If you like the idea of giving your reception tables a personalized touch, think about making your own center-pieces. It can be great fun and save you money as well. Do-it-yourself centerpieces are becoming more popular these days as brides look for ways to set their receptions apart.

Take the Plunge

“I wanted to have something different at my reception,” Tess, a new bride, said recently. “It seemed I was seeing so many stiff, formal centerpieces at wedding receptions I attended.”

“There was one reception where the florist had made these huge centerpieces and totally forgotten that people would want to see each other and talk to each other across the table. And when I started planning my wedding and looked at the prices — well, I couldn't believe it. So I decided to try making a centerpiece myself and it turned out just fine.”

Tess found silk flowers that were a perfect imitation of her real bouquet flowers and used glass containers she found at the dollar store. “You just put some floral foam you find at the store to the bottom of the container and stick the flowers in until they look right,” she reported, admitting that while she shopped one day she watched an employee at a silk flower store put together such an arrangement.

“She made it look so easy, and it was.” As a precaution in case her own work didn't measure up, Tess wrote down the price a ready-made arrangement would cost. “Turns out I didn't need outside help!”

Some Easy Real Blooms

Sometimes simple is best. Try filling glass vases with a dozen or two fresh blooms and set them in the middle of the tables. Each table doesn't have to match — it might be more fun to place a dozen tulips on one table, a dozen daffodils on the next, and so on for a spring wedding. Or group several vases of different blooms on the same table.

Go for Something Different

A new trend is to fill a vase or glass container with fruit such as lemons or limes before inserting flowers. The use of ornamental branches or grasses can be striking. Grouping fall fruits and vegetables makes an appealing seasonal theme. If you're getting married near Christmas, go with stylish little trees on your table or figurines that spotlight the season.

Whatever the season, have lots of candles, little votives, or tea lights. Candlelight is wonderfully flattering and an inexpensive way of creating a luxe look. Check with your reception site to see whether there are any restrictions on candlelight before proceeding with your plans.

You can also group your favors as a centerpiece. Candy favors, even candy bars, are a popular feature at weddings today. Fill inexpensive glass-lidded jars with a variety of colorful candies, provide ladles and containers, and let guests scoop out their own candy. They can consume the candy right at the reception.