Whether it’s a small dinner party, a moderately attended anniversary shindig, or a hell of a wedding, there’s one thing that deserves some time and effort – the centerpiece. Waiting until the last minute to decide on an arrangement or choosing one without knowing things to consider when choosing a centerpiece can come back to haunt you in the end.
When choosing floral centerpieces for your event, consider several factors to ensure they do more good than harm. Explore the centerpiece selection tips below to add the perfect arrangements to your event tables.
The event
Keep the tone of your gathering in mind when choosing centerpieces. Discovering how to choose a wedding center is different than knowing how to choose an event center for something more sombre. Start by thinking about your event and how it affects your choice of centerpiece, whether it’s any of the following:
Weddings and Anniversaries: Consider traditional romantic flowers and colors for your wedding or anniversary celebration. White flowers or roses are timeless for weddings. For a wedding day, consider the color associated with how long the couple has been together. If you already have a color scheme in mind, use that to influence your choice of flowers.
Celebrations: Birthdays, graduations and other festive events call for color and fun. Add the guest of honor’s favorite colors or flowers for personalized decorations.
Somber Events: If your gathering is professional or serious, maintain that tone in your centerpieces. Keep the flowers simple, choose darker jewel tones. Choose glass vases and avoid extra decorative elements apart from the flowers and greenery.
Number of tables
How many tables you have at your event will factor into the different centerpieces you choose. Of course, entry, reception and buffet tables always look good with contrasting or otherwise different arrangements on them. But for the general seating area, it’s best to stick to one style if there are 10 or fewer tables.
If there will be more than 10 tables, try a “layered” look with different bouquets in different parts of the room. You can create an ombré effect by using darker colors in the back of the room and slowly fading to white or a lighter version of the base color in the front. Or consider using contrasting colors and different flowers and styles. As long as everything coordinates well, a varied look will brighten up a larger reception.
Budget
Once you have an idea of how many tables will be at your event, use that number to determine how many centerpieces you will need. Divide your budget by that number to determine how much you can spend on each centerpiece.
Feel free to play around with this number. For example, if you spend a little less on your guest tables, you have more money to spend on a grand arrangement for the reception or entrance table. If your budget isn’t as friendly as you thought it would be, consider using fewer tables to seat more people or use seasonal flowers to save money.