13 Best Lanterns For Wedding Centerpiece: Light Up The Night!

Planning the dream wedding can be challenging, even for the most organized bride! Choosing the perfect dress, picking the right venue, and purchasing gorgeous decorations are only a few of the things on the to-do list.

Fortunately, you can save yourself at least a little time and frustration when searching for centerpieces that match your wedding style. After all, one of the best ways to brighten up your big day is to outfit your guest tables with stylish lanterns! 

We’ve curated an incredible selection that’s begging to be browsed. So the only question is: Which of these stunning and luminous centerpieces will you choose for your wedding?

Geometric Bulb Lantern

Are you someone who gravitates toward industrial or vintage design? Do you already own one or more Edison bulbs?

If so, you might have just found your ideal lantern centerpiece: This geometric bulb lamp!

Though the bulb in the center isn’t an Edison lamp, it does contain a string of LED lights that resemble the odd flicker and look of such light bulbs. Within the base, you’ll find a nifty battery compartment to keep this lantern lit all night long.

And with a diamond-like cage surrounding the bulb, it’s hard not to see a gigantic industrial-style engagement ring when looking at this thing. But, overall, it’s a unique pick that could double as your new nightstand lamp.

Hand-Woven Paper Lantern

Paper lanterns originally come from China and Japan, where they were once primarily used for spiritual practices. But nowadays, they’re used for anything from lighting your patio to decorating your wedding!

Still, not many paper lanterns stray far from the standard box or sphere shapes. But this hand-woven paper lantern breaks the mold in more ways than one.

Firstly, there’s the shape. These beautiful lanterns have a slightly concentric form reminiscent of a conch shell’s tightly wrapped spirals or a flower waiting to bloom.

Secondly, there’s the power source. When choosing these lamps for your centerpiece, you can select either a battery-operated version or a rechargeable USB model.

And thirdly, there’s size. These unique paper lanterns come in three distinct sizes, ensuring you can choose the ideal option for your guest tables or reception hall.

Starry Night LED Lantern

Brides that have chosen blue as one of their wedding colors may struggle to find matching lantern centerpieces. But have no fear, the starry night LED lamp is here!

This simple white lantern’s glass interiors are covered in tiny blue and white dots that transform the pure white light into a shimmering cascade of light blue sparkles and waves. It’s one of the most captivating colored lanterns we’ve ever seen, and it kind of reminds us of the ocean.

After spending an unreasonable amount of time staring into this lantern’s mesmerizing blue glow, we also noticed that the shape of this lantern somewhat resembles a church. 

So if you’re getting married in a church and you still need something blue for your wedding, you might want to choose this lamp.

Bamboo Basket Hanging Lantern

A tisket, a tasket, a hanging bamboo basket lantern? Though it might not roll off the tongue, this lantern could light the way down the aisle—Or help guests tell whether they’ve gotten chicken or fish on their plates.

The chevron-style slits along the sides ensure that even the tiniest tea lights burn brightly, which is excellent news as this basket-style lantern is far too small for larger pillar candles.

Still, if you choose this hangable lantern, you may want to opt for battery-operated tea lights. After all, this thing is made of bamboo, which isn’t the most flame retardant material in the world.

Small Ceramic House Candle Holder

When two people decide to marry one another, they’re typically also agreeing to share their home. So what better way to celebrate this union than with tiny house-shaped candle holders?

While these ceramic homes might not be huge (the biggest one is only five inches tall and two inches wide), they’re some of the cutest little lantern centerpieces you could imagine.

Even better, you can customize the colors of these tiny ceramic houses, ensuring that they match the rest of your decor. You might even build a little village of lanterns, allowing guests to take one with them when they enter the reception hall.

Cherry Blossom Cardstock Lantern

The Cherry Blossom might be the most romantic tree in the whole world. Its dark gray bark beautifully contrasts with its pink buds and white clusters of flowers. 

Adding a little touch of the Cherry Blossom’s natural elegance is easy with the help of this cardstock lantern. Much like a Cherry Blossom tree, this lantern features a dark base studded with creamy white details.

Though this option is best paired with flameless electric candles, it can still add a sense of warmth to your reception. Each light placed inside bleeds through the white vellum sheets, shaped to form a Cherry Blossom branch.

