A little goes along way with banquet centerpieces. They create that touch of delicate ambiance that most of your guests wont even consciously notice. But, these little touches will set the tone and mood for the evening, so preparing them thoughtfully can make a big impact on the success of the night. Your budget will largely determine how extravagant your centerpieces will be, but with some ingenuity an elegant and inexpensive centerpiece can be made that will dazzle your guests. Does this Spark an idea?
Flowers, Plants and Nature
Flowers, the traditional centerpiece of most weddings and banquets, are always a great choice because they smell wonderful and present well on a table. Just make sure the flowers are not so tall that people have to converse around them as your table will be the main social gathering place for your guests. Most florists offer a wide selection of centerpieces, but you will want to coordinate with the banquet locations theme and overall color scheme so that your centerpieces dont clash.
Smaller, potted plants like azaleas and mums also work great to set a soft, delicate mood for the event. These are also a bit cheaper than a floral display, and, unlike cut flowers, can be raffled off or given as a parting gift for your guests.
There are also many creative ways to use nature as a centerpiece. Pine cones, acorns, boughs, evergreen branches, ivy vines, colored leaves and many other garden items can be strung together to make a festive centerpiece in any season.
Lights, Candles and Luminaries
Good lighting at your table is crucial for conversation flow, so if your hall or location is dimly lit, then a centerpiece with lights will be helpful. If its a Christmas banquet, you can string up some lights through the center of your table and wrap it around the rest of your centerpiece. If the room will be dark for a video presentation or dancing, glow sticks can keep the center table dimly lit.
If youve made your own centerpieces with wreaths, boughs or ivy, you can wrap them around a trio of scented candles. Floating candles in a fish bowl also work well. Just be careful with open flames as accidents can happen.
A favorite of many are centerpiece luminaries. All you need are white lunch sacks partially filled with sand and a candle placed in the center. These are really quite beautiful and impressive when the lights are turned down. Another variation on this theme is ice luminaries. Just use an old coffee can and plastic piping like PVC. Superglue the pipe to the bottom of the can, and fill the can up with water so that the center pipe remains free of water. Then, place it in the freezer. After it's completely frozen, remove it and let it thaw just a little so that the ice block slides out of the coffee can. You can run it under a little warm water if it's still stuck. Then, just light a small candle and place it in the middle. It's best to have some kind of a pan or container for the melting water.
Balloons and Paper
Colored balloons strung together are another inexpensive way to decorate your table. To make the balloons a little classier, try attaching them to a decorative sandbag with colored ribbons. Decorative paper and silk paper look great attached to other items you may be using to make your centerpieces. If you're throwing a Christmas banquet, glue red and white silk paper to the backs of pine tree boughs. Then, you can twist the boughs into a hollow circle and put candles in the middle. You can also glue decorative paper to old glass jars with any design or colors that fit your theme, and fill them with candles or flowers.
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