Use ribbon to give your centerpieces a tailored look

In my last article about saving money on centerpieces I talked about how votive candles could expand the tableau of your centerpiece. But what if white or ivory candles don't fit in with your color scheme? You can add an inexpensive splash of color to your tables by encircling your candles with one or more beautiful ribbons. Not only does it pull your color scheme out onto the table, but it turns your candles from store-bought to custom made.

This technique also works to spice up any vase used for your centerpiece flowers. In the picture above a chocolate satin ribbon brings this hard-to-incorporate color into a pink and chocolate scheme.

The layered black and pale blue ribbons are finished off with a beautiful monogram, giving this loose gathering of summer flowers a tailored edge.

This simple band of two and a half inch wide ribbon pulls the hot pink color downward toward the table strengthening the impact of the centerpiece and balancing the centerpiece by giving it a strong base to rest on.

Not only is ribbon inexpensive and fashionable in centerpieces, it can be used as the design element that pulls together your whole wedding. Ribbon is often used a stem wrap for the bouquets and boutonnieres, it can be applied to your invitations and stationary, it can be wrapped around layers of your cake, and it can be used as a sash around a bridesmaid's waist or even for the bride. The right color ribbon can make the most complicated color scheme easy to pull off.

Stretch your dollars with votives

Many florists insist that placing a mirror under the centerpiece doubles its size. I think this technique is not only outdated, but only works when viewing the centerpiece from standing height. Instead of using your money to rent or buy mirrors, consider placing white or ivory votives around a small centerpiece to expand the tableau. Not only will it visually enlarge your centerpiece, but it will lend a romantic light to your romantic evening.

I would recommend using three or more votives on each table. You can get away with using less on a round table - surrounding the centerpiece with three to five votives. On a rectangular table I recommend using six or more - splitting them in half and extending them out from each side of the centerpiece. This will allow you to fill the entire tablescape while using only one floral centerpiece. You can further emphasize the axis of the table with contrasting table runner on which the centerpiece and candles sit.

There are many places you can find inexpensive votives already in glass cups. Michaels and Bed Bath and Beyond carry votives by the dozen for about $8; however, I find their votives to be poorly made - often with wax running down the outside of the container. Jo-Ann Fabrics carries the nicest votives at a dozen for $10, and if you wait for a holiday they often go 30% off. Just make sure that you take a couple hours before the day of your wedding to remove the plastic that separates each votive from its glass cup!

Grow your own centerpieces

October to April is prime bulb-forcing season. Amaryllis and paperwhite bulbs can be forced into bloom this time of year in your very own home. Amaryllis are beautiful, statuesque flowers with large trumpet-like blooms that come in a variety of colors. They don't need a cold spell to start them into bloom - actually freezing temperatures would kill the bulb, because they originate from tropical South America. However, I would recommend them for gifts as opposed to centerpieces, because it is hard to predict exactly when they will come into bloom. Some varieties shoot up leaves first, and some will send up blooms with leaves following a month later! Blooms often open 7-10 weeks after planting. Try www.amaryllis.com for your bulbs. Paperwhites, a fragrant cousin of the daffodil with multiple small blooms on each stem, are the most predictable and easy to force bulb. After doing a test run in your home you will see that paperwhites only take three to four weeks to bring into bloom, and the buds will open over a period of a week or two. Like the amaryllis, paperwhites don't need a cold spell to start their growth spurt. However, a common problem with paperwhites is the tendency to become lanky from too little sun light, which causes them to flop over with the weight of their blooms. This is easily remedied by watering them with a 5% alcohol solution after they show signs of root and leaf growth. Check out this study from Cornell University for more information: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/bulb/Pickling_your_Paperwhites.pdf. I recommend planting paperwhite bulbs in small river rocks in a glass container, so that you can be sure that not to over-water the bulb. Be sure to keep the water filled so that it just touches the bottom of the bulb. Any higher and the bulb may rot. Place the containers next to a window and watch them grow. Try www.smithandhawken.com for paperwhite bulbs.

Bulb centerpieces only work for half of the year. For the rest of the year you can grow wheatgrass for you centerpieces. Squares of wheatgrass are chic and easily grown. Order a bag of seeds online and grow them in plastic-lined boxes or ceramic bowls from a discount store. Add a few daisies by hiding florist's water tubes in the grass and soil and you've got a beautiful spring or summer centerpiece. Try www.wheatgrasskits.com for seeds and supplies.

For a late summer or fall wedding plant ornamental cabbage, hostas, or cosmos seeds in your garden and harvest them the day of your wedding for simple but elegant vase arrangements.

When growing your own centerpieces, always conduct a test run first, so that you know how long it takes to get your plant or bloom to perfection. If all else fails run to the nearest garden store and buy a blooming plant for a centerpiece. This will save you money and give your guests something nice to take back to their homes!