Vintage-Style Newspaper Tea Light Holder\

If you’re looking for something a little old-fashioned, you might want to check out this vintage-style newspaper tea light holder. While it’s technically not a lantern, it’s still a potentially fabulous light-up centerpiece for your wedding. 

Each jar is wrapped in a newspaper-like covering that may feature sheet music or old encyclopedia entries. As such, these might be some of the only centerpieces that double as reading material. 

Still, they are a bit on the tall side, which makes them a little top-heavy. If a guest accidentally bumps into their table, this tea light holder may wobble and fall, which isn’t the best look.

Opulent Winter Floral Lantern

What’s the one thing that could make your traditional white wedding even brighter? If you guessed a lantern, then you wouldn’t be wrong.

But we were thinking: Snow.

If you’re saying your vows during the snowy winter season, you may want to select a lantern centerpiece that matches the exterior decor. And if you’re hosting an elegant wedding, you’ll also want to choose a centerpiece that’s dripping with luxury.

This centerpiece does both. It features faux flowers and leaves covered in what looks like snow (trust us, it’s not real snow). This bouquet is gathered atop a gold-and-glass lantern that looks like it could have belonged to a Rockefeller. 

Essentially, this lantern centerpiece has some serious swag. 

Modern Geometry Glass Lanterns

If you’re looking for a modern glass lantern with a geometric twist, we’ve got your back. These tall transparent lanterns could be perfect to park some pillar candles.

Each corner is sealed with golden metal that shimmers in the candlelight, and the general lack of colors ensures that these lanterns fit with any color scheme. They even come in different sizes for personalized mixing and matching!

We love the simple look and feel of these lanterns, as well as their contemporary vibe. They’re also modern enough to install around the house, making them well worth the investment.

Handmade Terracotta Lanterns

It’s not every day that you find a lantern centerpiece made of terracotta clay. But, well, life is full of nifty surprises!

If you’re planning an eco-friendly, garden-themed, or Southwest-inspired wedding, these terracotta lanterns could be the perfect way to keep things bright.

Each conical or pyramid-shaped lantern features wavy, leaf-shaped openings that allow light out while letting oxygen in. These openings cast darling shadows that resemble tree boughs and falling leaves in a darkened reception room.

But perhaps our favorite aspect of these lanterns is the fact that they’re not made of wood. So unlike other lantern centerpieces (we’re looking at you, wooden lanterns), these aren’t likely to accidentally catch on fire during your first dance.

Hanging Fairy Light Nest Lantern

Fairy tale weddings don’t only happen in children’s books. And if you’re marrying your Prince or Princess Charming, you’ll want to outfit your wedding and reception with the most whimsical decorations, including this hanging fairy light lantern.

Unlike other battery-operated fairy light lanterns, this option is fully decked out with decor. Inside each rustic metal lantern sits a string of lights, a candle, and a nest of pussy willow. 

The final result is a lantern centerpiece that looks like you pulled it from the pages of a storybook. Even better, this lantern comes with a solid metal hoop at the top for hanging.

As such, you can place these on the guest tables or hang them around your reception hall. But, of course, if you’re determined to enjoy a genuinely enchanted wedding, you may want to do both.

Gold Metal Moroccan Lantern

According to Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, “The brightest flame casts the darkest shadow.” Now, this might seem like a slightly threatening sentiment but stick with us for a moment.

Many lantern centerpieces feature wide sides and tops with few coverings. These gaps help prevent accidental fires from burning candles.

But metal lanterns can be far more restrictive, which opens up a whole new world of possibilities. You could, for example, choose a closed metal lantern that casts beautiful shadows on your reception hall’s floors, ceilings, and walls.

This gold-colored Moroccan lantern is a fine example. When you place a tea light inside, the flame bounces off and through the cut-out patterns along the sides.

The result is an elegant tapestry of geometric lights that seems to glow with a slightly golden hue. Imagine how amazing your reception would look if each guest table were equipped with one of these!

Contemporary Wooden Lanterns

Many wooden lanterns have a rustic style that’s perfect for laid-back, country-style weddings. But there are also wooden lantern frames with a slightly more modern style and appearance.

Take these contemporary candlelit wood lanterns, for example. Sure, they’re made of stained wood blocks and pieces just like any other wooden lantern frame.

But their perfectly squared corners and straight lines are more akin to a minimalist’s apartment than a cabin in the woods. So if you’ve been searching for the perfect marriage of rustic and modern, you may want to opt for these simple-yet-elegant candle holders.