Cheap & Easy Wedding Centerpieces
I wasn't even going to DO centerpieces, but then my mother-in-law got involved. I really wanted to keep a florist out of the picture, since I'm not having any of the traditional wedding floral hoopla. I also didn't want to have to put in a lot of -- or, um, ANY effort into do-it-yourself centerpieces, i.e. cutting, sewing, or folding.
The centerpiece below requires only filling, tying, and lighting, and run about $6.90 per table (set of three).
photo via our labor of love
Should be perfect for a backyard wedding. I got the idea from Emmaline Bride and they got it from this blog post. (Note that the Emmaline Bride links and pictures don't match! The link is for a wide mouth jar, but the picture is for a regular mouth jar. The 32 oz jar dimensions are 3.9" x 3.9" x 6.9". The regular mouth is probably exactly 3 inches, so 3" candles won't fit.)
As suggested, each table will have 3 mason jars. We expect to have 18 tables max, which is 54 jars. However, since the jars are sold by the dozen, I ordered 60, and the extra 6 jars will be on the buffet tables. The 2" candles will last 4 hours, so we need two per jar to get us through the reception.
Glass vase gems at the bottom of the jars would add another $89 to my total ($4.45 more per table), so I'm foregoing them. But, if you wanted to do the gems, it looks from the picture as though 1/4 of the 32 oz mason jar has gems = 8 oz of gems per jar. You can get 24 1-lb packs for around $53 w/ shipping & tax which should be enough for 48 mason jars.
What do you think? What did you do for your own wedding?
The centerpiece below requires only filling, tying, and lighting, and run about $6.90 per table (set of three).
photo via our labor of love
Should be perfect for a backyard wedding. I got the idea from Emmaline Bride and they got it from this blog post. (Note that the Emmaline Bride links and pictures don't match! The link is for a wide mouth jar, but the picture is for a regular mouth jar. The 32 oz jar dimensions are 3.9" x 3.9" x 6.9". The regular mouth is probably exactly 3 inches, so 3" candles won't fit.)
As suggested, each table will have 3 mason jars. We expect to have 18 tables max, which is 54 jars. However, since the jars are sold by the dozen, I ordered 60, and the extra 6 jars will be on the buffet tables. The 2" candles will last 4 hours, so we need two per jar to get us through the reception.
- 60 32 oz (1 qt) Ball Regular Mouth Mason Jars: $58.74 w/ free shipping to store, including 3% cash back from Mr. Rebates and 2% from my Schwab Visa
- 144 2" Floating candles, unscented (4-hr): $74.15 w/ coupon code "fiveany", including 2% cash back from Schwab Visa ($9 is the cheapest shipping option??? Ugh!)
- 1 pkg Raffia: $5 from Michaels with a 25% off coupon. I only used half the bag. I did end up trimming the ends at the width of the bow loops, but it wasn't an onerous task. Took about 90 min to tie and cut raffia for 60 jars.
Glass vase gems at the bottom of the jars would add another $89 to my total ($4.45 more per table), so I'm foregoing them. But, if you wanted to do the gems, it looks from the picture as though 1/4 of the 32 oz mason jar has gems = 8 oz of gems per jar. You can get 24 1-lb packs for around $53 w/ shipping & tax which should be enough for 48 mason jars.
What do you think? What did you do for your own wedding?
My sister is getting married this fall and I will definitely share this post with her as they are trying to take the money they save from the wedding/reception and put it toward the purchase of a home. We used a similar centerpiece at our outdoor reception and received lots of compliments. In my opinion, the "gems" at the bottom of the jar showed their worth once the sun set as they reflected considerable light. However, if one didn't wish to use them, a cheaper alternative might be sand which will also help stabilize the centerpieces.
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Okay, one vote for "gems". I will definitely consider it. Congratulations on your sister's wedding! Please let me know how they plan to keep down costs; it's not too late for me to implement new cost-saving measures.
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