Simple, Elegant, Artificial Flower Wedding Centerpieces

SIMPLE, ELEGANT, & WORRY-FREE

Centerpieces For Your Wedding Day!

Do you want lots of flowers for your wedding but are worried about how they will arrive or if they will wilt by the end of the ceremony? Here is a simple, elegant, worry-free solution!

Step 1: Purchase

ITEMS TO PURCHASE:

- One flower stem to make two short centerpieces *Depending on how many branches are on the stem and how big the flower blossoms are.*

- Three to four flower stems for one tall center piece.

- One vase for each short and tall centerpiece.

Flower Stems

This first step is the most difficult step. You will want to find the most realistic flowers at an affordable cost.

Choose your flowers to match the theme/feel you are going for. I personally have a strong connection with Japan so I wanted cherry blossoms. They are cute and delicate. My wedding was planned to be in the fall so I wanted deep, rich, romantic tones.

Planning for your wedding a year in advance allows you to find colors you want for CHEAP! We got engaged in October of 2010 and Married September 2011. So at the end of fall 2010 I was able to snatch up all the clearance items in the colors I wanted from Michaels craft stores.

Find long stems that you can trim sprigs off of. You will keep some stems intact and others you will trim the twigs off to use instead of the whole stem. This way you can have centerpieces of different heights at different tables for a varied feel.

Vases

I found my vases for cheap at Walmart. Only about $3/piece. They were very delicate and would break easily if they clanked against each other, so be careful. I chose cylindrical vases, 11" tall, 4" diameter.

Step 2: Trim

TOOLS NEEDED:

- Scissors or Pruning Snips

Tall Centerpiece

You will want to keep some stems long, but they will still need to be trimmed to fit into a vase properly. Trim the bottom of the long stems so the buds sit just at the edge of the vase. You should only need scissors, but if the wire or stem is thicker you may need small pruning snips.

Short Centerpiece

Clip the twigs that have flowers on them off of the main stem. Place 3-4 stems inside one vase. Make sure they are sitting freely inside the vase and aren't being crushed. If they look crushed, remove stems until they are sitting freely. If the vase is too empty that isn't good either. Add enough stems until they are properly filled but not over filled.

Step 3: Rinse

NEEDED

- Tub or Sink

- Paper Towel or Rags

Tall Centerpiece

No rinsing needed.

Short Centerpiece

You will want to rinse the stems going in the short centerpiece to avoid the dye bleeding into the water for the end step. Just loosely rinse the stems under running water. You do not need to rub the blossoms, in fact avoid this so you do not damage them. Place the rinsed stems on top of paper towel or rags to dry.

Once dry, you may place the stems back in the vases and store your centerpieces until your special day!

Step 4: Setup

THE BIG DAY!

The day of your wedding, have someone place the centerpieces out on the tables, alternating the short and tall centerpieces per table. Have that person fill the vases with water using a small watering can, and VIOLA! All done!

Extra Tip

- For added beauty, place the centerpieces on a mirror surrounded by small votive candles and a sprinkling of left over blossoms plucked from the stems.

- Avoid having the flowers sit in water in the vases for longer than one or two days since the wire inside will rust and may discolor the water.