Centerpieces Ettiquette

I'd be slightly salty if someone took mine. Is there anyway to prevent it entirely?

Chain it to the table!

I'm sure some do, but unless the bride and groom tell them to then I don't think they should. A lot of time the vases are just rented. We haven't decided 100% yet but if we have flowers as our centerpieces are going to to donate them to a retirement home after. We are doing the same thing with our bouquets.

We offered them to whoever wanted them. They were all made from fresh flowers, so they would just go in the trash if people didn't want them.

I will probably not let my guests take them home unless they as specifically and have a good reason. I am doing a bit esentric style where every table is different. I have lots of different vases that don't match. Make every table different inside of my color theme.

I hope not because they are rented. Now I will be busey making sure no center pieces go out the door lol

It's done a lot in my circle, but only with the bride's permission. Usually she will make an announcement that they are up for grabs. Mine were not taken until after brunch the next day when we reused them, after that I gave them away. My florist included vases in the price of centerpieces.

I definitely did not know this was a thing. Hopefully no one has this idea at my wedding as the centerpieces will be on loan from the venue.

I've never heard of this!!! I hope they don't take mine!

My grandmother also says that people do this but I think it's a generational thing

The last few weddings I went to, I was encouraged to take the centerpieces. In one of them, I was the one running around with bouquets at the end and asking people to take them (not the vases though), since we didn't want them to go to waste (not our wedding, we didn't have traditional centerpieces). I would never dream of taking something without being told to take it, but that's how I was raised.

We're doing wine bottles with paper flowers. If folks want them so I don't have to load them up and take them back home, they can have 'em.

I've only seen centerpieces taken when they were fresh flowers, and were deliberately put on the favor table by the exit for guests to take.

If they are cut flowers, they'll be dead by the time you get home from your honeymoon. So, guests might as well take them -- but not the containers if the containers are rented.

You can have your DJ make an announcement (take them or don't take them).

I never knew this was a thing either until DH warned me that we were going to have to keep an eye on his family because they like to take them. It's bizarre to me, but whatever. The florals in our centerpieces were arranged in some type of disposable dish and just set atop of the vases or candle pillars so anyone was welcome to grab the flowers and leave the base. One person in particular from DH's side was going around grabbing a bunch, it was so strange...like why do you need all of those?? Take one I guess, but I mean she was taking anything she could get, lol! On her way by, I swear she looked at my bouquet on our sweetheart table (it was in a vase in water and was being sent off to be preserved the next day) then looked at her hands to figure out if she could carry it and went to grab it!!! THANK GOODNESS I saw her and made DH go tell her to keep it movin' lady. I mean, honestly...who thinks they can just take the bride's bouquet???? I was standing right there!!! Anyway, I later heard that most of the bigger arrangements were placed in the back of my mom's vehicle by the venue when they were helping load-out. Her house and porch were covered in flowers for several days, lol!

I have never heard of this. As a guest, I can't imagine just taking a centerpiece home unless someone specifically told me to.

Every wedding I've been to (although not many) the guests took the centerpieces. They took all of mine too, I didn't even get to keep one for myself! It's ok though because FH made ours so it's sweet to see them displayed at friends and families houses. This is why I didn't want to rent anything though, because I didn't want to have to be tackling people at the door to get the florists vase back.

I have only seen people take centerpieces when a announcement is made that they should / are allowed to.

Some do. Ours are not for taking, however.

My family doesn't typically... its common on his side apparently but I'll but a disclaimer if it comes down to it. Centerpieces aren't cheap and they're not favors.