Do guests really take the Centerpieces? & Is it tacky if...

I think that's crazy. I really do. I have no idea why someone would need centerpieces that badly. If people want my painted tin cans with fake flowers in them...go ahead and take them. I won't need them after anyway. That's why I wouldn't spend that much on centerpieces.

I plan on giving mine away but I planned on them not being there at the end of the night... because I honestly don't want them... LOL except for one, which will be on our head table...

I've NEVER seen/heard of this before WW. I'd say maybe it's geographical as well... I cannot even imagine!

I have heard of this, but only with disposable things like flowers or fish. I think the rule of thumb should be dont take something unless you're asked to.

I have been to plenty of functions including weddings where the center pieces were taken. I kind of hope mine are taken as I won't need them I just hope they leave one for me.

The only one I remember was when I was a kid. My mom ended up with a centerpiece from her best friends wedding( she was MOH. I have no idea if she just offered them to a few people or what. I think people who asume they are up for grabs are just rude. I was thinking of some people taking them because wtf am I gonna do with them after. Any I may have left over I may keep one and sell the rest.

I've been to a wedding where the bride and groom asked people to take the centerpieces home so they didn't have to deal with them at the end of the night. They were tall vases with colored jewels and two live bamboo shoots. I love plants so I took one and still have it. I've been to other weddings though where it was a no-no and they had the DJ make an announcement that the centerpieces belonged to the venue and to please not take them.

If you're fairly confident that the centerpieces are considered "favors" then you need to plan for that. You should probably find something you wouldn't mind losing. If worse comes to worst, after dinner have a couple people take the flowers out of the vase, and put them in a "to go" vase so that your guests can take that home but you keep the vase. As a third option, there's always the security guard at the door.

It used to be more common around here, but I haven't seen it in several years, and with the trend toward the more ornate, tall centerpiece with the large arrangement, or the big vase with manzanita branches, etc., people don't take them any longer.

In some areas of the country, this is a popular thing to do. At one one wedding we went, there were menu cards at each place setting. The DJ announced for everyone to look for a roebud on the back side. One lucky person at each table got a rosebud and then the right to take that table's centerpiece home. I don't think people take them to be intenionally rude but expect to based on their expereriences at other weddings. If you want to make sure no one take them, have the DJ make a gentle announcement and/or have the venue staff remove the centerpieces when people are dancing after coffee is served. BTW, we see this much less often than we did twenty years ago.

Wow this blows my mind!!! I have big plans to keep some of my lantern centerpieces after the wedding and resell the rest of them. I can't imagine if people just took them home! I didn't even know people did this. I will definitely have to tell my girls to be on the lookout for stow-away lanterns. That's just crazy.

@MJ Luckily the other bride is going to be there so she can chase them down in the parking lot otherwise her decorations are going to be walking off before she can use them lol

My venue asked if I wanted to give mine away, and I said no. About 5-10 min before we got off the boat the staff collected them.

The theft of CP's I've never heard of... I've heard of giving them away. At my sister's wedding, she did who's ever birthday was closest to their wedding date. Our CP's are water and shells. If someone wants to steal those, something is wrong with them.

Ugh! This is my dilemma too. I bought 15 lanterns from Ikea, and I am sooo worried someone will take them.

My FI suggested glueing them to the table. LOL

This is a super common thing from my Italian heritage. Every event that I've ever been to there was some sort of game or something associated with taking the centerpiece home. Any time my SIL and I were sat at the same table she would always say "the centerpiece is mine tonight" with a devilish stare, LOL. I haven't decided if I want to give mine away yet or not.

If you are concerned with people taking the centerpieces I would have the DJ make a polite announcement that the centerpieces are the venues' and can't be taken or that they are rented and are not to be taken home, something to that effect.

I hope no one takes ours, they are large brandy snifters and will be full of water...hopefully that will make it inconvenient.

It's normal in my area, also I have seen where on the CP they are directed towards someone. I've also been to a wedding where the DJ played a game with everyone and who ended up having the "piece" at the end of the game wins the center piece.

I hope people take mine in fact I am begging and praying, we are staying in a hotel and I really don't want to haul back 20 + pumpkins I think I might do a give away it's one less thing I will have to worry about.

Last wedding I went to, people took just the flowers out of the vases and took them home. I'm not talking maybe taking one flower, but a whole centerpiece including all the flowers. People can be kray-kray.

We see it occasionally, along with the crazy aunt who brings ziplocks to the wedding to pack up the buffet leftovers for herself... Some people are just tacky!

You would hate to have the DJ make an announcement not to take them... that just advertises ghetto wedding. best just to let your coordinator know and have her quietly tell them that the center pieces are not to be taken!

Hahah the first time i saw those ziplock queens my mouth dropped open in shock at their audacity @ Desiree