Candle Centerpiece Ideas
By Bridget Mora
Who says that a centerpiece has to be all about the flowers? If you are looking to create a romantic mood while also saving money, candles will make the perfect centerpieces for your wedding. There are numerous creative ways to design a unique and beautiful table display around candles; for inspiration, check out these ideas…
Sometimes simple is best. Tall, elegant tapers can be used to create beautiful centerpieces for almost any style of wedding. They work particularly well for more formal events, as they have a sophisticated effect that will enhance any dressy wedding, day or night. Of course, sometimes simple can end up being too plain, so the key is to find details that will make your tapers feel special.
Long rectangular tables are a big trend for weddings right now, and they really lend themselves to using tall tapered candles in lieu of floral centerpieces. Look for interesting candleholders, such as clear square ones, or etched glass bases. A terrific look is to wrap big faux pearls on a silver wire around the stem of a simple glass candlestick; it makes a nice complement to the style of the bride if she is wearing handmade pearl wedding jewelry. Make the display more visually appealing by selecting candleholders in different heights. If your table linens and china will be white, choose candles in a contrasting color, such as a pale blue or peach.
You can also create candle-based centerpieces based on your wedding theme. For instance, let’s say that you are planning a beach wedding. The bride plans to wear an informal gown with wedding jewelry that is handmade with keshi pearls. You can echo this laid back beach style in your table displays. Place a large ivory pillar candle in the center of each table on a bed of sand. Surround the candle with seashells, starfish, and branches painted to mimic red coral. The effect will be perfect for a seaside reception, and the price will be quite affordable.
Another wonderful idea is to use candles in hurricane lanterns as your centerpieces. They will add a warm and cozy glow to your reception, and they are also a great choice for an outdoor wedding, as the flame will be protected from the wind. To add a bit of color, you can create a wreath to fit the base of the hurricane lantern.
I once attended a lovely winter wedding where the bride had a wreath of terracotta roses encircling each hurricane. You can choose accents that are appropriate for any season. For a winter wedding, think about trimming out your lantern with evergreen boughs with a few red roses. Or wrap some red and green holly around the hurricane lanterns for a great holiday design. The possibilities are endless.
Floating candles also make stunning centerpieces. Choose a low bowl with a wide mouth, or perhaps a fancy footed bowl for more height. Floating candles come in any color that you could ever want. You can also find them crafted into beautiful shapes, such as roses. It would look very pretty to alternate bowls of floating candles with bowls of floating gardenias.
There are countless other ways to use candles as your centerpieces. From masses of low votives to ornate candelabras, there is a design that will suit any style of wedding. The flickering candlelight will add romance and ambiance to your wedding reception.
Let us know if you need assistance in any area of planning your wedding.Take advantage of Bridget’s experience helping clients select jewelry and accessories. Handmade wedding jewelry will be a beautiful addition to your wedding gown.
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10 Ideas for Saving Some Money on Your Wedding Invitations by Sara Haese
When it comes to your wedding invitations, you probably know about how much of your wedding budget you have allowed for them. What if you could save some money without sacrificing style and quality?
Efforts to spend less on your wedding invitations do not have to be huge to be cost effective. In fact, sometimes just planning ahead can save you both dollars and stress.
Of course, the obvious step would be to trim down your guest list resulting in fewer invitations ordered and mailed. But that is not always practical when you have lots of family and friends with whom to celebrate your special day.
There are also many other suggestions for easing your wedding invitation budget:
- Shop around to find that perfect style that fits your budget. The Internet provides an abundance of wedding invitation printers. It is so convenient to shop from your computer when it fits YOUR schedule.
- Order early to prevent paying more for faster shipping methods. Having plenty of time to assemble and address your invitations will also eliminate last-minute pressure.
- Be sure to order some extra invitations to allow for last-minute guests and to save a few as keepsakes. It’s definitely cheaper to order more initially than to place an order later for only a few more. Typically, the more invitations you order, the lower the per-piece cost.
- Select a simple wedding invitation style such as a single-panel card which tends to cost less, especially when ordered in quantity.
- Consider a seal and send wedding invitation. This economical all-in-one design folds up and seals into its own self-mailing piece. Without the double mailing envelopes, this style tends to cost less per invitation and eliminates the extra cost of response cards with return envelopes. Instead, a response postcard is attached as part of the invitation. It is easily removed and mailed back by your guests. Another benefit to this style is the postage savings since your guests are mailing back a postcard.
- Buy your thank you cards at the same time you order your wedding invitations to save on shipping costs. Most often you will find thank you cards are available to match your invitation style.
- Choose black ink which is normally included in the invitation price. There is an additional per-item-ordered cost for colored inks. This means a separate ink charge for the invitations, response cards, reception cards, return address printing, etc., which can add up.
- Pass on the option of having a colored lining on your inner envelopes which is an additional cost. It can be a nice touch but most guests will be paying more attention to the invitation itself.
- Include your reception information right on your invitation to eliminate a separate reception card (having less weight in the envelope might even save you from affixing extra postage). If space allows, your dinner and reception details can be added on as extra lines aligned with the rest of your verse printing. Some invitation styles allow the option of a corner copy – 3-4 lines that appear in the bottom left or right corner usually in a smaller sized font. There may be a small extra charge for these lines. Corner copy is not recommended for narrow or tea length styles.
- Be sure the size and shape of your wedding invitation will only need a regular first class stamp. Sometimes a note indicating that extra postage will be required is posted online for those unique designs. Another suggestion is to purchase a sample so you can check with the Post Office if you are unsure. Keep in mind the envelopes and any extra enclosures will add to the final mailing weight possibly increasing the required postage.
I hope you find some of these suggestions helpful if you are looking for ways to save a little money on your wedding invitations since every little bit helps. Everyone has their own idea of how their invitations will look and only you know what you are willing to compromise on in fulfilling your dream. Just remember that your invitations will provide your guests with their first glance of your wedding.
Sara Haese is the owner of www.PrintedCreationsWeddingStore.com where you’ll find a great online selection of traditional and modern wedding invitations. Visitors can also sign up to receive her FREE Wedding Invitation Guide.
Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/10-Ideas-for-Saving-Some-Money-on-Your-Wedding-Invitations/179678