Today's brides say good-bye to extravagant centerpieces, hello to creativity

There was once a time when a wedding centerpiece could be mistaken for nothing else. Marked by towering roses and a cornucopia of flowers cascading from its sides, the wedding centerpiece of a booming economy was unmistakable in its indulgent glory. But, it was also unremarkable in many ways. Though it may have picked up the gentle pinks or crisp yellows of the wedding party, it did not, very often, have much to say about the bride and groom themselves.

With wedding budgets feeling the pinch, a strange thing has happened. The traditional centerpiece has all but vanished—and taken with it the factory feeling of flowers of yore. What's popped up in its place, says Rachel Ramos, an assistant planner at Events by September's Bride in Holland, Michigan, is a more demure, delicate and decidedly personal centerpiece.

"A lot of brides right now are bringing a lot of personal touches to centerpieces—an eclectic approach," she says. "Like an assortment of glass vases—so no two tables look alike."

Ramos notes a recent wedding where the couple took pictures of their dog in customized looks and arranged them in the middle of the tables.

Tia Vaupel, an event coordinator at Chic Events in Crown Point, has noticed much of the same with her brides.

"I've been seeing a lot of brides do more of a do-it-yourself centerpiece," she says. "I think they do it to be a little more cost-efficient. That's a way for them to get creative and save money at the same time."

While trinkets and baubles have made their way to the table—flowers haven't totally disappeared. But no longer are they pruned and primped into an unnatural state of being. More and more brides are choosing to let simple flowers speak for themselves, says Tracy Park, the designer for Park Place Design.

"I personally have seen a lot of centerpieces that have gone from big and extravagant to simplified," she says, noting many brides are using Mason jars as vases. "It's the whole reduce, reuse, recycle thing. Brides like to have a big part in doing some of the things themselves. With the economy the way it is, those big extravagant centerpieces aren't in people's budgets."

Park, who has seen a dramatic rise in the amount of barn weddings recently, says brides are going for a rustic, chic bohemian look. Many brides are choosing flowers that come directly from the field or flora that resemble branches.

"Keep in mind that there are a lot of unique things you can do to express yourself. It doesn't need to be something every other bride does," Ramos says. "It's your wedding. You come through in the way you decorate."