Giving Away Table Decor from Reception

A raffle at a wedding seems odd to me personally. She could always just put a place card on the tables that says "Love our decor? Please feel free to take any part of our centerpiece home with you as a keepsake!" or something like that

I agree with Amber Leaving a little note on the table is a perfect and subtle way. maybe even have the DJ announce it. - but that might cause a free for all lol

I would have the DJ (or whoever is making announcements for the event) let the guests know that they can take the centerpieces home.

I would recommend having the DJ announce it towards the end of the night!

I haven’t seen this done since the 90’s! But in a wedding I went to then the DJ announced a fun game in between dancing. He asked one guest per table to pull out $1. He announced the centerpiece as the prize. He had guests pass the dollar 2 people to the left, then 5 to the right (or something like that). “congratulations, you’ve won a $1! The person who graciously donated the dollar wins the centerpiece!” Everyone laughed/clapped and the DJ started playing the next song!

Maybe he did this right after guests ate cake because otherwise guests might be away from their table dancing, chatting or leaving early.

Announcing it would probably cause a ruckus. What about putting a sticker on the bottom of the chairs saying what a guest won?

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To Pirate and 60s Bride:

Sounds fun and is definitely interactive.

View Quoted Comment It was! The DJ made it really quick which also helped.

I went to a wedding once where each reception table had one chair marked on the underside with a sticker. The lucky guest in that chair was able to take home the centerpiece.

Personally, I don't like any of the the "it's a prize" options.... That sounds like a work or charity event to me. Daughter and I just made a list of family member and close friend guests who lived locally (so no one who would be boarding an airplane the next morning), and I sent them an email a couple days before the wedding and invited them to take one of the 13 fresh floral centerpieces home at the end of the night. (Three of the BMs live out-of-state, but we knew they'd be staying with their folks, who are local, for the wedding, so we asked the three of them to take one home for their mom, as well [the mom's weren't invited, but daughter knew them all growing up].) That worked out well. At the end of the night, we still had a couple left over, but we gave them to neighbors, etc. the next morning. With a guest list of 50, I'd think it would be pretty easy to identify 5-6 "special guests" (e.g., grandmas, aunts, etc.) and give them a head's up ahead of time to take a centerpiece at the end of the night.

Some people will not want a center piece to take home. I like the note idea from Amber.

Have the DJ announce it , use Amber's idea of leaving a note on the table, or have the day of coordinator walk by each table during dinner and let people know they can take the centerpieces home. I was at a wedding where this was done. But please don't play a game. That is tacky. But also don't be surprised when people don't take most of it.

Usually whoever wants it at a wedding just ends up taking it anyway

I have been to weddings were people were told they can take the flowers home and people grabbed at them. I watched a lady walk over to a table that she was not even sitting at and take the flowers away before anyone sitting there even had a chance. People feel better when the Dj or you set it up for a true winner.

Pirate and 60's Bride's version of a centerpiece give away was always one of my favorite ways. Very interactive and gets people laughing. Then if that person can't keep it they can give it to someone else at the table.

Or if you like a really like a raffle, each person at each table puts a ticket with their name in a bowl and when the DJ or yourself call it someone (oldest/youngest) pulls the ticket out and that is the winner of that centerpiece.

Interactive games at a weddings are great icebreakers. Have fun

I hate games at weddings. Maybe announce that the couple married the longest at a table can have the centerpiece, or make a list of who gets them (family members, etc).