Wedding Reception Forum

Door prize centerpieces? Yay or Nay?

Im trying to decide on a way to give out our centerpieces at the end of the night. Generally, i think people give them to their wedding party, but we are going without one. So, my idea was door prizes! To place a sticker underneath one chair at each table and have the DJ make an announcement to check the chairs to see who gets to take the centerpieces home. Tacky? 

Also, I am completely open to better/other suggestions! Thank you!

Re: Door prize centerpieces? Yay or Nay?

  • Nay. Tacky. No offense intended, but WTF would someone want with a centerpiece? Take them home and try to re-sell them here or on Craigslist. 
  • If you are going to do it as doorprizes, I would have people actually enter to win them so that only people who want them can win. It stills seems a bit tacky to me, but I've also been to weddings where it seemed there were going to be fistfights over the centerpieces because everyone liked them so much. 
  • Every wedding I have been to people are climbing over each other to take th centerpieces home.  Talk to your DJ and they should be able to give you some ideas for the centerpiece giveaway.
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_door-prize-centerpieces-yay-or-nay?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:bcac903a-922b-4b06-abfb-90e3cccdae57Post:42d03bd9-d7f2-4fd9-9c00-0f580c68b710">Re: Door prize centerpieces? Yay or Nay?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Nay. Tacky. No offense intended, but WTF would someone want with a centerpiece? Take them home and try to re-sell them here or on Craigslist. 
    Posted by beardownbchs[/QUOTE]

    <div>Beard, I think she is referring to fresh floral centerpieces that people tend to take home to enjoy until the flowers die. </div><div>
    </div><div>OP, if this is the case and you are looking for a way to give out your fresh flower centerpieces at the end of the night I think a door-prize or raffle type option is a great idea. But I would first check with your mom, mother-in-law and other family members that may want to call dibs. You may end up not needing to do a door-prize after all.</div>

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  • AdeleDazeemAdeleDazeem member
    5000 Comments Fifth Anniversary 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited January 2013
    I've never seen someone take a centerpiece home...?

    Anyway, if they are fresh flowers and you don't want to just chuck them, I'd tell the DJ to announce that anyone who would like to take a centerpiece home is welcome to.  Let the people at the table sort it out.

    I can just imagine my father getting the sticker under his chair, him rolling his eyes, and not being even remotely interested.
  • Wanting to give centerpieces away is fine, but I would find another way to do it than door prizes.  If someone asks for a centerpiece, I'd just give it to them.  If nobody asks, then perhaps donate the flowers to a charity?
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_door-prize-centerpieces-yay-or-nay?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:bcac903a-922b-4b06-abfb-90e3cccdae57Post:a1135089-e443-41d9-b0b6-d721b2e0d7bf">Re: Door prize centerpieces? Yay or Nay?</a>:
    [QUOTE]<strong>I've never seen someone take a centerpiece home...?</strong> Anyway, if they are fresh flowers and you don't want to just chuck them, I'd tell the DJ to announce that anyone who would like to take a centerpiece home is welcome to.  Let the people at the table sort it out. I can just imagine my father getting the sticker under his chair, him rolling his eyes, and not being even remotely interested.
    Posted by Joy2611[/QUOTE]

    Some people took some of our centerpieces home.  On half the tables we had 3 vases of varying heights filled with flowers.  The DJ just announced near the end of the night that whomever would like some pretty arrangements to enjoy at home to feel free (of course he said it nicer then that though).

    OP, I would check with your Mom, MIL, and other VIPs to see if they would like to take one.  If not, then I think either placing a card underneath a chair or tying a small ribbon to a chair leg, or just telling your DJ to make an announcement at the end of the night should suffice.

  • HobokensFuryHobokensFury member
    5000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited January 2013
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_door-prize-centerpieces-yay-or-nay?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:bcac903a-922b-4b06-abfb-90e3cccdae57Post:4e9b0af7-56bf-43a7-8e41-85bd14c275d3">Re: Door prize centerpieces? Yay or Nay?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Every wedding I have been to people are climbing over each other to take th centerpieces home.  Talk to your DJ and they should be able to give you some ideas for the centerpiece giveaway.
    Posted by LuckyGirl1713[/QUOTE]

    Must be a Jersey thing. LOL. Instead of table numbers we did special dates in our relationship. The person's who's burthday was closest to our special date on the table got to take the centerpiece home.  I made sure to fix the table arrangements so mom and MIL would win their tables. <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" title="Wink" />

    I've also seen the couple that's been married/ in a relationship the longest, or the person who's birthday was closest to that wedding date.  Centerpieces are serious business around here.
     
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_door-prize-centerpieces-yay-or-nay?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:bcac903a-922b-4b06-abfb-90e3cccdae57Post:d28db420-7b69-49cf-bc34-95b338598c26">Re: Door prize centerpieces? Yay or Nay?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Why not donate them to a hospital or nursing home instead?
    Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]

    <div>I like this. </div>
    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_door-prize-centerpieces-yay-or-nay?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:bcac903a-922b-4b06-abfb-90e3cccdae57Post:e41ebcd0-21e6-4891-b1a6-c394098a8601">Re: Door prize centerpieces? Yay or Nay?</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Door prize centerpieces? Yay or Nay? : I like this. 
    Posted by AddieL73[/QUOTE]

    Me too.
  • Thanks for all of the wonderful idess! (:
  • its common here for people to take the centerpieces home if they're fresh flowers. i love doing that they're gorgeous and smell great!!

    if you want your guests tot ake them just tell them to decide amongst themselves at the table who will take it.

    naming it 'door prize' makes me think you're a car dealership giving a car away.

     

  • My sister did by birthdays. Whoever at the table birthday was closest to the wedding date got the centerpiece. If there person didn't want it they could gracefully decline and let the next person take it if the wanted.
  • I didn't announce anything, but as people left I told them to take it if they wanted it. They smelled so good and were so happy they could have them.
  • There are charitable/volunteer organziations that will come to your reception venue, pick up the flowers, with or without the vases and re-purpose them into arrangements for hospitals and nursing homes.

    If not, let the adult guests decide who gets one
  • We just spread by word of mouth that people could take ours home, except for one GIANT arrangement that I saved for my grandmother as a thank you for letting me get ready at her house.
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