Should my centrepieces all look the same?

So many couples dream of their weddings from a young age, so it comes as no surprise to us when couples approach us with a detailed expectation for their wedding day. They have all the details mapped out, but something that we find couples often overlook is how exactly to design their centrepieces. We often get asked if centrepieces need to be identical, and the answer to this is absolutely not!

Your centrepieces shouldn’t be identical, and since there are endless possibilities for styling your reception tables, you should never be expected to stick to just one strict design. But your centrepieces should look similar to support your design theme. There are ways of making your centrepieces unique while still maintaining the overall design flow. Instead of repeating the same exact centrepiece design at every table, we recommend choosing 2-3 designs to repeat throughout all of your tables. Non-identical centrepieces bring that elegance and uniqueness that everyone desires for their wedding day, without sacrificing the beauty and flow of your overall wedding design. Here is a quick guide on how to work with a variety of centrepiece designs at your wedding. 

Create centrepieces that are different heights

If you’re looking to add more visual depth to your reception space, you can do that by playing around with the heights of your actual centrepieces. By height, we mean that you can have both tall and short centrepieces at your tables to add depth and visual interest to your wedding reception venue. Shorter centrepieces can create a sense of intimacy, and guests can see each other over the florals, and taller centrepieces elevate the elegance of the space while allowing guests to see each other through, or even under the design. A mix of both heights creates the perfect harmony: a wedding design that’s both intimate and elegant. If you're worried about your centrepieces looking too mismatched, don't worry! Using the same florals and colours will help maintain a cohesive flow from table to table, and tie the entire space together. 

Designed by Fresh Look Design, photographed by Allie Jennings Photography

For this wedding, we used the same white florals and gold metal in both designs, but added draping greenery to the taller centrepieces for added volume and texture. Typically, couples are wary of using tall centrepieces at their tables out of fear that guests won’t be able to communicate well with the arrangements in the way, so to avoid that, we used stands for the tall centrepieces that allowed guests to see through to the other end of the table, not hindering any conversation. The short centrepieces for this wedding added to that sense of intimacy, and allowed florals to be on all levels: both on the table, and raised. Both centrepiece designs were gorgeous individually, but also worked well together, despite their differences.

Use varied heights within your centrepiece design

When determining your desired centrepiece look, keep in mind that you can make each  centrepiece arrangement unique, without anything looking too out of place. Using different heights within your centrepieces is an effective way to make your centrepieces special, without sacrificing the overall look of your reception. To vary heights within your centrepiece, use mixed-height candles and vases for a subtle difference that your guests will love. Every great design needs variety, and this is an option that gives you that, while still offering a uniform look. 

Designed by Fresh Look Design, photographed by Brandon Scott Photography

For this wedding, we used different candle designs to diversify the heights within the centrepieces. We used a combination of tealights in short vases, taller vases with floating candles, and varying height taper candles to pull the entire look together. While both centrepieces use the same arrangement of florals, one version of the design is more tightly packed and dense, while the other is more airy, with stems protruding further, creating more negative space within the floral arrangement. Combined with the variety of candles, these smaller details leave your guests with a long-lasting memory of your special day.

Don’t be afraid to focus on different colours

Are you a couple that prefers a more symmetrical look, but want to create a little more variety and visual interest? You can introduce more colour into your centrepieces to bring in more variety, while still keeping an overall unified design and feel. Using colours to make each centrepiece unique doesn’t have to be drastic, and can actually be a lot more subtle than you think. From afar, your centrepieces will be cohesive, keeping the flow of the entire design together. However, when you look closely, you’ll see the finer details that make each arrangement its own. Try using different variations of vases, candle holders, metals, florals, and greenery to make those subtle differences in your centrepieces. 

Designed by Fresh Look Design, photographed by JLP Studio

For this wedding, the design was already colourful because of the florals used, but what really brought in variety and made every section of the table look different was the selection of different metals, candle colours, and vases used to style the rest of the table. We alternated between clear vases with smaller floral arrangements and gold vases with larger floral arrangements throughout the length of the table. Instead of using just one type of candle, we chose to decorate the table with a mix of black and white taper candles, and smaller tealights in glass geometric gold domes. From the vases to the candles, there was colour variation everywhere in this design, so no two sections looked the same, but the overall design worked so well.

Design centrepieces based on their table types

We love designing with both round and rectangular tables, so if you’re planning to use a variety of table types at your wedding, it’s the perfect opportunity to play with your centrepiece designs. No matter which type of table your guests find themselves at, you want your centrepieces to be impactful, memorable, and cohesive. To do that, we suggest having different centrepiece designs that still use similar colours and textures for each type of table you have at your reception. For example, if you had both long tables and round tables, each of those would have their own design to better match the shape of the table.

Designed by Fresh Look Design, photographed by The Colectiv

For this wedding, we chose to bring more diversity to the monochromatic colour scheme by using two distinct centrepiece designs that matched the shape of the table they were placed on. The round tables had airy and taller floral stems than the centrepieces on the main rectangular table, and yet both still allowed for conversation without blocking anyone’s view. In combination with the tall and delicate florals for the round tables, we used different tealights and floating candles to add even more varied heights. For the rectangular table, we combined lower centrepieces with a different variety of additions: taper candles with gold holders, and vases with tall single stems, to create a design that spread along the length of the rectangular table. We used similar mini vases on both table designs, bringing in more cohesiveness to the space. Despite the differences between the two designs, everything came together to create an unforgettable wedding design.

Centrepieces should never be identical, and adding variation to your design will always be impactful, leaving your guests impressed with the overall look and feel of your wedding design. It’s always those tiny details that can take your wedding to new levels, and this holds true even in centrepiece design. You deserve to have the wedding of your dreams, and we would love to have a hand in helping you achieve that. For any inquiries, please fill out our contact form to discuss the opportunity to work together in creating a wedding you’ll never forget!