FMIL says guests will take my centerpieces home with them!!!

Like Tram n. said even though it is tacky, I have been to a lot of weddings in my area and guests have taken a lot of things from the reception. FMIL said that their side of the family will just assume that they are for the taking and that they have had problems in the past at his brothers wedding. I wont be having a grand exit, so that probably wont work. I do like the idea of putting it underneath. Good idea Katy. Thank you Mrs. Carmen I love that wording better! And also Mrs. Schmidt I like how you worded that! Makes it less tacky! I will write that down for my Dj. Thank you ladies for your help! I know it is tacky, but I gotta do something or else my lanterns will be gone and I dont want to be worrying about it all night long.

I do not think its tacky!!!!!! this is your wedding and if you do not want people to take your center pieces make your signs im going to do the same

Every wedding Ive been to everyone takes the centerpieces some ask some don't its usually a given in hispanic cultures it would be odd if the centerpieces we'rent for the taking. I agree the note seems a bit not tacky but mean . Maybe just write Please leave centerpieces on table thankyou Mr and Mrs no exclamation point.

Thank you Krystal I am glad Im not the only one doing this. Nan-sayy your right no exlamation point would be better. Thank you.

I dont think i have ever been to a wedding that people have not taken decorations. thats why im not doing anything fancy. i got butterfly candles at an auction for really cheap that way if they take them OH WELL! i would put a note under each one that way it is not in plain sight for people to look at all night.

At most weddings the guests usually do take the centerpiece, unless the DJ accounces that they were rented. I don't think leaving a little note on the table is tacky but I would word it differently. Maybe like this.....

We Thank all of you for sharing in our special day but unforuntally the centerpieces must stay.

Mr&Mrs Smith

Maybe something cleaver like that.. : )

I really like the wording that Rachael S. came up with! That's cute and its a nice simple saying!

In nearly every wedding I have done- I have seen people walk off with the centerpieces. Sad but true. I did see something good though- I saw them give a list to the dj of the people who "won" them. So he listed off who the centerpiece went to. I would put the sign on the bottom but also have your MC or DJ announce "Thank you _____ for the beautiful centerpieces, I'd like to ask all the guests to leave them at the table they are a lovely gift for the bride and groom to take home tonight".

Thanks Heather! : )

I've only seen people take the centrepieces in the event of a contest or something.....(ie. birthday closest to the wedding, etc.)

I can't wrap my mind around this.....without a contest, how would you decide who at the table gets to take it home?????

Wow! Not a single person took any of ours. A few got broken, but the rest all ended up packed up for us to take them home. And this was with no signs and no announcements.

Will there be someone at the door during your event? Could that person be put in charge of gently reminding any guest who started to walk out with one?

The signs, lovely as they are, would strike me as a bit tacky. The suggestion is that your guests would steal centerpieces if given a chance. Even if it is true that some might, it would be insulting to those guests who would never think of doing so.

Thank you Rachel S. that is a nice idea! And Thank you InlandEmpirePhotos I like that wording also. I have written them all down and I will let FMIL and FS help me decide!

2d Bride there will be nobody at the door unless if I hire somebody to do so, which I wasnt really wanting to do. I agree with you about insulting the ones who wouldnt ever think to do so that is why I think I am going to put it underneath the lantern that way if they go to remove it they will then see the sign.

Julybride16 - I guess it is like a first come first serve and they claim it and leave it there until they go to leave and just take it with them. Or if there is more than one person at a table that wants one, they will take off another table who wouldnt think to take them after those people have left. I have never taken anybodys centerpieces so I do not really for know certian how they decide. I know its rediculous because I would never do this either, but some people just dont care I guess.

When I was a kid, our family used to put a piece of tape under the chair and whoever sat at the chair got the centerpiece. It also taught me to check out the chairs before I sat down, lol.

Well, I have been to weddings where people do take centerpieces, bottles of champagne and everything they can.. haha that's why I am not having any!!

Yea, it happens....people were scheming on how they could take mine before I told them they could....I agree with @Carmen's suggestion....

I have heard of this before but I don't get it. Why do people even want to take these home? What do they do with them? I guess I could see it if it were live flowers in a vase.

I like the idea of putting a note underneath. The only people who may get offended are those that are trying to steal them so who cares.

I dont know why they want to take them home Dana. I would never ask to take something from somebodys wedding. Especially if I already got a plate of food and a favor, which I am doing a personalized Koozie with candy in it. I agree I could see if they were live flowes and I think it kinda carried over from the live flowers if you know what I mean....A lot of women will take them and use them to decorate their home. And mine could be used for amost anything...decoration in the house, hangin outside on your porch, etc. plus they are expensive and look can pretty much go with any kind of decor look in somebody's house, so that is why I think I will have an even bigger problem with this.

I was at a wedding last weekend. The bride had to send out an email and her mother made phone calls to get the centerpieces returned. They were rented and the bride owed $60 for each of the 8 that were taken. They were all found and returned. But how embarrassing to have to track them down. It was that or pay $600. I would put it in writing and have the DJ make an announcement. I would rather be called tacky than loose $600 or more. That wedding had 18 tables so it could have been a lot worse.

Can you imagine decorating your house with a bunch of random centerpieces from weddings? WTF is with people?

Those do look nice though and I could see how they would blend in in most homes.