Dual duty: Centerpieces

A wedding will likely be the most expensive party you ever throw. Between outfits and food, flowers and music, your budget dwindles quickly. Why not give your cake double duty on your wedding day? Rather than a massive cake in the front of your venue, consider using individual cakes, or a cake alternative, to dress up your guests tables? They will appreciate not having to rush the crowd to get a piece of the masterpiece up front, and when there are different flavors on each table, your guests will meet new friends while searching for their favorite! At my wedding, we used individual bundt cakes that we baked and froze ahead of time, then my aunt  glazed and garnished them for the tables the morning of the wedding. They were displayed on iron topiary pieces purchased at half price from a local hobby store. The topiaries were spray painted ivory and embellished with a dangling jewel on top to give it a more elegant feel. Along the bottom, we have a ring of eucalyptus to tie in our wedding colors. We used white cake plates, cut to size and inserted them to give 2 layers of space to place the cakes. My husband and I still had our own cake to cut (no smashing was involved) and everyone was able to serve themselves at their convenience. I heard no complaints about the quality either! Total cost for cakes for 150 guests: $50 (including the small cake that was professionally baked and decorated for my husband and I)

Here are some other double duty centerpieces I found via google:

Party favors as table decor- more inspiration here! 

Not a cake person? How about elegant jars with candy for the centerpiece? 

                 Or how about this cute diaper cake for a baby shower centerpiece?