2021 Wedding Décor Trends (Centerpiece Ideas From The Experts)

It can be very difficult to narrow in on wedding décor simply because there is an endless array of choices and considerations to take into account! From modern touches to 2021 wedding décor on a budget, it can be very difficult to know exactly what you want, especially when it comes to centerpieces.

We’re here to help! Here are just a few of our favorite 2021 wedding décor trends followed by expert advice on how to translate some of those trends into stunning centerpieces.

2021 Wedding Décor Trends

When considering the trends for 2021 wedding décor, you want to look beyond the specifics and think more broadly with these trends that you’re going to see everywhere in the wedding world during the upcoming year. That will enable you to take a trend and make it your own, ensuring you’re proud to look back at pictures of your big day for years to come.

Bridesmaids in Shades of Blue: Wedding Chicks, Yellow Wedding Shoes: Ruffled Blog, Rainbow Pom Pom Wedding Aisle: Offbeat Bride

      1.  Mood-Enhancing Colors

When it comes to wedding color trends in 2021, brides and grooms will be using bright, colorful, mood-enhancing hues. Think muted palettes sprinkled with cheerful blue, bright yellow blooms, and pops of retro green. One of our favorite 2021 wedding décor trends is blending bright colors to create a 90’s vibe.

Kylie Carlson, CEO of The Wedding Academy agrees. In 2020 and into 2021, couples will want to introduce, "contemporary elements in the way of bold colors, textures, and more.” That means even couples that prefer more neutral palettes will be able to liven things up with pops of saffron, cinnamon, and other bold hues.

Place Setting on a Decorative Sequin Tablecloth: Style Me Pretty, Dining Chair Decorated With Velvet: Whimsical Wonderland Weddings, Reception Place Setting Featuring Textured Glass: Scenic Rim Bride

      2.  Layered Textures

When brides and grooms first start thinking about their upcoming wedding and 2021 wedding décor, colors often come first. There’s no doubt that considering color can be a great first step towards narrowing in on a cohesive look and theme, but the upcoming year is going to be just as much about texture as it is about color.

Think luxe sequin table cloths, patterned and embossed plates, plush velvet sofas, and other textural elements that will give your celebration a comfortable, upscale, and memorable look.

Hanging Light Fixture Centerpiece: Infinity Hospitality Group, Reception Space Separated With a Curtain: Elegant Wedding Invites, Seating Arrangement Featuring Couches: A Charleston Bride

      3.  Homey Décor

One of our favorite 2021 wedding décor trends is the fact that it’s going to be more comfortable and inviting than ever before. Weddings this year are going to be less stuffy, formal, or perfectly designed. Instead, they are going to be more comfortable, organic, and homey.

That means guests will lounge on randomly arranged sofas instead of sitting at formal dining tables during cocktail hour, curtains will provide separation between areas of a larger space, and light fixtures will adorn all the tables.

Centerpieces Featuring Tropical Leaves: Sweet Blossoms, Organically Styled Dahlia Bouquet: Brides, Simple Centerpiece Featuring Grapewood Branches: Want That Wedding

      4.  Nature and Organic Living

One of our favorite 2021 wedding flower trends comes from Florists’ Review in the form of their Terratory theme. It focuses on nature and organic living, which means 2021 wedding décor will feature neutral hues. This concept has been popular for quite some time, but 2021 is going to take it up a notch.

The 2021 wedding trends featuring colors like nude, tan, and gray will still be popular, but it will also be popular to add pops of color, as well as whimsical elements like grapewood branches, oversized tropical leaves, and organically arranged bouquets that look like they were plucked directly from nature.

Bridal Bounce House: Event Crush, Aerialist Performing Above the Bar: Inside Weddings, Greenhouse Ceremony Space: Festival Brides

      5.  Experiential Celebrations

Brides and grooms no longer want a wedding celebration that looks and feels like everyone else’s. It’s all about crafting an event that is a fun reflection of the couple being celebrated, which means creating an experience.

That might mean choosing an offbeat venue, renting a bounce house, hiring a caricature artist, or having aerialists perform. It’s more about the ambiance than it is about slaving over the details of how it looks, as it will leave your guests with an experience they will never forget.

Centerpiece Ideas From the Experts That Utilize 2021 Wedding Décor Trends

If you have a good idea of the kind of look you want to go for at your wedding ceremony or reception, but you aren’t exactly sure how to translate that into centerpieces, you’re in luck! Using a few of our favorite wedding décor trends of 2021, these are some of the recommendations from wedding industry experts on how to make it all work.

Reception Table Featuring Different Textured Glassware: Rock N Roll Bride

      1.  Textured Glass Votives, Vases, and Goblets

If you’re looking to add more texture to your big day, it doesn’t get any better than adding texture to the glassware on the table. When it comes to 2021 wedding décor, that means textured mercury glass candle holders, metal vases with patina, and ribbed goblets.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with these elements! For example, goblets and glass votives can be used not just as drinking glasses, but as vases as well, while textured vases can hold candy.

Small Reception Table Featuring Lucite Chairs: Ruffled Blog

      2.  Velvet, Lucite, and Sequins

Texture is among the most popular 2021 wedding predictions, so it should come as no surprise that other design elements, in addition to textured glass, would find their way on this list.

