I need ideas please - BIG candelabra

Generally you have low level flowers on the top table, you could add low level candles in hurricane lanters too. This is so people can see you.Swags etc are also good to decorate the front of the table.

Exactly what Pammy said! xXx

I agree with Pammy. As a wedding photographer it can make the speeches difficult to photograph if there are lots of things sticking up on the top table! I did one at Christmas where they had bride & groom sweet trees in front of the couple. It wasn't possible to get both the bride & grooms faces in one photo without somebody having a sweet tree in front of their face!

"The round guest tables will each have a candelabra"

These will make the photographers work harder but we are used to working around them. As for having the same on the top table then you will probably only get pictures with about two people in it at a time before one of the candelabras gets in the way but you will get wide shots of the whole top table.

It also depends on what is important to you, if its photos then be careful of putting anything on the top table that will cover people, I would normally ask if they can be removed just for the speeches if I felt they would get in the way, then put back afterwards if they are not to much trouble to move, if its the way it looks and you are not that bothered about those type of photos then go with the candelabras.

We're having candelabras too.

It never occurred to me to put anything 'extra' on top of the Top Table. I didn't think it was necessary to add stuff at all, and bearing in mind what the nice photographers have said, you need to be wary about this.

Have extra low stuff if you want, but might that not just end up looking a bit too 'fussy' and cluttered? Once you have all your crockery and cutlery there, plus wine plus water jugs etc, will there even be much room left? Remember that on a round table, there is 'empty space' to fill in the middle of it, but that doesn't apply as much to a straight table. Where would you squeeze all this stuff in?!?!

I figured the normal low flowers on the Top Table would be plenty - and these would tie in with the flowers around the base of the candelabras on your other tables, so it'd match well.

How about floor standing ones?

How about a trailing garland pinned either on top of the table on the edge or swagged on the front of the table? Ivy or French Ruscus is an ideal foliage for this type of draping.

Now that ^^^^^^^ would look really nice.

Thank you all so much for the options!

I like the idea of having some low flowers, maybe a swag type affair or something similar.

Will take heed from the photographers and keep it all low and low key - you are all quite right fussy would not be great.

I also hadn't thought about the fact that a round table has empty space in the middle but a long table won't - thank you!

Thanks to you all, I will go away and makle investigations armed with lots of ideas!