Find Wedding Centerpiece Ideas at a Vintage Store or Antique Auction

Wedding reception centerpieces can be a great way to showcase a couple's personality and style. Many couples consider sustainability and waste reduction to be an important part of their life together. Repurposing antique or vintage items as wedding table centerpieces is a great way to avoid wasting materials. Better yet, vintage centerpieces can range from funky to elegant and can even be given away as souvenirs.

Using Vintage Pieces in Centerpiece Design
When incorporating vintage pieces into a wedding design, it's important to start shopping early to make sure that there's plenty of time to find enough pieces for each table. Go to an antique mall with members of the wedding party and have a wedding centerpiece treasure hunt. Look carefully through sites like EBay or Etsy and keep an eye on items that might work.

Finding the right pieces may take some time, but the unique, original, and personal centerpieces will be worth it. Here are some ideas to get the imagination rolling.

Ideas for Vintage Centerpieces

• Victorian tea pots. The elegance of a Victorian tea service in metal or porcelain lends itself naturally to a garden or afternoon wedding reception. An ornate tea pot or tea set can serve as a centerpiece all on its own, but for a funkier feel, center the tea pot and fill with a bouquet of irises or simple, tall greens.
• Brass umbrella stands. Antique umbrella stands can be found in a range of heights and materials. Use them as oversized vases for a luscious cluster of hyacinth.
• Decorative mirror frames. Look for oval wall mirrors with metallic or carved wood frames. Use them as bases for vintage candelabra. Place tall, white tapered candles in the candelabra for ready-made mood lighting.
• Vintage globes. Globes that are in good condition and reasonably priced may be difficult to track down, but an antique globe in a wooden or metal frame can provide an interesting conversation piece for reception tables.
• Antique board games. Couples can show their fun-loving side by setting up vintage board games like Risk, Clue, or Snakes and Ladders on reception tables. Leave packs of cards with the instructions to a favorite card game for guests to take home as souvenirs.
• Vintage watering cans. A similar concept to the Victorian tea pot, but a bit more casual and funky. Fill a watering can of galvanized metal, copper, or brass with a bouquet of calla lilies and greens.

Prepping Vintage Centerpieces
Buying antique items can be risky, especially if ordering online. Double-check companies' return policies. When the piece arrives, make sure that it is in good enough condition to be a functional centerpiece, and if it isn't, don't be afraid to return it and look elsewhere–the last thing anyone wants is for a candelabra arm to fall off in the middle of a toast! Items that are too wobbly or in bad condition will be more trouble than they're worth.

Don't worry too much if a piece appears to be in need of cleaning or polishing. There are plenty of resources to help if a vintage item needs a little sprucing up.

Don't be afraid to add contradicting flowers to the centerpiece. While roses may seem the classic choice for a Victorian tea service arrangement, a modern bunch of monochromatic tulips are unexpectedly hip.
What to do with Vintage Centerpieces

At the end of the day vintage centerpieces can be used as thank-you gifts for the wedding party or parents, resold online or through a consignment shop, or even donated: watering cans to a community garden, tea sets to a local theater company. Mirror frames and candelabras can even be incorporated into home decor.

Vintage items can help create memorable and meaningful wedding centerpieces. All it takes is some planning, shopping, and a little creativity! suite101