Centerpiece Count Calculator

How many centerpieces a venue needs and what each costs, from the tables, the seating and the flower budget per table.

A venue booking gives you a room full of tables and a guest count, and both of them decide the floral order. This calculator works out how many centerpieces the room needs, whether the tables seat the guests you have, and what the flowers cost per table and per guest. It also reports the diameter a centerpiece should be for the table it stands on, so a large arrangement does not block the view across a round table of 1520 mm.

At a glance

What you enter: Table shape, Table diameter or length, Table width, long tables only, Tables to dress, Guests at each table, Centerpiece diameter, Use a runner on the long tables instead of a centerpiece, Flower budget per table, Price per stem, Stems in one bunch
What you get: Centerpieces per table, Centerpieces needed, Guests seated, Seats per table at a comfortable spacing, Seats per table at a tight spacing, Tables needed at a comfortable spacing, Centerpiece diameter, low, Centerpiece diameter, high, The centerpiece is within the range for the table, Runner length, Stems the table budget buys, Flower stems for the room, Bunches to order, Flower budget for the room, Flower cost per centerpiece, Flower cost per guest, Flower stems per guest
Formula shown: Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy: Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Table shape

Table diameter or length mm

A round table of 1520 mm seats 8 to 10. A long table of 1830 x 760 mm seats 6 to 8.

Table width, long tables only mm

Only used for a long table. A standard trestle is 760 mm wide.

Tables to dress

Guests at each table

Used for the guest total and the cost per guest. Compare it with the seating figures below.

Centerpiece diameter mm

A round table of 1520 mm takes a centerpiece of about 250 to 350 mm across.

Use a runner on the long tables instead of a centerpiece

Flower budget per table

What you intend to spend on the flowers for one table. Containers, hire and labour are separate.

Price per stem

Your own figure.

Stems in one bunch

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Centerpiece Count Calculator

1 Enter Table shape
2 Enter Table diameter or length (mm), A round table of 1520 mm seats 8 to 10. A long table of 1830 x 760 mm seats 6 to 8.
3 Enter Table width, long tables only (mm), Only used for a long table. A standard trestle is 760 mm wide.
4 Enter Tables to dress
5 Enter Guests at each table, Used for the guest total and the cost per guest. Compare it with the seating figures below.
6 Enter Centerpiece diameter (mm), A round table of 1520 mm takes a centerpiece of about 250 to 350 mm across.
7 Enter Use a runner on the long tables instead of a centerpiece
8 Enter Flower budget per table, What you intend to spend on the flowers for one table. Containers, hire and labour are separate.
9 Enter Price per stem, Your own figure.
10 Enter Stems in one bunch
11 Press Calculate. You get Centerpieces per table, Centerpieces needed, Guests seated, Seats per table at a comfortable spacing, Seats per table at a tight spacing, Tables needed at a comfortable spacing, Centerpiece diameter, low, Centerpiece diameter, high, The centerpiece is within the range for the table, Runner length, Stems the table budget buys, Flower stems for the room, Bunches to order, Flower budget for the room, Flower cost per centerpiece, Flower cost per guest, Flower stems per guest, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
12 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

Fifteen round tables of ten

The standard 1520 mm round table with a 300 mm centerpiece and a 45 flower budget per table.

You enter

Table shape: 1
Table diameter or length: 1,520 mm
Table width, long tables only: 760 mm
Tables to dress: 15
Guests at each table: 10
Centerpiece diameter: 300 mm
Use a runner on the long tables instead of a centerpiece: No
Flower budget per table: $45.00
Price per stem: $1.20
Stems in one bunch: 25

You get

Centerpieces per table: 1
Centerpieces needed: 15
Guests seated: 150
Seats per table at a comfortable spacing: 8
Seats per table at a tight spacing: 10
Tables needed at a comfortable spacing: 19
Centerpiece diameter, low: 250.80 mm
Centerpiece diameter, high: 349.60 mm
The centerpiece is within the range for the table: 1
Runner length: 2.12 m
Stems the table budget buys: 37
Flower stems for the room: 555
Bunches to order: 23
Flower budget for the room: $675.00
Flower cost per centerpiece: $45.00
Flower cost per guest: $4.50
Flower stems per guest: 3.70

Fifteen centerpieces and 150 guests. The tables seat 8 comfortably each, so the plan is at the tight end of the range and 19 tables would be needed for a comfortable fit. The 45 budget buys 37 stems a table, 555 in total.

