How to use event centerpieces to impress guests who have seen everything

In the age of social media and packed event calendars, some veteran event-goers have seen it all. We spoke to an industry expert in table design for a few tips on how to make your event centerpiece stand out to even the most jaded attendees.

The average guest will attend at least two weddings a year. There are more than 1 million business events held every year in the UK. Once you factor in office parties and birthday bashes, the number of events a particularly sociable guest might have attended before coming to yours could easily be in the hundreds.

This means they will have seen everything: every Pinterest trend, every decorative flourish, every foodie trend, every color scheme. They might have seen some classic decorations so often that they can’t even tell the different events apart in their minds.

The best way to impress your most cosmopolitan and prolific guests is to show them something truly unique, and there are few better ways to do that than with centerpieces for tables.

The endless possibilities of the event centerpiece

Many events are conservative when it comes to selecting table decor, opting for a simple flower arrangement or a few candles. However, this is a missed opportunity.

The center of your table is a blank canvas, and it’s surrounded by a captive audience for the whole event. Unlike other decorations that need to hang on walls or be wrapped around chairs, the centerpiece merely needs to be able to rest on a table. The potential for creativity and making a theme come alive here is enormous.

Almost any prop, object, or decoration can take center stage. Rocket ships, electric guitars, film reels, abstract sculptures, even sports paraphernalia can become your centerpiece. They can work as a talking point for the night and act as a wonderful backdrop to selfies or photographs of the event. There is room here for complete customization, and to make decorations that nobody else has done before.

What makes a one of a kind table centerpiece?

When we say that anything can be done with centerpieces – it really does mean almost anything, from a meticulously designed figurine to a breathtaking statement piece.

You aren’t confined by material choices either: you can use ice, glass, steel, water, feathers, wood, or plants to make your event centerpiece, or even make use of edible building materials. When you take the centerpiece as your starting point it can transform how you style an event. A centerpiece can add new textures to a space and make use of different heights or focal points without the need for a complex rig.

The true wow-factor comes when your design lights up. An event centerpiece can be built to include remote-controlled dynamic lighting that changes color throughout the event and basks your guests in glorious mood lighting.

Choosing high-impact decorations

A good event centerpiece can challenge how guests interact with a venue, and their perception of event decoration. Even a small sculpture or beautifully-crafted lamp can help build your chosen atmosphere and immerse guests in your theme.

For corporate event planners, centerpieces create unparalleled branding opportunities. New products can be suspended in ice or glass and placed right on the table. An organization's logos and colors can be woven directly into the event styling.

The centerpiece immerses guests in an engaging tablescape that highlights the event’s message or theme. Its impact can be increased when paired with light panels, props, furniture and other captivating decorations.

A well-designed centerpiece can also be installed quickly at most venues, and it provides a cost-effective lighting solution that can radically change the feel of a venue.

Designing your own event centerpiece

You know your guest’s personalities best: what will really delight and amuse them, or provide something that they’ve never come across before. By designing your own centerpiece and having it custom-made, you’ll have something completely unique and eye-catching.

When deciding on a centerpiece, begin by throwing out some wild suggestions and seeing where they take you. If you’re having a casino theme night, then you could have playing cards, a roulette table, a palm tree, and/or a giant martini glass as part of your design.

Working with a theme is a great way to generate ideas – take a look at some of these stylish event theme ideas to help you get started. Don’t get bogged down in what is or isn’t supposed to be at an event: almost any concept can be elevated to sophisticated new heights.

Next, ask what else your centerpiece could bring to your event. It could produce waves of light or shoot sparkles and smoke into the air. It could be covered with colorful, tactile feathers, or rise above guests to draw the eye upwards. It could hold nametags or souvenirs or present an impressive collection of drinks or snacks for your guests.

Think about how the centerpiece could be used to complement the tableware, to help tell a story with the themes or decorations, and what impression it will leave in photographs of the event. Once you have an array of table decor ideas, it’s time to bring your concept to life.

Creating the center of attention

If you’re looking for a simple touch that can make your event’s style stand out, then an event centerpiece is a strong candidate. You can add personality to every table and bring your guests into an entirely new world of your own devising.

Don’t settle for the decorations and centerpieces that everyone else has – create something that people will have never seen before and will remember for years to come.

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‍Table Art is a leading provider of compelling and innovative event centerpieces and has worked on major events for clients like the Ryder Cup, Manchester United, IBM, and more. Check out some previous Table Art designs for more event centerpiece ideas, and get in touch if you’d like to chat about impressing guests with a table centerpiece at your next event.