Post # 1
Member
3 posts
Wannabee
Hello! My wedding in new Orleans will be decorated mostly with candles and minimal flowers to try to keep the cost down. We are looking at vendors, but I’d like to approximate the cost before they quote us. Does anyone have a similar look to their wedding who wouldn’t mind sharing the cost? Minimal flowers means bouquets, some flowers on the tables, and a couple larger arrangements. Candles will include mercury glass, candelabras, and lanterns.
Post # 2
Member
407 posts
Helper bee
Mercury glass, candelabras, and lanterns are insanely expensive – I’m finding this out becuase I’m set on find a bunch of mid-century candlesticks and it’s looking like I’m going to be spending $100 on those puppies alone. I would suggest renting candlelabras/laterns if you’re not set on purchasing them. A cheaper option would be to DIY the mercury glass effect on Dollar Store glass votives (there are DIYs for that all over the web), and then get crazy cheap candles from Ikea.
Post # 3
Member
1338 posts
Bumble bee
I have found smaller (say 8″-18″) lanterns rent for around $25-$45 ea and large (say 18″-40″) larnterns rent for $65-$85 each. And the cost of purchasing them is 2 or 3 x the cost of renting (plus shipping if found online).
Smaller candle holders like clear votives and mercury votive holders can be found very inexepensively if you look around. I get them from floral supply stores & websites.
I don’t know about candleablras, I have never used them.
Post # 4
Member
47208 posts
Honey Beekeeper
Ikea has Borrby lanterns at a reasonable price- 11″ high for $8.99, 17″ for $1.99
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/search/?query=BORRBY+Lantern+for+block+candle
Post # 5
Member
9544 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
I don’t, generally, think of candle heavy decor as budget friendly. Especially if you’re looking for mercury glass, candelabras and lanterns. Not that you can’t figure it out, but that kind of stuff is usually pretty pricy. Your cheapest options for candles are going to be tealights.
Post # 6
Member
1002 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: March 2016 - Enoch Turner Schoolhouse
I’m currently in the planning stages of my vintage inspired wedding and using lanterns, and candles, and very minimal flowers for decor – definitely similar to yours 🙂
I’ve been visiting thrift stores in my area and finding really vintage looking lanterns for cheap! On average I paid between $3-5 per lantern. Some friends suggest Ikea – they sell ones with stars for $6 each, but I really wanted authentic vintage looking lanterns. I have a year to plan mine so I’ve already started visiting thrift stores and collected well over 10 already! They’re all different shapes and sizes which will work perfectly since I’m also doing vintage hardcover books to go with the lanterns for centrepieces.
If you love shopping/hunting for bargains, I def suggest you visit your local thrift shop. Also in the summer time yard sales will be plentiful! I plan to visit those, and antique stores in the country side as well!
If you click on my profile and check out my gallery: I’ve posted some of my finds there 🙂 So far I’ve collected doilies, vintage frames, lanterns, pillows and mirrors!
Also – all the Target stores in Canada are closing down, so I plan to buy candles now that they’re 50-70% off! Last time I checked, the shelves were still plentiful – I guess people don’t want to stock up on candles??
Good luck Bee!
Post # 7
Member
47208 posts
Honey Beekeeper
JenGirl: I do sometimes have to laugh just a little bit when someone asks for budget decor ideas because they can’t afford too many flowers, and someone posts a pic of an aisle lined with cylinder vases and pillar candles!
Gingerbread2009: Believe it or not, you can sometimes get great buys on candles on http://www.adhuntr.com Brides change their mind on their color scheme all the time. Even used pillar candles can be used again. Often they are only burned for a few hours and have many, many hours of burning time left. Given that it is polite to light the wick before your guests arrive, no one will ever know.
<br />http://www.adhuntr.com/2012/05/all.html?cx=partner-pub-9413604915893153%3Ao8xsd8d7h7s&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=pillar+candles&as_qdr=a&sa=Search#2202
Post # 8
Member
107 posts
Blushing bee
You can go to Wal-Mart, ikea, or goodwill and buy clear candleholders for $.25-1.00 apiece. Wal-Mart has the best deal on this krylon spray paint called “looking-glass”. I got it for $8 whereas everywhere else wanted $13. Using the glass, spraypain, and a vinegar water solution google “diy mercury glass”. You’ll save hundreds.
Next, ikea and Amazon have the best prices on votives andtealights. Amazon’s votives are about $.50 apiece and ikeas $.25. If you have ikea that’s your best bet, otherwise Amazon. Tealights cost pennies.
This is what I’m doing, along with some expensive candelabras and long candlesticks we already own to class it up. We are having appx 200 candles for a 65 person wedding with 8 tables. It will cost about $100 for everything since I diy’d the mercury glass :):):)
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This reply was modified 4 years, 8 months ago by nhenretty.
Post # 9
Member
116 posts
Blushing bee
yes, i did this exactly! i used http://www.candles4less.com bought stuffed 120 votives (look under votive specials) and used 30-40 floaters (3 floating candle vases per table). I was fortunate to borrrow the vases for the floating candles from a friend and the venue had the rest. did you check with your venue to see what they have in their collection? they will usually let you use what they have for free. for flowers i did bouquets for the girls, flowers for guys, and 3 mini-vases of flowers on the table (6″ vases or smaller). the candles were in the center (three floating holders and ten votives) and the small flower vases around the candles. I added large gold glitter paper confetti to reflect the light and it looked very classy and i got SO many compiments. i wish i had my pictures back to show you! flowers cost about $600 w/o any large bouquets and candles cost about $150-200. I did also make some large glittered candle golders myself that came out beautiful.
Post # 10
Member
116 posts
Blushing bee
Gingerbread2009: also do not try the DIY mercury glass! i bought lots of the (very expensive) mirror spraypaint to try it and they don’t come out nice at all. the color is very dark and dingy looking, not bright like real mercury glass. I did find some large mercury glass candle holders at christmas tree shop for $2 each that i used on the sweetheart table, because mercury glass and candles was my vision too. when is your wedding? after christmas all the mercury glass is always on sale!
Post # 11
Member
3 posts
Wannabee
Thanks everyone! I was super unclear though. I’m looking to rent/use a vendor. My venue won’t let me do anything myself bc the building is very historic and you need to be insured out the wazoo to light a candle in there. Has anyone experienced using a candle vendor/renting? Thanks!
Post # 12
Member
9527 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
Your venue sounds like ours- no flame candles. You can buy them on Amazon on prime. It’s 6 for about $15.
Post # 13
Member
894 posts
Busy bee
We are doing lots of candles (our wedding reception is in a wine cellar) and our florist is supplying the candles along with the flowers.
Post # 14
Member
413 posts
Helper bee
Pier 1 has some really pretty small lanterns for $10. They’re usually on sale for less but they’re worth it. They don’t require much decorating and pair well with pretty much everything
Post # 15
Member
18 posts
Newbee
I had great luck on Craigslist! I bought another brides collection of mercury glass for around $300 (It was well over 200 individual pieces)
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