Photo Frame Centerpiece

[Ms. Scribbles]

Good morning

First time posting. We just decided on our centerpiece arrangements after much hassle and twinkie induced hysteria -chuckles- Flowers froma florist were too expensive as I'm sure we all know and we wanted to steer away from the standard floating candle/floating flower centerpieces. In a wedding magazine we found centerpieces made from many different kinds of bottles of various shapes and sizes clustered together with one flower in each. I liked that idea but combined it with another I have read about-using photo frames.

What we're going to do is cluster several frames together on each round table with photographs of ourselves through the years. (we are having about ten tables and the pics wll vary from childhood to now of us during our entire courtship) The frames are glass or metal and none fo them really match but they all "go." In the middle of the frame cluster will be a single bud vase with two or three flowers in them and baby's breath. The flowers will most likely be gerber dasies but we aren't sure yet.

The wedding is on July 29 on a sunday morning so we should have great light BUT in the event it rains (The place is called thebrownstone in NJ and the room looks like a greenhouse-all glass and white ) and the room isn't quite so bright, I am also purchasing small mirrors to put beneath each vase. Tea lights would rest on the glass to bounce off of all of the glass and metal for some added glow.

Have to be prepped fro the elements!

All of the frames, the mirrors, tea lights and bud vases were purchased at the dollar store. We still have a few more frames to buy and we haven't quite decided on the number per table yet. But we have time.

Take care.

[kevinsbride2B]

That soudns liek a really cool idea. I lvoe havign different stuff. My centre piece idea started from watching Martha Stewert and now I've got it all in my head, it's coming out little by little though.

[BriansBride07]

Sounds like that would look like a gorgous centerpiece. you should make a makeshift one up and let us see it. Congrats on your upcoming wedding and welcome to the boards.

[Ms. Scribbles]

Thanks for th welcome. I will probably make a mock up in a few weeks. I am still gathering frames. Seeing which work, which to return, etc. I had to end up buying some at wholesale places so they wree more expensive than I wnated them to be, but with flowers they will still be under 25 dollars per setting and the frames double as favors so we are still well under budget.

The tables wont all have the same frames so once I make up the mockups Ill make an update. take care all!

[Ms. Scribbles]

OK. So I made a few mockups. They will look a little different when they are finalized because I just threw in some crappy silk lillies we had in my mother-in-laws place to get the idea of what it would like like with flowers in the vase. I will be using bright red, fushia and orange gerbers in the arrangements and scatter rose petals in between the frames on the table. The photos will be of Pete and I together during our relationship in "our" places and of us as kids. Mostly black and white but some color photos for "pop."

All the tables will differ. Some will have the same but there are about 5 posible arrangements. We may change them a bit as we get closer but this gives you an idea. The tablecloths will be white with bright red runners.

Arrangement#1-side view (these are all pewter frames. 2 of the same large ones on either side and 2 each of the smaller frames on all sides.)
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement1-anotherview.jpg

Arrangement #1-front view

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement1-frontview.jpg

Arrangement#2-front view (these are two toned silver plated and curved glass with small shiny silver frames that were originally place card holders but which we will use as frames-love that dollar store!)

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement2-frontview.jpg

Arrangement#2-sideview

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement2-sideview.jpg

I will eb adding more after dinner. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

[Ms. Scribbles]

Arrangement #3-front view

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement3-frontview.jpg

Arrangement#3-side view

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement3-sideview.jpg

Arrangement#4- front view

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement4-frontview.jpg

Arrangement#4-side view-I don't love this arrangement but we need to incoporate those small frames so we're tying to find ways.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement4-sideview.jpg

[Ms. Scribbles]

Arrangement#5-front view

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement5-frontview.jpg

Arrangement#5- side view

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement5-sideview.jpg

Arrangement#5-side view 2

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement5-sideview2.jpg

[BriansBride07]

I love that idea. How great does that look. I also love the idea of each table being a little different with diff. frames.

[Ms. Scribbles]

Thanks BB07. Was afraid no one saw the string update! Which arrangement did you think worked the best? Pete thinks we should mix them up more and make them more ecclectic-not so symmetrical. Do you or does anyone else have any ideas? I mean all the frames we will use are shown in the various pictures, so if anyone has other suggestions as how to arrange them, we would love the feedback.

I tend to go for symmetrical BUT Pete brought up a good point today (as he so often does :) ) which is that we don't necessarily want them to look so perfect that they become "unapproachable." We want our guests to pick them up and examine them more closely if they want to, not to feel that they are so perfect they cannot touch.

