These Are Our Favorite Wedding Centerpieces For 2020

As a florist, wedding centerpieces are my favorite. Unlike the seriousness of the high-stakes wedding bouquet, wedding centerpieces give you the opportunity to have some fun and push the boundaries a little. That can mean over-the-top-florals or you know, no flowers at all. This versatile wedding decor item can take on many forms, and that’s why I love them so much.

First step, though, is to figure out what you actually want. I know, I know. You’re probably like “BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT.” And that’s fine! A good place to start is by asking yourself a few questions. Let me just bullet-point them so you can easily go through them with your partner. (And if some of these questions feel like they don’t apply to you, ignore them!)

• Do you want centerpieces at all? Assuming you’re here, you do. But ask yourself if you actually want them or if you just think they’re mandatory because you’ve been told they are. This can help you decide how invested you’ll be in bringing them to life.
• Do you want flowers? (Because if flowers are too expensive or complicated, that’s fine too.)
• What type of flowers do you want? (Side note: are those flowers actually available in the month you’re getting married? We have a handy guide with that information right here.)
• Do you have a color palette?
• Do you want to DIY your wedding centerpieces or hire help? (If you want to DIY your wedding flowers, we’ve got you covered.)
• Do you and your partner have a hobby or special interest that you’d love show off?
• Are you having a themed wedding that might help inform your decor?

Asking these questions will help steer you in the right direction of what you’re actually looking for and help you, or your planner or florist, achieve the vibe you’re aiming for at your wedding.

Wedding Centerpiece Styles

There are so many styles of wedding centerpieces floating around the internet that it can all feel like a little much. And unless you have all day to go down the Pinterest rabbit hole (which you probably don’t) or you’re in the wedding industry, chances are you probably haven’t done a deep dive of all the wedding centerpiece ideas out there. Whether you want to go the route of big, wild, and extravagant or keep it super minimal, there’s a ton of inspiration to be had. And we’ve tried to cover a lot of bases in our roundup. See below for a full roundup of wedding centerpiece ideas.

• Rainbow Candle Centerpiece
• Floating Candle Centerpiece
• Candelabra Centerpiece
• Agave Centerpiece
• Terracotta Centerpiece
• DIY Gilded Gold Centerpiece
• Pampas Grass Centerpiece
• Greenery Centerpiece
• Ombré Floral Centerpiece
• DIY Calla Lily Centerpiece
• Citrus Floral Centerpiece
• Olive Branch Centerpiece
• Mixed Bud Vase Centerpiece
• Geometric Terrarium Centerpiece
• Blooming Branch Centerpiece
• Solar System Centerpiece
• Charcuterie Centerpiece
• Star Wars Centerpiece
• Geometric Origami Centerpiece

Candle Wedding Centerpieces

Rainbow Candle Centerpiece: A cool color scheme can make inexpensive or thrifted decor feel super put together. Line up your favorite rainbow-hued taper candles to achieve this modern twist on a classic candle wedding centerpiece that runs the whole length of your guest tables. Our friends over at Oh Happy Day (and lovers all of things ROY G. BIV) can show you just how they did it here.

Floating Candle Centerpiece: This classic centerpiece style can be easily replicated by taking a trip to your local dollar store. Floating candles are much cheaper than pillar candles, saving you $$$$. Beyond that, all you need are hurricane candle holders (of various sizes) and water. If you’re feeling fancy, add a small wreath of greenery around the base of the candle holders!

Candelabra Centerpiece: You can always keep it simple with a table full of long taper candles (cue romantic music). If big ol’ candelabras aren’t your vibe, you can always go more minimal with individual candle holders.

Floral/Greenery Wedding Centerpieces

Agave Centerpiece: If you didn’t already know, millennials are obsessed with plants. So if you don’t want to be stuck with a bunch of centerpieces after your wedding, give them something they will actually want to take home! (Plus succulents are cheap, y’all.) Switch out the more common succulents and add agave to your wedding centerpieces to give them the ultimate desert-chic touch.

TerraCotta Centerpiece: If the thought of coordinating a color scheme makes you feel like you’ve suddenly got a wedding pop quiz in front of you, a cheater’s way to achieving a cohesive look is to go with a monochromatic vibe (aka all one color.) It’s also a great way to make more affordable flowers seem higher end. The earth tones of this terracotta centerpiece take that idea to a sophisticated, understated place.

