Candles, lanterns, Christmas lights — they all add ambiance to a wedding. Whenever you can, you should incorporate some kind of light with your decorations. So I scoured Flickr for a few ideas on how to get a lighting element onto your guest tables.

Flickr photo by Casual Chin

The arrangement above is your wedding magazine-ready type candle arrangement. It’s got the pretty pastel pink and cream roses, orchids and the silvery lantern with the stars on the windows. I can’t quite tell, but it looks like this venue was possibly on a patio, so maybe an arrangement like this wouldn’t have as much impact as some of the others I found.

Flickr photo by svacher

The color scheme for this wedding was obviously black and white, and I like the elements they used to demonstrate it. The seatcovers are black, and I love the black Chinese takeout boxes on each plate. The centerpieces are two different-sized black lanterns, accompanied by a couple mini pumpkins. I love that pop of color! This looks like a perfect October wedding.

Flickr photo by Bruce Howard

This reception was probably very elegant and minimalistic. The photographer identifies these as Shoji lanterns, which are basically paper lanterns. It sits on a bed of decorative rocks with two Cymbidium orchids. Considering the low light, this was probably a very romantic scene!

Flickr photo by LumaBase Luminaries

A luminary company called Lumanaria posted this photo, and I quite like the concept. If you get a big enough luminary, it could be a centerpiece all by itself. The printed hearts on this one make it perfect for a wedding. The company offers a variety of luminaries, including battery, candle and electric, flame-resistant bags and pathway luminaries.

Flickr photo by Misty Garrick Miller

This Flickr user, Misty Garrick Miller, was testing out her table setting with a white dish cloth, heheh. She set it up with a stately black lantern, surrounded by three smoky black votives and smooth black pebbles. I also like how they surrounded it with black and white photos of the couple, but maybe the prints were too big?