So ideas, suggestions, loves/hates...all is welcome!! PLEASE!

[Jacklynn]

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement1-anotherview.jpg




I adore this one!
I love the idea completely! I really like it in fact....... I may have to incorporate it a little into mine? if you dont mind.

[Ms. Scribbles]

Not at all. Thats why we are all here isn't it? To share ideas. I got most of the frames in this one from a place called AMAZING SAVINGS. The little ones were about a buck a piece and the larger ones were 2.99 I think. With flowers and the runners they will be under 25.00 bucks so I think we did pretty good.

[Jacklynn]

Amazing! I am for sure going to start looking for cheap photo frames... I have to have close to 25 tables haha so at four a table I have to get 100 frames! haha So I need them to only be 1.00 a piece, hopefully I can get some of the smaller ones from like dollar stores for 2/1.00

[Ms. Scribbles]

The curved glass ones in the second arrangement were 1.00. You just have to hit the dollar stores in nice parts of your area because they will usually carry nicer things and not be so ransacked. Also, what you can do is ask the assistant manager or manager and ask them if when new shipments of frames come in, if they can call you. Let them know you would buy ALOT of them-give an estimate even higher than you might actually purchase -like 150 dollars worth and they will prob be willing to do it.

Also, it depends what kind of frames you want. If you want to use metal and glass... Its not really pratical to believe you will find a lot at 1.00 apiece becase they normally run like 10.00 min at regular retail. Thats why we had to be willing to pay a bit more because we ran everywhere. However, if you are willing to go with wooden frames; wood, black wood, white wood, silver painted wood, etc, THOSE they always have many of. The only reason we didn't use woden frames is because our venue is this place below...all glass so we wanted an airier look.

www.thebrownstone.com (http://www.thebrownstone.com)

BTW I dont know where you live but in NY and NJ we have :

DollarTree (thats where I bought the curved glass frames and the bud vases)
Dollar Den
Amazing Savings
WholesaleLiquidators

[Jacklynn]

yeah we have Dollar Tree, Everythings a Dollar, Buck Stop and a few other places like Dollar General and Family Dollar

[BriansBride07]

OK. So I made a few mockups. They will look a little different when they are finalized because I just threw in some crappy silk lillies we had in my mother-in-laws place to get the idea of what it would like like with flowers in the vase. I will be using bright red, fushia and orange gerbers in the arrangements and scatter rose petals in between the frames on the table. The photos will be of Pete and I together during our relationship in "our" places and of us as kids. Mostly black and white but some color photos for "pop."

All the tables will differ. Some will have the same but there are about 5 posible arrangements. We may change them a bit as we get closer but this gives you an idea. The tablecloths will be white with bright red runners.

Arrangement#1-side view (these are all pewter frames. 2 of the same large ones on either side and 2 each of the smaller frames on all sides.)
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement1-anotherview.jpg

Arrangement #1-front view



Arrangement#2-front view (these are two toned silver plated and curved glass with small shiny silver frames that were originally place card holders but which we will use as frames-love that dollar store!)

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement2-frontview.jpg

Arrangement#2-sideview



I will eb adding more after dinner. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

Your welcome! These are my favorites out of the first ones you posted. I would have to agree with your FH about mixing them up a bit. Escpecially if your going to be giving them away after words as favors.

[BriansBride07]

Arrangement #3-front view



Arrangement#3-side view

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement3-sideview.jpg

Arrangement#4- front view

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement4-frontview.jpg

Arrangement#4-side view-I don't love this arrangement but we need to incoporate those small frames so we're tying to find ways.

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o18/WeWillSayIDo/centerpiecearrangement4-sideview.jpg

I also love these to oh god so hard to chose. another idea might be to just put a few small ones on some tables or just a couple on each table.

[Ms. Scribbles]

Yea we scrapped the arrangements mostly because my FH took over and being a boy he prefers no rhyme or reason. What we decided to do (as I closed my eyes) is to take the frames we only have a few of because they are more expensive and put those with some of the ones we have plenty of and have those on the tables of our family and close friends. The other 6 or so tables will also have an array of frames but not the three most expensive ones. Sad but true, they get the cheaper ones because those are the people we A.) have never met because they are friends of our parents or relatives 3 times removed or B.) CHEAP!!!! And we KNOW we won't get a present at all BUT they WILL chow down with gusto.

[BriansBride07]

LMAO that's a good way to think about it.

[Ms. Scribbles]

-grins- we feel ashamed....really we do.

:hi: