A centrepiece is an important item of a display, usually of a table setting

Table setting

Table setting or place setting refers to the way to set a table with tableware—such as eating utensils and dishes for serving and eating. The arrangement for a single diner is called a place setting...

. Centrepieces help set the theme of the decorations and bring extra decorations to the room. A centrepiece also refers to any central or important object in a collection of items.

Purpose

On the table, a centrepiece is a large central object which serves a decorative purpose. A nef of precious metal

Precious metal

A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value.Chemically, the precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high lustre, are softer or more ductile, and have higher melting points than other metals...

s made in the shape of a ship was a popular form in the Middle Ages

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 and Renaissance

Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

. However, centrepieces should not be too large, to avoid difficulty with visibility around the table and to allow for the easier serving of dishes.

Centrepieces are used widely at wedding receptions with flowers being the most popular form of centrepieces. Weddings, baby showers, engagement parties, anniversary parties and birthdays will often have some form of centrepiece.

Centrepieces are made from flowers, candles, fruit, candy, favors, favors and even goldfish swimming in a bowl. A centrepiece can be made from anything that fits with your party's theme.

Formal functions in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 can sometimes have very elaborate centrepieces, which can span the entire length of the table.

Homes at holiday times Valentines, Easter, Fall, Halloween and Christmas in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

are often decorated with holiday centrepieces.

External links

• * ref: Ideas For Inexpensive Centerpieces The types of centrepieces that are used to celebrate holidays.