600 Guest Wedding to decorate

@stpaulgal That is my reality. Like I said this is completely normal where I come from. We will have a receiving line and a lot of the people will be coming in whole families. When I do greet them I don't have to spend 5 minutes with each individual person. I will spend a little time with their family and move on to the next. It may seem like you wouldn't be able to but you can and still have time to dance and have fun. Typical receptions where I am from last 6 to 7 hours. Yes weddings are to celebrate the bride and groom but they are also to bring everyone together so they can spend time with each other as well.

I specifically logged in to tell you that Dollar Tree has a shockingly amazing décor section. You have to buy in bulk, which you'll need anyway and deliver it to the store (I googled, there are three Dollar Trees in Pueblo), but the quality is pretty great. And, hence the name, everything is a dollar. I got a couple dozen tall glass vases for $1 each with corresponding bunches of fall-themed silk flowers from Dollar Tree for my rehearsal dinner. They turned out great. Check it out and browse different sections too (there is a whole floral section):

https://www.dollartree.com/Event-Planning-Supplies-Wholesale-Wedding-Decor-at-DollarTree-com/960/index.cat

Candles will make a beautiful centerpieces but with that many table I would too hire someone to handle such a time consuming task.

I'm also from a culture where 500 - 800 person weddings are the norm. Just because it's not common doesn't mean it's going to be a disaster or poor hosting. Where I come from, the couple does a receiving line after dinner - it takes forever, but it's doable. People that don't want to say hi to the couple don't. It would stress me out to the max to be planning something like this, so I wish you all the best!

Re: centerpieces. I agree with the suggestion of simple bud vases with a couple of different flowers. I'm doing very simple, small centerpieces for $35 each, and I'm in a big, expensive North East city. I definitely recommend a florist, or maybe a DOC (or team of DOCs). Whatever you do, get a DOC. Maybe the florist will cut you a deal if you provide the flowers?

I didn't say you would spend 5 minutes with each one. It would take you FIFTY HOURS to spend 5 minutes per guest. I said 30 seconds. If I got dressed up, bought someone a gift, went to their wedding, and they spent 30 seconds or less with me our relationship would be over because it would be clear that I was just a number to them.

Despite the people busy slapping their faces, it can be done. There are lots of ideas for inexpensive, yet still attractive centerpieces. You don't have to pay a florist to have pretty tables.

Use that enormous family to help you collect small bottles for the wedding. There are all sorts of bottles that make great vases; frappucino bottles from Costco, milk of magnesia bottles if you like blue, ditto with several brands of wine, Saratoga Springs bottled water, ask several bars to save empty half bottles of wine.

Add single flowers or a flower and some baby's breath to each and you are done. Do a tablescape down the length of the table and add some votives. Quick Candles, Candles4Less and Yummi Candles, along with Ikea and the dollar store are all great sources.

You can hire a couple of high school or college kids to set up the centerpieces. They really can't go wrong if you give them pictures to copy and use single flowers only. You can even box up all the bottles and vases for each table in a shoe box.

600!?!?!?!

I barley have 6 friends.

For cheap decor...my friend had a neighbor who was chopping down thier Cedar tree. She asked him for the wood. Her and her FH cut the tree into thin 2" plates and stacked it in various ways. They then placed dollar store candles around it, and one or two white roses along with old antique blue glassware (that she got from the thrift store). It was very simple but quite beautiful.

Well where I come from from people would be way more offended if they werent invited than if I didn't spend more than 30 seconds with them. Plus a lot of the people we are inviting are friends with our parents or grandparents. They will most definitely want to say congratulations and receive a thank you but I know they won't be offended we didn't spend more than 30 seconds with them. Like I said people come to celebrate the bride and groom but they more than enjoy spending time with each other as well.

Well where I come from from people would be way more offended if they werent invited than if I didn't spend more than 30 seconds with them. Plus a lot of the people we are inviting are friends with our parents or grandparents. They will most definitely want to say congratulations and receive a thank you but I know they won't be offended we didn't spend more than 30 seconds with them. Like I said people come to celebrate the bride and groom but they more than enjoy spending time with each other as well.

Kristin, I was going to say nearly the same thing, especially regarding the proper hosting/judgement.

OP, I agree with hiring someone. You're going to want, and need, all that time to be with your guests. By the time you set everything up yourself, it'll be time to take it down again. You'll be glad you brought someone in to do it for you, believe me!

I would say long pretty runners. And a few flower arrangements. Nothing big. And tall candle holders. Or a candle holder that holds more then one candle and small flower arrangements on each side.

It's a lot of people and to keep that kind of budget you will have to be thrifty. I'm already at $30,000 on 175 people and I think I'm getting a good deal. Best of luck getting it all planned out .

Honestly this doesn’t surprise me. This is how Italians roll. And please believe it will be a well hosted affair. I would definitely seek the help from a professional. It’s crazy doing centerpieces for 10 tables much less 75.

I would do cheap vases and some floating candles or lights. something cheap. agree the centerpieces arent going to make or break.

If this family is as old-school as you say they are, no rustic, dollar store, cheap mirror centerpiece is going to cut it. A 6" cube or fishbowl vase packed with flowers will probably run you $40. Add a 45 napkin under it (not a mirror, so dated) and some candles around it.

If your parents and in laws are paying for everything, save up a couple of thousands of dollars and get nice centerpieces.

Fuck that. Pay somebody to make and set up the centerpieces. It'll be costly but the stress and time you'll be saving yourself will be worth it. The thought of making 75 centerpieces myself makes my head hurt.

And I know I'm not invited but you can count me in for your wedding. I want to party with 600 Italians. That sounds like a fucking good time!

Wow that's a lot of tables. Do you have the budget for centerpieces? If so, I would hire a florist to do it. Just have them make simple centerpieces. Idk if I want to decorate all that myself lol.

Sounds like your Wedding is going to be fun though.

I feel like the budget friendly boat sailed away at your 400th guest

I seen different kind centerpiece decorated on wedding before and it look nice. Good luck

I'm having 150 and I thought that was insane