Centerpieces

I've been to two weddings where they place a paper under a chair at each table and whoever has the paper gets to take the centerpiece home.

I threw a baby shower for my best friend a few weeks ago and her family went around taking the centerpieces. I actually had to stop two at the door to get the vases back, so I'm slightly worried about this too.

I can't remember who told them, I think my mom went around to each table and let guests know they could take the flowers just not the vases, as the vases were rented and belonged to our florist. At the end of the night, all flowers were gone and all vases were accounted for.

It is common in our area for guests to take centerpieces home, or to donate them.

Good grief, now I'm rethinking using my collection of antique milk bottles as flower vases. I'd be pissed if someone walked off with them. I would never take something unless it was offered.

Thank you, @Jessica B.

@A. L. C. - I don't know why you'd mind, but we have our reasons why we don't want our CPs being taken.

Yeah! it's hard to believe people would just take them without being told to, but I guess you can't doubt the 'traditional' guests who assume they're welcome to them...

Thank you for posting! I was wondering the same, it's very common around here for people to take centerpieces.

I'm concerned about this as well!

Lol really? If I saw a guest do that at my wedding, I'd be like, 'what are you doing."

I had no idea this was a thing.. I planned on using old floral teacups/ tea pots and books as centerpieces and using them in my china cabinet afterwards but this makes me nervous

If you get a DOC they should be able to handle that. I was worried also, but I'm going to give that responsibility to her

This is blowing my mind that so many people are saying this is common! I don't care if people take mine it would actually be great if they did I've got nothing to do with 400 roses and a boatload of babies breath but I didn't actually know this was a thing.

Wow who knew?! Lol i never heard of this

Every wedding I've been to the centerpieces were taken and were expected to be taken. It's one of the reasons I'm planning on using fake pumpkins instead of real ones. They can use the decoration again at Halloween/Thanksgiving each year if they want to.

I'm planning my centerpieces around the idea that I want people to take them, so it's so interesting to me that some people are unfamiliar with this. (Enough Small succulents in separate pots/containers for everyone at each table to take one home)

Never heard of this... why would someone be so presumptuous!? I suppose if it is a concern I would just let everyone know that they are to be left alone. Seems so strange...

We had large candelabras with rose balls and someone came up and told me how great it would look on their dinning room table.......I had the staff clear them off the tables(very late in evening).

This is so a thing where I am from. I had thought that it not being a simple flower arrangement would mean people would get the hint.....but nope.

Hmmm I think I'll make some for them to take. Less clean up for us lol

Kati - some people rent their decor so they absolutely can not be taken

I have been to weddings where people will take the centerpieces, but usually they are floral arrangements and they were told to do so. Or given permission. A wedding that I went to last year rented the vases from her florist and had actually made arrangements to donate all of the flowers to a rest home in the area. They put a note in the program of the donation so that people would not take the flowers.