DIY Gilded Gold Centerpiece: Another hack is to take any kind of basic decor you can get in bulk from online retailers or the dollar store, and add a coat of paint. Awhile back, we created a tutorial on how to make your own gilded centerpieces. And if you ask me, they still look pretty darn good! You can make classic black and gold vases, but if you’re feeling adventurous, may I suggest trying out this year’s neon trend with a pop of gold or silver? I’m here for it.

Pampas Grass Centerpiece: Have you seen these beautiful pampas grass arches that are all over Instagram? If you’re like me and love the look but don’t want to break the bank, scale the idea down and line your tables with pampas grass in bud vases. (Insider tip: you may see sand-colored pampas grass everywhere, but it comes in various shades of pink too!)

Greenery Centerpiece: Even if you don’t consider yourself a green thumb or DIY pro, these greenery centerpieces would come together in no time. And while greenery isn’t always the more affordable option, it does take up more space than flowers, so you do get a little more bang for your buck.

OmbrÉ Flower Centerpiece: If a rainbow centerpiece feels like too much and a monochromatic centerpiece feels too one-note, a happy medium is ombre. Pick one color, and then do lots of variations of it (think pink, red, and super light blush). This is also a clever way to mix in more affordable flowers (think carnations) with more expensive ones (think peonies and garden roses.)

DIY Calla Lily Centerpiece: If you’re tired of fighting the fact that the ’90s are coming back with a vengeance, we have this minimal calla lily centerpiece for you right here.

Citrus Floral Centerpiece: You can use fruit as a unique way to add color to your decor. Switch things up by throwing some citrus branches into your centerpieces. On the plus side, they’re edible too! And if you want the version with no flowers, we’ve got a great all-fruit centerpiece right here. Just don’t eat the paint.

Olive Branch Centerpiece: Olive branches never go out of style, and why would they, considering they’ve been universally considered a sign of peace for centuries? You might not have the budget for an actual (mini) olive tree, but olive branches on their own make for a lovely, understated, affordable green element.

Mixed Bud Vase Centerpiece: One of the first DIY projects we ever did was a centerpiece just like this. Know why? Because it’s impactful and more importantly, easy. Head to your local dollar store (or Craigslist) and gather all the bud vases you can find to line your tables. You definitely don’t have to be a pro florist to put one or two stems in each one. Pro tip: to add some extra oomph, pick up some greenery stems to complement your flowers.

Geometric Terrarium Centerpiece: Terrarium wedding centerpieces are popular because they are soooo versatile. Fill them with flowers, or greenery, or crystals, or really anything your heart desires. They’re also incredibly on-trend right now in home decor, which means you can pick them up easily at places like HomeGoods for $10 or so.

Blooming Branch Centerpiece: You know what makes floral arranging way easier? When the flowers are already arranged on a branch. Bring the outdoors in with blooming branch wedding centerpieces. My favorite? Cherry blossoms.

Unique Wedding Centerpieces

Solar System Centerpiece: You know how I talked about using your interests to spark centerpiece ideas? This orrery is a great example of that. While something as specific as a vintage solar system might be the kind of project that’s best suited for, say, one table (or an ongoing project for a long engagement) there are lots of ways to go outside the box with your table decor. Books, feathers, crystals, vintage board games—whatever speaks to you and your partner.

Charcuterie Centerpiece: No need for florals when you can have a centerpiece that also doubles as an ongoing snack feast for all your nearest and dearest. If I walked into a reception with a giant charcuterie tray lining my table, I’d be like, YASSSSSSSS, DREAMS DO COME TRUE.

Star Wars Centerpiece: When you have a Star Wars-themed wedding, you’re just supposed to go all in, right? With the addition of dried foliage, this Millennium Falcon centerpiece sticks to the theme and looks glam. Win-win.

Geometric Origami Centerpiece: And the most affordable decor item of all? Paper. Find all the bright paper you can and go bold with a colorful origami centerpiece. (How cool would this look with no flowers at all?) Bonus points for this super fun ceiling arrangement too!

Are you doing wedding centerpieces or ditching them? If you’re doing them, what’s your plan? If you’re already hitched, pictures or it didn’t happen.