Centerpiece help please!!!!

Instead of using styrofoam why don't you somehow put a weight on the orchid string that way the glass beads will hide it

You could use hot glue on the bottom of the orchids so they are really stuck to the bottom of the vase.

I tried the hot glue and it does not stick ones the water is in the mix... I am doing something that sounds a lot like what you are doing and I just shoved the orchid into the rocks and then was very careful when I added the water it just took using a few more of the rocks but the weight idea sound genious!

Use clear water pearls, then you wouldn't have any problem at all - just don't put the water pearls all the way to the top.

You could even use some in the colors of your wedding if you wanted to add some color to the bottom of the vase, play around with the different colors ahead of time to see what you like. I would stay from the styrofoam - it might have tendency to break apart in the water. The water pearls should hold orchids right where you want them, that's what they were designed for.

Thanks for all the ideas! I hadn't heard of the water pearls, so I'll have to check those out. Originally we were just sticking the orchids right into the beads/crystals. This worked and they were weighted down with the crystals which was perfected. The only thing is we are trying to figure out how to make the setup process easier the morning of. Using the styrofoam would make it so that the flowers were already situated and all we'd have to do is drop the styrofoam with the orchids into the vase and then fill the bottom with the crystals and beads to cover the styrofoam. I'm definitely going to try the water pearls too, and see how that works! Thanks everyone!

Styrofoam floats and it is full of air so you will have a really hard time making it sink in water, more so than now. With the water pearls, you can see them very well in pictures so I wouldn't use those either. I think you should just stick to how you are currently doing it and the morning of, gather your girls to help you set them up. The more hands you have, the faster set up will go. Adding anything more might over complicate it.

My mother, MOH and myself set up 11 centerpieces in about 30 min and ours were more complicated than yours.

The water pearls totally disappear when you pour the water into the vase, so I'm not sure what Mrs. Clark is talking about when she can see them very well, yes you can see IF you don't pour any water - but the whole point of using them is for them to disappear when you pour into the vase and to cover them, unless you are using colored ones. That's why I said to use the clear ones as those will disappear. Usually you can make these up a couple of days ahead of time, that way you wouldn't have to take any time the day of the wedding.

Maybe the ones I tried weren't the best then, but when I tried them and took pictures (with it full of water and after letting them soak to absorb it) I still saw them, especially around the flowers.

I still stand by that I don't think you need them. (or the added expense) Just get a few extra hands to help you and it won't take very much time at all.

Use those fishing sinker thingy ... tie it at the end of the orchid stem. Position it in the vase, then add your bead or whatever else you have. Then add water.

You can do most of this ahead of time and only add enough water to keep the orchid fresh. Once ready for set up, fill the rest of your water.

Hope this help!

Here I just took a pic of the clear water pearls in a jar that we have. There is nothing that we have in the jar at the moment, we just keep the water pearls hydrated so that we can re-use them. But as you can see once water is in there you cannot see the pearls, where there is no water you can definitely see them - as the pic shows.

Orchids have a tendency to be a very hearty flower if they are treated right. So you should be very capable of putting them into your vase of water 1-2 days before your wedding - definitely the day before. But you can try this with one and play around with the water pearls and see what happens - see how long the orchid flowers will last in the water. If you play around with 1 - then you can know how far in advance of your wedding that you will be able to make these up so you won't have to be doing them on the day of your wedding. So all you will have to concentrate on will be getting yourself ready.

I was also going to suggest tying fishing line to the orchid and then put a sinker on the line to hold down the orchid, then all you have to do is add what you need that morning.

@Kimm P. - where did you buy the water pearls? Can I get them at a craft store like Michael's?

@Tram N & Michella - thanks for the fishing line/sinker idea. I saw that one online yesterday too when I was doing some research but haven't tried it out yet.

Thanks for all the advice ladies