Simple DIY Wedding Table Centrepiece Ideas

You don’t have to spend a small fortune on wedding flowers to make an impact at your reception. With a dose of thriftiness and a little effort, the most simple and inexpensive designs can be just as stunning as the grander, pricier options. You can go DIY, or you may even find a willing friend or family member is happy to take on the task of creating them for you. Keeping DIY wedding table centrepiece arrangements simple and pretty without sacrificing style means you can put those extra pennies towards those Manolos you’re lusting after!

Here are six DIY wedding table centrepiece ideas that prove that less really can mean more…

Goldfish Bowls

Hire or buy goldfish bowls and fill one-third with water. Secure a fat white pillar candle in the centre using a layer of decorative gravel, sand or shells, and carefully float five large rose heads around the pillar candle. For a touch of glamour, add a little spray glitter to the roses before placing them inside the bowl. Alternatively, forgo the pillar candle and float five cheerful gerbera heads with a few floating candles.

Pillar Candles and Mirrors

For a gorgeous glow, buy some cream pillar candles in varying heights and widths and place them in the centre of a 30-40cm round mirror base. Scatter some rose petals and a few rose heads onto the mirror. The mirror will reflect the light of the candles beautifully.

Floating Candles

For an oriental look, buy some squat cylinder vases of various heights and a few stems of fuchsia pink or white Singapore orchids. Submerge a few of the flower heads inside each of the vases, top up with water and place a round floating candle on top. Place a group of vases on each table.

Bud Vases

For a pretty, vintage look to your DIY wedding table centrepiece displays, scour charity shops, flea markets, boot fairs or granny’s attic for small glass bud vases of different shapes and heights. Place one to three blooms in each one and arrange a collection of three or five vases on each table. For long tables, arrange the vases in a casual line along the centre. Vary the colours and types of flowers for an eye popping display, or keep it chic with pastels or all-white blooms.

For a contemporary look use simple clear or coloured glass cylinder bud vases, or for an informal country style or outdoor wedding use old milk bottles, jars or food tins with interesting labels as your vessels (biscuit and tea tins work well). Complete the look with lots of twinkly tea lights.

Pots and Pails

Visit your local garden centre for medium size terracotta pots or galvanised metal pails, and display individual lavender, rosemary or thyme plants in them.

Or, fill each pot with a colourful miniature rose or azalea plant, or several tightly packed spring bulbs such as paper-white narcissi, muscari or hyacinth. Finish with a little moss at the base to cover the earth and tie a length of raffia or coloured ribbon to match your scheme around each pot. Place one or several pots on each table.

Planted arrangements are a perfect DIY wedding table centrepiece for a spring/summer outdoor or marquee wedding, and great to give away as gifts to guests.

Orchids

White phalaenopsis orchid plants look chic and expensive but are surprisingly affordable. Buy single orchids from a garden centre or supermarket and replant them into modern cube vases or terracotta pots painted to match your scheme. Remove the bamboo stake, anchor a handful of long white-painted twigs into the base of the plant and carefully attach one or two with pretty ribbon to the stem of the orchid for support. Secure and cover the roots with small white pebbles or moss.