The centerpiece for reception tables is a key component in the overall reception decor of most weddings. After the focal point, the centerpieces on each individual table are often the most important decoration in a wedding reception because it is the decoration that the guests will look at the most. Fortunately, with a little thought centerpieces can be developed from the subsequent thoughts to match most any given theme without necessarily costing an arm and a leg!

Upside-Down Glasses & Flutes: Combine any combination of wine glasses, martini glasses, and flutes to match the style of the decor of the wedding. Place small blossoms of the flowers from the wedding under the bowl as it is resting on the table. Finish by placing three aptly sized candles on the upside down foot of each glass an elegant display.

Gel Candles: Table centerpieces do not have to be large. No one wants to try to converse with someone across the table while trying to peer through an over sized centerpiece. This makes a seasonally designed gel candle paired with a swath of fabric, greenery, or a handful of sand to match the wedding colors and theme an excellent yet inexpensive choice to create a simple, yet stylish centerpiece.

Fresh Cut Flowers: You do not have to be a florist to arrange a half dozen of your favorite flowers in a small vase. Have someone purchase flowers at a wholesaler, market, or from the farm itself and place them in a vase on each table with a dash of color or texture (fabric, sand, pine cones, babies breath, etc) on the table to tie into the rest of your wedding decor.

Bridesmaids Bouquets: One common complaint during wedding receptions is that the bridesmaid's bouquets get in the way. They no longer need their floral display and certainly do not want to have to carry them around, but in most cases the bouquets are too beautiful to simply discard. So what is to be done with them? An increasingly fashionable alternative is to use the bouquets as centerpieces in your reception. Not as many bridesmaids as tables? Use these bouquets for the tables of close family and honored guests.

Candles: Candles can create a gorgeous ambience and stunning centerpiece to any table. They can be either grouped together or standing alone for a dramatic effect. Available in many colors and designs such as monogrammed or floating, they are ideal for complimenting virtually any wedding decor design. One option that will help keep wedding costs low is to purchase plain candles and draw designs on them with a craft glue pen and then dip the candle into colored sand of your choice. This can create a striking embossed effect.

Potted Plants: Done well, this can be elegant. Again, for the most part you want to find small potted plants from your local nursery and re pot them into decorative ceramic pots. The exception to the height rule is this: If you can find elegant topiaries with a single stem or stalk holding the sculpted plant above sight lines at your table. This enables you to add a dramatic touch to your reception without interfering with your guest's ability to talk to each other.

After the reception, send the potted plant centerpieces home with guests to avoid trying clean up and disposal issues. Virtually every wedding has guests who would be delighted to take a potted plant home to add to their collection.

Likewise, one could choose small plants to have replanted in the couple's yard either while they are on their honeymoon or after they return as a fun project to do together that will always remind them of their big day.

A wise bride will play with her wedding reception centerpiece ideas. There is no such thing as right or wrong in this area, only what display best achieves the look they desire within the framework of their own resources.