Centerpieces in a hurry

[dznystar]

Because of extra magic hours we have had to completely change our wedding, with only 2 months to go. Needless to say, some of you have read the story, and I am anything but happy at this point. But I am trying to make the most of it, I can't just cancel the wedding this close. We were originally at the French Island for Illuminations for our reception, but because of the park being open until 12:30am, we had to change. So now the only available venues are GF and Boardwalk ballrooms. We've chosen GF. With the reception previously planned I wanted twinkling candles and only a few flowers because the reception was going to be under the stars. Now, being in a ballroom I have very little time to come up with new centerpieces. i'm looking for something tall, if anyone has any pics. I had a phone conference with Laura(our florist). She said that she would email me some pics to look at with prices. She only sent 2, and I didn't really like either one, not to mention they were twice as much as our other centerpieces. I'm in a bind, and I would love any and all suggestions. I know I can count on you girls for help! TIA!
Jennifer

 

[princessdisneybelle]

Could you give us your colors and maybe your theme or the look you are going for? Might be easier to help.

 

[DisneyFairy19]

Have you checked out any ideas on theknot.com... They have some beautiful and simple centerpieces that you can be fast to do.. GL

 

[AnnieBelle]

We are using glass bowls on top of mirrored tiles with floating flowers. Very simple and elegant.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Topiaries with twinkling lights.....
Simple high candlabras laced with ivy...

 

[theantibride]

Honestly, I would stick with the simple centerpieces. Maybe add some more candles or something but I think candlelight and flowers in a ballroom is very elegant. Also, speaking as someone who went to more weddings than I can count last year, I hate tall centerpieces. I like to be able to look at people across the table without having to lean over into the lap of the person next to me. What about a large, shallow bowl with floating candles and flower petals in it? You can even buy flower shaped floating candles that burn for several hours. Or have some floating candles above glass "rocks" in the center with a few bud vases surrounding them. My favorite centerpiece of all time was at a wedding where the centerpieces were one very elegant lily in a vase with aquarium gravel that matched their wedding colors in the bottom and a beta fish swimming around. Very unexpected and very fun!

 

[AnnieBelle]

Honestly, I would stick with the simple centerpieces. Maybe add some more candles or something but I think candlelight and flowers in a ballroom is very elegant. Also, speaking as someone who went to more weddings than I can count last year, I hate tall centerpieces. I like to be able to look at people across the table without having to lean over into the lap of the person next to me. What about a large, shallow bowl with floating candles and flower petals in it? You can even buy flower shaped floating candles that burn for several hours. Or have some floating candles above glass "rocks" in the center with a few bud vases surrounding them. My favorite centerpiece of all time was at a wedding where the centerpieces were one very elegant lily in a vase with aquarium gravel that matched their wedding colors in the bottom and a beta fish swimming around. Very unexpected and very fun!

The beta fish sound cute and I love lilies! But what happens at the end of the reception? Would you let people take them home? I like your other ideas with rocks too.

 

[dznystar]

My colors are peri and champagne. I told my florist that I was looking for something tall enough that it wouldn't be at eyelevel, but not too short to get lost in the room. She only sent me 2 pictures and both were out of our pricerange. I looked at the ones on theknot.com, but couldn't really find what i wanted. I had pictured a candleabra with flowers wrapped in it. Last night we bought the votive candle holders from the dollarspot at Target. They were 4 in a pack for a dollar. I have tons of the tealights at home, so we're paying 30cents compared to Disney's $2.50 per votive. I just have to have someone go and set them up and light them.

 

[Maggimus]

I was on our prom committee in HS and our theme was "A walk in the park" and we had elegant table cloths with that shiny metalic water like paper (Disney uses it in some of its rides-- the ride in Mexico comes to mind right now) and then we bought fish bowl stands (Very elegant looking) and bought tons of beta fish. We put each beta fish in its bowl on the stand and it looked just like a pond (we had lily pads under the stands)-- it was very very cute and the fish were used as favors as well (each table could decide who would take it home at the end of the night). This probobly wouldnt work with a out-of-town venue but I wanted to add to the idea that was already thrown out.

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

http://rodenimports.com/store.cfm?event=showcatalog&catid=8163&pagenumber=3

http://www.renegades.org/media/photo/20021006/images/centerpiece.jpg

http://www.designbylarissa.com/botanic/centerpiece.JPG

http://www.socoolevents.com/ice centerpieces.html

http://www.fourseasons.com.hk/wedding/decoration/table_centerpiece.html

http://www.hawaiianweddings.net/candles_centerpiece.jpg

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/2838/centerpiece70qk.jpg

http://www.blumen.com/images/pedestal centerpiece.jpg

http://www.everafterdecorating.com/images/centerpiece_roses.jpg

http://wedcrafts.com/images/frost2.jpg
http://www.hawaiianweddings.net/10060003.jpg


& to add...hobby lobby, michaels have a great selection of tall vases...you could get their coupons & use em for that

good luck, maybe theres something in here to inspire you

 

[mermaidbride1108]

I was on our prom committee in HS and our theme was "A walk in the park" and we had elegant table cloths with that shiny metalic water like paper (Disney uses it in some of its rides-- the ride in Mexico comes to mind right now) and then we bought fish bowl stands (Very elegant looking) and bought tons of beta fish. We put each beta fish in its bowl on the stand and it looked just like a pond (we had lily pads under the stands)-- it was very very cute and the fish were used as favors as well (each table could decide who would take it home at the end of the night). This probobly wouldnt work with a out-of-town venue but I wanted to add to the idea that was already thrown out.

