Centerpieces

I’ve been trying to brainstorm elegant (and inexpensive) centerpieces that I can make myself for a conference dinner that I am organizing. Flowers are lovely – and on the “brainstorm” list – but not very memorable. The space is very modern, so I’d love to see centerpieces that fit the space a little better.

Here are my thoughts to date:

Bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries at Strawberry Dreams

1. Edible centerpieces. This is my favorite idea. In particular, I’ve been thinking about using a cake as a centerpiece, with chocolate fondant. My second idea was to present a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. I found this great example that was much prettier than my initial idea at Strawberry Dreams.

2. Flowers. We could go with an always elegant single stem in a square vase, or a small bunch in a more interesting vase (short square or aluminum). The problem with the latter is that you would need quite a few flowers to make it look really great, and I find that tulips fit this look best. Tulips are no longer in season.

3. Candles. Long black and white square candleholders would fit the space nicely.

4. Wheatgrass. I love this idea, but don’t have the time to pull it off.

5. Sand and driftwood. So beautiful, and so wedding-y. It does fit our island location, but I’m not sure if it’s really an idea to pitch.

The space itself is quite new, so it seems a shame to cover it all up with decorations. Part of the purpose for the dinner is to show off the building. In this case, I think the centerpieces are a great way to make an impression. I can almost hear our guests saying in the future “remember that dinner? The one with the strawberry centerpieces?”