Posted by
Non-floral centerpieces 2.0
A thousand years ago, okay more like three years ago, Ariel put out a post called "Non floral centerpieces." Well, in Offbeat Bride years, three... Read more
Bibliophile? Academic? Just a big reader? You can take that love of the written word and inject some serious style into your wedding decor. From vintage travel books to graphic novels and comic books to books as favors, we love books as centerpieces.
Here are ten creative ways to style your wedding with books.
His & Hers, Hers & Hers, or His & His
Chances are, you don’t have the same taste in books as your partner. If you’re into Shakespeare, and they love Hemingway, consider using two books at the centerpiece of your table that reflect each of your interests (maybe paired with a floral arrangement and candles).
Books in place
Especially if you are hosting a destination wedding, use books relevant to the area; vintage travel books, historical books, or those set in the town you’re in makes it easy stay on theme while giving your guests something to thumb through during downtime.
Storytellers
Speaking of thumbing through, feel free to stagger in photos that tell the story of you and your partner for a guest surprise that will be sure to start a conversation. Or, leave open books that resonate with your wedding’s story. Classic vintage poetry books will always set a romantic mood.
Favorite favors
Sure, a bottle of bubbles can be fun, and chocolate covered almonds are always a delight, but why not pair a ribbon-wrapped book at each guest’s table setting (a personal note inside will give it extra warm fuzzies!).
Take a bow
Wrapping a collection of books paired with your choice of flowers gives the opportunity to neatly tie your book centerpieces into your theme. No matter the dominant color in your wedding theme (if you have one!), books of any color can be purchased by- the-foot to keep things looking super coordinated.
A-tisket, a-tasket, a flower making basket
Use wire baskets to keep books, flowers, and other décor in an adorable bunch at the center of your table. Vintage or modern books make a killer foundation on which to top a variety of centerpiece necessities including: table numbers, candles, geeky figures, and/or flowers.
Silver lining
Heirloom silver trays pair beautifully with vintage or modern books topped with silver cupped flowers, adding some serious glamour to your decor.
Past & present
For a vintage look without actual antiques, pair vintage distressed books with copper, brass, or patina metal trinkets. Vary your vintage book stacks, placing some books horizontally and some leaning vertically. Top and surround the vintage books with metal objects in the same color family to give a contrasting but cohesive look.
Born in a barn
For a classic farmhouse wedding, consider wooden milk crates or other distressed wooden or metal totes that can be filled with books, flowers, and a table number. Pocket-sized vintage books are super versatile due to their compact size and can easily fill a variety of containers, including glass cloches and lanterns.
It’s all black & white
One of the easiest ways to denote table numbers, menus, or other signage is on a classic black chalkboard. Contrast a basic black chalkboard with modern black books-by-the-foot with unifying white, silver, or gold text to the spines. Or, tie in vintage books in muted shades with unifying black title squares or lettering to the spines.
About the Author: Offbeat Weditors
Working tirelessly to bring you stimulating content day after day, the Offbeat Wed editors will not sleep until you've gotten your offbeat fix.
I worked at a book themed wedding a few years back, with a book cake, character-couple table names, library stamp place cards and book favours. It was gorgeous (but so hard to set up in the 20 minutes we had before the guests arrived – if you’re not doing it yourself, please, please, arrange favours by table number rather than guest name!). I especially liked the table names, because some were classic literary couples, like Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy, while others were super geeky (a couple from the 80s Dr Who novels, that I can’t remember now).