if you leave the bottles whole (via Dog n’ Bird)

#9. Mason Jars. Mason jars make inexpensive and charming vases. We’ve seen them with candles and flowers in them, but we especially like the idea of using them to display family photos, via Oh-Lovely-Day.

#10. Butterflies and Moss. We love this fresh and springy centerpiece. You can make it yourself by covering rocks with moss and perching white butterflies on top. Get the DIY instructions here.

#11. Paper flowers. You may have already seen this amazing “floral” centerpiece made entirely of paper, but it’s worth seeing again! It’s by EmersonMade, via Wedding Obsession. Even the runner is kraft paper!

#12. Seasonal Decor. Wheat, fall leaves, or pumpkins in the fall. Pinecones, branches, or Christmas ornaments in the winter…take cues from the season in which your wedding is being held for some creative and budget-friendly centerpiece options!

We hope these ideas get your creative juices flowing. There are so many more options out there, too! Wheatgrass, picture frames, spools of thread, stacks of favors, lanterns, jars of candy, and paper airplanes are just a few more that we’ve seen.