Do you guys think we could do beta Fish at WDW? I thought of this but got burned by knot boards for suggesting this before I found these boards. I really like this and it would go with my Ariel theme.

 

[Maggimus]

Do you guys think we could do beta Fish at WDW? I thought of this but got burned by knot boards for suggesting this before I found these boards. I really like this and it would go with my Ariel theme.

im not sure! I do know that beta fish are very very cheap especially when purchased in quanitities!

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Do you guys think we could do beta Fish at WDW? I thought of this but got burned by knot boards for suggesting this before I found these boards. I really like this and it would go with my Ariel theme.

I hope not...what are your plans for the fish after the party?

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Large hurricane lamps filled with shells would work at Ariel's

 

[disprincessatheart]

just a thought - once you find the centerpieces you want, I assume that you had booked transportation to EPCOT for your guests, which you are no longer required to use. ANy chance you're cutting out or cutting back on transporation so maybe you have more money available for the larger centerpieces?

One centerpiece idea that we considered was the taller vases with lights inside them - there were fiber optic strands or glow cubes as options. We also had Laura when we were planning. Talk to her again and see if maybe she can find you something else.

Good luck!

 

[mermaidbride1108]

I hope not...what are your plans for the fish after the party?

I would give them to my guests, if possible.

That's the problem - I wouldn't even think of flushing them, so I would want to make sure they were well taken care of, My mother used to manage a pet shop and knows all things fish so she could definitely make sure water temp, etc. would be good for them

But it's added stress making sure they were taken care of after the party and not just flushed by clean up crew

 

[theantibride]

Are none of your guests local? See about half my guest list is already in Florida so giving them to those people would not be a problem. Another fun choice might be just to use tank decorations! Like little castles or divers or treasure chests or something fun. Or buy a glass fish (I can't remember where but I have seen these little glass fish decorations that were similar in size to real fish and they weren't that expensive) and put it in there -- no flushing concerns there. Have fun with it and remember the more unexpected it is the more memorable it will be. When was the last time you were at a wedding and the centerpiece was so unique you could clearly recall it months or years later?!

 

[jmmastra]

I would give them to my guests, if possible.

That's the problem - I wouldn't even think of flushing them, so I would want to make sure they were well taken care of, My mother used to manage a pet shop and knows all things fish so she could definitely make sure water temp, etc. would be good for them

But it's added stress making sure they were taken care of after the party and not just flushed by clean up crew

Not to be downer but I thought of beta fish myself for my home reception and my florist brought up an excellent point....what if they die? You may have floating fish during your meal or worse, they could die right before they went in the bowl. Sorry, I know I am not much help.

What about tall cylinder vases with drowned orchids and candles floating on top. These sites have some pretty ideas.

http://www.surroundings.com/
http://www.save-on-crafts.com/vascylvas1.html

I am using the Yatch club ballroom...for 30 people (well actually 1/4 ballroom) And I am using small rectangle vases with tightly packed roses, 6 votive candles and little Mickey heads sprinkled all over the table. The table is going to have a lot on it, so I went low and small.

 

[DisBride2007]

I have to agree that I think the beta fish are a better idea in theory than reality. In addition to the fact that they could conceivably die before or during the reception, having to come up with an idea of what to do with them afterward is an added stress that no one needs. Particularly with a destination wedding - it's not like people have a 5 minute drive to get the fish home. How are people supposed to take them on planes, or long car trips?

 

[mermaidbride1108]

Jeez, I seem to have started something! Please no flames....

It was an idea I had when I was thinking of doing an intimate ceremony and an at home reception - that way in philly I could give the fish to my guest.

I was just curious about Disney using them and maybe they would rent or borrow the fish somehow and then return them to a petshop ... Just a thought... I knew that in Florida I couldn't pass them to guests - I guess I didnt make that clear, sorry! - but I was thinking in philly I could

I've read alot of postings on other weddings that use fish as centerpieces, use fish in the wedding cakes between layers, rent mini aqauriums...

Anyway, they really could die and how unwedding-like would that be? A fish funeral? So you did name some of my concerns using beta fish, I just thought it was a very unique and cool idea and people have indeed used them in the past successfully - I've even heard of it at proms in philly too. To be honest, I'd be checking each vase my entire reception making sure they didnt go belly up. I would probably decide against it in the end because of the added worry of using live fish when you are already going to be thinking of so many other things on your wedding day...

To be fair - I just thought since someone brought it up on the board, I would take the next step and see if it CAN actually BE done, That's what we do here isn't it? Ask questions and give ideas and then see how we could work them out? I just thought I would take the next step and see if it could actually be done and maybe figure out logistics where it wouldnt harm the fish, they wouldn't die, and they would be taken care of afterwards. Other brides and proms have done it, so it must be possible...