Open this example in the calculator →

A long top table with a runner

Twelve rectangular tables of 1830 by 760 mm with a runner instead of a centerpiece.

You enter

Table shape: 2
Table diameter or length: 1,830 mm
Table width, long tables only: 760 mm
Tables to dress: 12
Guests at each table: 8
Centerpiece diameter: 250 mm
Use a runner on the long tables instead of a centerpiece: Yes
Flower budget per table: $35.00
Price per stem: $1.20
Stems in one bunch: 25

You get

Centerpieces per table: 0
Centerpieces needed: 0
Guests seated: 96
Seats per table at a comfortable spacing: 6
Seats per table at a tight spacing: 8
Tables needed at a comfortable spacing: 16
Centerpiece diameter, low: 301.95 mm
Centerpiece diameter, high: 420.90 mm
The centerpiece is within the range for the table: 1
Runner length: 2.43 m
Stems the table budget buys: 29
Flower stems for the room: 0
Bunches to order: 0
Flower budget for the room: $420.00
Flower cost per centerpiece: $0.00
Flower cost per guest: $4.38
Flower stems per guest: 0.00

Each table seats 6 down the sides and 8 with the ends used, so the seating works. The runner is 2.43 m per table and the budget buys 29 stems each, which has to be spread along the whole run rather than concentrated in one arrangement.

Open this example in the calculator →

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Frequently asked questions

How many centerpieces do I need for a wedding?

One per round table, whatever its size. A long table under about two metres takes one as well, and a longer one takes two spaced along the length or a single runner. Fifteen round tables is fifteen centerpieces and, at ten guests each, 150 guests. Always add one spare arrangement: a centerpiece gets knocked, a table gets added at the last minute, and the spare is a fraction of the total order.

How big should a centerpiece be for the table?

About one fifth to one quarter of the table diameter, which is 250 to 350 mm across on a round table of 1520 mm. Wider than a quarter of the table and the arrangement starts to block the view between the guests opposite each other. Height matters in the same way: under about 250 mm tall keeps every sight line open, and anything taller has to be narrow, or high enough that the guests look under it.

How many guests fit at a round table?

A 1520 mm round table seats 8 comfortably at about 550 mm of edge per place and 10 at a tight 475 mm, which is why the trade quotes 8 to 10. A 1830 mm round seats 10 to 12. A long table of 1830 by 760 mm seats 6 down the two sides, or 8 if the ends are used. Check the venue seating plan against the comfortable figure rather than the maximum: 10 at a 1520 mm table means the cutlery nearly touches.

Is a table runner cheaper than a centerpiece?

Usually, yes. A runner is built mostly from foliage and a few accent stems placed along the length rather than a dense arrangement in one spot, so it uses less flower material per metre of table and it leaves the middle of the table and the sight lines completely clear. A runner is measured as the table length plus a 300 mm drop at each end, so a 1830 mm table takes a 2430 mm runner. For a long top table it is often both the cheapest and the best looking option.

How much should I budget per table for flowers?

This calculator works from your budget rather than dictating one, because the range in the market is enormous: a simple seasonal centerpiece in a hire container can be made for 25 to 40 in flowers, and a large arrangement of garden roses or peonies can be 150 or more for the same table. Enter the budget per table and read the stems it buys at your price per stem, then compare that with the stem counts the arrangement tools give for the design you have in mind. Containers, hire, delivery and labour are all on top of the flower budget.