The design of your wedding reception is one of the aspects of your big day that makes it uniquely yours. No two visions will ever look entirely the same. For example, if you and your partner love soft, romantic colors and florals, you may find yourself gravitating toward pink hues and peonies, but if you prefer something a bit moodier, you may want dramatic drapery, hundreds of pillar candles and rich purple linens. The same ethos also applies to your centerpieces. In addition to arranging bunches of blooms on top of their tables, many modern brides and grooms are adding in additional elements, such as moss, pots, or, in some cases, fruit, in an effort to create an innovative, trend-forward tablescape.
"Fruit has been all the rage recently," says Cindy Ollig, the owner of and designer at The Perfect Petal. However, in addition to turning to apples and oranges, she notes that many couples are seeking unusual and unexpected types of produce, such as small melons, piles of figs, strawberries on the vine, or plums on the branch. And beyond the bright or moody colors, it's often the textural elements of the produce that draws soon-to-be newlyweds to such elements. "Fruit that drapes, like dark grapes and ruby red currents, are always welcome because they add that flow and curve to your design, and they look fantastic in photography,” Ollig adds.
Interesting in adding fruit into your centerpieces? Below, we've rounded up 15 of our favorite examples from real weddings for inspiration.
01 of 15
Scattered Apples, Grapes, and Dates
Photo by Sarah Lord Photography
For their intimate dinner reception, these brides selected the garden courtyard at Palma, a New York City restaurant, as their venue. Leaning into the whimsical feeling of the urban oasis, the team behind the establishment decorated the table with bold florals, taper candles, tea lights, and a number of scattered fruits, including apples, grapes, and dates, which lent a vintage-inpsired feel to the celebration.
02 of 15
Lemons Paired With Bright Florals
Photo by David Bastianoni
At this couple's destination wedding in Italy, Capri Flor took inspiration from tropical flowers when it came to their tablescapes. Bright pink blooms sat on top of two long dinner tables—and were surrounded by yellow lemons, a nod to the setting of the festivities. The bold colors also appeared in the place settings, which featured hand-painted plates from Rome and green floral chargers.
03 of 15
Royal-Inspired Red-Hued Fruits
Photo by Amrit Photography
Placing opened pomegranates, watermelon slices, and bunches of red grapes next to roses in a deep red hue, the team at Wedding Design ensured that this couple's centerpieces mimicked those you may find at an opulent banquet. "We wanted our reception to have a very old-school royal look, with lots of reds and small accents of blues," the bride said.
04 of 15
Tropical Fruits Next to Single-Variety Blooms
Photo by Jose Villa
To add texture and dimension to the centerpieces at this couple's rehearsal dinner at the Santa Barbara Zoo, Eddie Zaratsian arranged vases of single-variety florals, including tulips, peonies, and ranunculus, next to loose fruits. By selecting warm-hued produce, such as bananas and clementines, he ensured that the scattered pieces coordinated with the vibrant blooms.
05 of 15
Watermelons, Pomegranates, and Grapes With Bud Vases
Photo by Radian Photography
Wanting their spring wedding reception to feel like a backyard dinner party, this North Carolina couple tapped Blossom and Bones Florals to create colorful centerpieces that integrated a variety of fruits. Wedges of watermelon were placed next to pomegranates, green grapes, and bud vases, creating tropical-inspired arrangements.
06 of 15
Bunches of Red and Green Grapes
Photo by Mel Toms
Rather than selecting hundreds of blooms for their reception, this couple opted for bunches of grapes paired with white pillar candles. "We knew from the start we wanted to create something unique and different for our reception, and Jenn Sanchez helped bring that vision to life by finding perfectly colored green and red grapes for our centerpieces," the bride said. "It was such a fun and unexpected moment that worked perfectly for our setting and celebrated Southern California wine country."
07 of 15
Citrus Fruits Next to Taper Candles and Flowers
Photo by Lucy Munoz Photography
At their Palm Springs celebration, this couple—with help from el Creativo and Amorology—made sure to integrate their citrus color palette into their tablescapes. Piles of oranges, grapefruit halves, and clementines sat next to to pink-hued taper candles, tinted glassware, and bright blooms.
08 of 15
Green Grapes and Pears With Clusters of Lilies
Photo by Maria Hibbs
This bride and groom leaned into green-hued florals and fruits when it came to the centerpiece for their Mallorca elopement. "We wanted an intimate, candlelit dinner with draped table linens, organic ceramic dinnerware, and clusters of lilies and fruit," the bride said. Otro Cantar was able to fulfill the couple's vision, arranging grapes and pears next to texture-forward blooms.
09 of 15
Spring-Inspired Florals and Fruits
Photo by Kyle John Photography
Wanting to add soft, spring-inspired hues to their wedding reception, this Chicago couple turned to EV Design Collective to craft an ethereal tablescape. "Our vision was for the day to feel elevated and thoughtfully designed but still playful—whether that was through incorporating patterns and textures in our linens, pops of color in the florals or fruit used as part of the table centerpieces, or the unique shapes of our day-of paper products," the bride said.
10 of 15
Mini Bananas, Artichokes, and Strings of Tomatoes
Photo by Jeremy Chou
This couple sought out arrangements that made a statement for their destination wedding in Mexico. To achieve just that, they turned to Botanica Alfabeta. The team paired tropical-inspired florals with native greenery and produce. "Our centerpieces were filled with pops of colors, mini bananas, artichokes, and strings of tomatoes in ceramic vases and pots," the bride said.
11 of 15
A Fruit-Forward Centerpiece Inspired by a Painting
Photo by Lev Kuperman
When it came to the tablescapes for their New York City reception, this couple drew on inspiration from a painting—Still Life With Flowers and Fruit by Jan Van Huysum—for their design, which was executed by Mimosa Floral. Piles of green and red grapes spilled out of bowls full of pears, oranges, and peaches. Dark teal linens and candelabras completed the duo's vision for the celebration.
12 of 15
Architectural Pieces With Various Fruits
Photo by Kurt Boomer
At their welcome party in Temecula, California, this couple leaned into soft and romantic tones for their tablescapes. "For our florals, we gave our florist, Stephanie Howard of Floraltique, full reign to be creative," the bride said. "She played with shape and created architecture pieces with interesting autumnal, bright colors, adorned with different kinds of fruits."
13 of 15
Dried Pomegranates With Moss and Flowers
Photo by Kir Tuben
To pay homage to the Hebrew month of Elul, this bride and groom—with the help of Sophie Felts Floral Design–added dried pomegranates and various fruits to their centerpieces, which also featured bright blooms, cloches with moss, and pillar candles. Patterned tablecloths with embroidered flowers and greenery perfectly complemented the colorful arrangements.
14 of 15
Colorful Flowers and Citrus Fruits
Photo by Olivia Marshall
This bride donned a showstopping Monique Lhuillier dress that featured florals and citrus fruits on the bodice, skirt, and train for her San Francisco wedding. And when it came to the tablescapes for her reception, she and her partner ensured that they coordinated with the unique ensemble, having Amanda Vidmar arrange lemons and limes next to pink and white blooms.
15 of 15
Stone Fruit and Grapes in Low Centerpieces
Photo by 515 Photo Co.
Bringing a European-inspired touch to their Vancouver nuptials, this couple turned to the works of Monet and Renoir—and Justyna Floral—to guide their tablescape design. The end result? Low centerpieces full of romantic blooms—and surrounded by stone fruit and bunches of grapes that made guests feel as though they were immersed in a still life painting.
