Image via Bridal Guide

Flowers on your wedding day are a staple, and pictures with your bridal party decked out with their bouquets and boutonnieres are something you’ll look back on with nostalgia for years to come. But, that doesn’t mean you need those flowers everywhere on your wedding day.

The truth is that investing in floral arrangements for every guest table and open space really adds up. In fact, the average price to include floral centerpieces at your wedding can range anywhere from $20 to $250 each. As you can imagine, it’s not hard to drop a lot of money on floral arrangements on your wedding day.

The good news is that you can create beautiful, breathtaking centerpieces for your tables without spending a dime on flowers! This will save you hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars, and non-floral centerpieces can create an equally beautiful feeling at the ceremony and reception.

Here are ten non-floral wedding centerpiece ideas that can save you money!

1.  Books

Image via Bridal Guide

You don’t have to be a big reader to use books in your wedding centerpieces. In fact, the trend of displaying stacks of books as non-floral wedding arrangements is all the rage right now. The internet is full of tutorials on how to make books fit into any wedding decor.

A few ideas include painting the books to make them look rustic, or recovering them to fit your wedding colors. Or, simply leave the books as they are. Complete each stack of books with votives, crystal glasses, candles, picture frames, or any other items to create non-floral centerpieces that are utterly beautiful.

2. Candles

Image via Bridal Guide

The easiest way to create a downright dreamy wedding reception? Candles. Lots of candles.

A candlelit dinner might just be one of the most romantic things on earth, which is why using candles as centerpieces at your wedding will create the beautiful, elegant reception of your dreams.

The best thing about using candles as a non-floral wedding centerpiece is that they don’t need anything else to be beautiful; simply fill a wide array of crystal vases with candles and light them up. They’ll make the room look effortlessly gorgeous. Just be sure to clear the use of candles with your venue before your wedding day.

3. Desserts

Image via Martha Stewart

One of the more fun ways to create eye catching centerpieces without the use of flowers is by making the desserts the focal point! Filling cake platters, decorative plates, and silver trays with desserts for each table is a non-floral wedding centerpiece that your guests won’t be able to take their eyes (or hands) off of. You could even throw some candy in decorative bowls for a little added sweetness!

An additional benefit of this non-floral arrangement is that it could end up saving you money. With dessert at each table in lieu of flowers, you and your fiancé could opt out of a wedding cake and save even more. Your guests will love this tasty idea!

4. Lanterns

Using candle lanterns as table centerpieces at your wedding can give your reception a romantic, rustic feel. Similar to candles, the use of lanterns can make your venue look dreamy, and they can give your tables a little more height and drama.

Lanterns can hold more than just candles, too. You can fill each lantern with a variety of items to fit your wedding’s theme. If it’s a rustic theme, try filling lanterns with acorns and pine cones, and surround it with tree moss. For a beach feel, use seashells or stones. Or, simply fill each lantern with white Christmas lights to create a more romantic feel.

5. Beachscape

The only thing better than a destination wedding is a reception that takes you to the beach without actually going there. Using a variety of seashells, coral, glass vases, and candlelight as non-floral wedding centerpieces will give your venue an effortless beach feel without being over the top.

Fill a variety of glass bowls, vases, candle holders, and other items with a little bit of sand and a wide array of eye catching shells. Then, line tables with silk runners in shades of soft whites and aqua blues to really make the ocean feel stand out. You can even throw some driftwood on each table to give the centerpieces more texture.

For a little added personalization, fill a glass bottle with some sand and a picture of you and the groom to create a little “message in a bottle” for each table.  

6. Branches

Image via Martha Stewart

Filling large vases with branches as a non-floral wedding centerpiece is a great way to create some height on the tables, and create a romantic, fairytale feeling at the reception.

The best part? Branches are 100% free! Just head outside with some pruners, and hand pick your wedding centerpieces. Look for branches that are full and have a lot of offshoots. This will help the arrangements look fuller.

Having branches as your centerpieces also allows for some originality at the wedding as well! Try hanging some pictures of you and the groom off the branches, customize them with your wedding colors, or try spray painting them!

7. Antiques

Using a collection of antiques to create custom, non-floral centerpieces will give your reception a timeless and romantic feel. Whether you’re drawn to old crystal votives, silver trays, antique clocks, or your grandmother’s pearls—using antiques as your wedding centerpieces will really let your personality shine at each table!

If you decide to use antiques for your centerpieces, hit up local garage sales and thrift stores for the best-priced finds to help save you money. Be sure to combine both large and small items at each table. The larger items will give you some height and drama, while the smaller items give the arrangement a feeling of timeless elegance.  

8. Birdcages

Similar to the lantern, a birdcage can be filled with a variety of items to accentuate your wedding’s theme. What’s great about the birdcage though is that you can simply leave the item empty and it still looks breathtaking as a non-floral wedding centerpiece!

Arrange a birdcage in the middle of the table, and surround it with small items such as candle votives, greenery, or vases. You can even hang your table numbers on the cage to make them a little more obvious for guests. Using a birdcage as a centerpiece at your wedding is a sure way to make any space feel like a dreamy, fairytale wedding.

9. Photos

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Chances are, you and your fiancé have tons of great engagement pictures that you have been wanting to get printed. Why not kill two birds with one stone and use your framed photographs as the focal point for your wedding centerpieces? The best part? After the wedding, you can display your photos throughout your home.

To make your photographs a little more eye catching, make them into larger prints, and frame them with intricately designed frames that fit your wedding colors. Or, consider hanging your pictures on branches for a completely unique non-floral wedding centerpiece!

10. Ornaments

Image via Martha Stewart

If your wedding is set to be during the winter season, then filling a variety of vases and bowls with ornaments can give your wedding a festive ambiance without being over the top. Layering some vases on a cake platter while leaving others on the table can give some height and dimension to these non-floral wedding centerpieces.

If you want the reception to feel more festive, adding a little greenery to the tables along with some tealights and gold accents. Top it off with white linens to transform your venue into a romantic winter wonderland.

Your wedding day really can be gorgeous without costing you hundreds, or even thousands, on floral arrangements! No matter your style or venue, these non-floral wedding centerpieces will transform your reception space into the beautiful day of your dreams – all while saving you money!

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