The trendiest elements for 2021 wedding décor include velvet, lucite, and sequins. Jilly Remy, owner, lead planner, and designer of Jill & Co. Events loves the trend of velvet, no matter when you're having your wedding, “With the different tones of velvet available through specialty linen companies, this trend can carry throughout all seasons."

“Using a clear charger gives a clean, non-evasive look to your tablescape,” explains Heather Lowenthal, Owner of Posh Parties, but other lucite details can add depth to a table, as can sequin table cloths, if you’re going for a glam look.

Glass Box of Macarons: B.Loved Blog

      3.  Edible Centerpieces

One of the biggest wedding cake trends of 2021 is the mini cake. Instead of having one large cake that has to be cut into individual servings, brides and grooms are creating single-serve cakes that can easily decorate the tables. They can also double as place holders on reception tables, according to Roberta Correia, editorial director of Brides.

Don’t be afraid to take the edible centerpiece trend up a notch! Adding things like grapes, pears, and hollowed out apples with candles gives your tables a homey, organic touch, while things like candy and macarons stacked inside mini terrariums provide a tasty grab-and-go snack for guests.

Floral Centerpiece Featuring Peonies and Begonias: Martha Stewart

      4.  Meaningful Flowers

Crafting an experiential celebration is all about personalizing every detail of your 2021 wedding décor. That means paying closer attention to details that haven’t always gotten a personal touch.

2021 weddings will definitely utilize flowers as centerpieces, but those flowers will hold special meaning to the bride and groom. For example, Stephanie Cole, principal planner and founder of Cole Drake, worked with a client who, "had a love for scarlet begonias (as well as the color) as her dad used to sing her the song (from The Grateful Dead), and her late mother planted them in her yard when she grew up."

Simple Centerpiece Featuring Candles: Inside Weddings

      5.  Simple Style

Among the most practical 2021 wedding advice is to keep things simple. Jenny Schneider, owner of Jenny Schneider Events says, "Opting for a classic, simple, and refined aesthetic will always be in style.” It goes hand-in-hand with natural, organic celebrations, but when taken to heart, it can allow a few well-planned details shine. Not to mention, going with a less is more approach will keep your 2021 wedding décor budget low.

What does it mean to embody the concept of simple style at your wedding? Consider displaying candles of different heights on the table in lieu of flower arrangements, opt for smaller flower arrangements instead of large ones, and don’t get too fussy with charger plates, napkins, and silverware.

Potted Succulent Tablescape: Succulents and Sunshine

      6.  Centerpieces as Favors

Regina Brooks, proprietor of Régine Danielle Events, has noticed that couples are being more conscious about the footprint of their wedding, regardless of the individual style of the bride and groom. That has translated into organic food and locally sourced products, but it has also extended to 2021 wedding bouquets and centerpieces.

Not only are flowers being locally sourced, they are also doubling as 2021 wedding favors. When arranged carefully on each table or used as place holders for each guest, the flowers can be taken home and enjoyed instead of being tossed in the trash when your big day is over.

Green Garland Table Centerpiece: Elegant Wedding Invites

       7.  Green, Green, and More Green

One of the biggest wedding flower trends of 2021 is having no flowers at all! The experts at Wed Inspire want you to imagine tables dressed with garlands of foliage, individual containers full of different varieties of cacti, and vases with sprigs of dried naturals, like eucalyptus.

This is one of the best 2021 wedding décor trends if you’re looking for a way to stay on-budget. Greenery tends to be less expensive than flowers. It’s even better if you can source the greenery yourself by taking a stroll through your backyard!

Opulent Centerpiece That Cascades to the Floor: Lara Rios Photography

      8.  Centerpieces That Go Beyond the Table

It doesn't matter if you're going with bold colors or you're going for a more natural look, when it's time to design the centerpieces, you should look beyond the middle of each table. By all means, place candles, flowers, and other items in the center, but create a show-stopping look by decorating around the table as well with cascading flower arrangements, glowing lanterns arranged on the floor, and other elements that will give your tables more texture and depth.

Don’t have a big 2021 wedding décor budget? Decorate a sweetheart table with this trend, but decorate with scaled-down centerpieces on each of the other tables.

Goldfish Centerpieces: Wedding Chicks

      9.  Engaging Centerpieces

Love the idea of crafting a wedding day that is a true experience for each and every one of your guests? Make your centerpieces part of the activities and conversation!

Some of the best 2021 wedding ideas include table activities, like coasters that ask guests to write answers to prompts like, "Talk about where you first met the bride," and "Advice for the bride and groom."

Make fun activities part of your 2021 wedding décor by decorating the tables with games, pictures that are sure to prompt conversation among guests, or use goldfish in your centerpiece décor!

Centerpiece Featuring Books and a Teapot: Style Me Pretty

      10.  Vintage and Antique Touches

If you love the look of using natural colors throughout your 2021 wedding décor, or you love the idea of modernizing ageless style, follow the lead of Florists’ Review with their Promenade theme when creating centerpieces for your tables.

That means using classic flowers, like David Austin wedding roses, lilies, and peonies, but it also means incorporating vintage and antique touches. Things like old books, silver picture frames, and aged teapots are all beautiful vintage finds you can incorporate into your centerpieces.