In my last article about saving money on centerpieces I talked about how votive candles could expand the tableau of your centerpiece. But what if white or ivory candles don't fit in with your color scheme? You can add an inexpensive splash of color to your tables by encircling your candles with one or more beautiful ribbons. Not only does it pull your color scheme out onto the table, but it turns your candles from store-bought to custom made.
This technique also works to spice up any vase used for your centerpiece flowers. In the picture above a chocolate satin ribbon brings this hard-to-incorporate color into a pink and chocolate scheme.
The layered black and pale blue ribbons are finished off with a beautiful monogram, giving this loose gathering of summer flowers a tailored edge.
This simple band of two and a half inch wide ribbon pulls the hot pink color downward toward the table strengthening the impact of the centerpiece and balancing the centerpiece by giving it a strong base to rest on.
Not only is ribbon inexpensive and fashionable in centerpieces, it can be used as the design element that pulls together your whole wedding. Ribbon is often used a stem wrap for the bouquets and boutonnieres, it can be applied to your invitations and stationary, it can be wrapped around layers of your cake, and it can be used as a sash around a bridesmaid's waist or even for the bride. The right color ribbon can make the most complicated color scheme easy to pull off.