A dinner party wouldn’t be complete without a great centerpiece to bring together a theme or add some glamour to the occasion.
Transform your home into a winter wonderland, a chic antique-inspired scene or simply give guests an easy ice-breaker with a floral centerpiece.
Here are our top tips for choosing an arrangement to impress your guests:
Think about the setting
Flowers are beautiful in their own right but choosing colours that complement the room will really enhance their visual impact.
With a color scheme in place, consider using a number of different flowers in a single colour for a modern feel or opt for a small number of large-headed blooms for a display that is eye-catching, effective and economical.
If you’re using a round or square table, make sure your centerpiece works from every angle with blooms positioned as evenly as possible.
Oval or rectangle tables benefit from long arrangements so you may want to look for trailing arrangements that stretch across the middle of the table.
Stay in season
For guaranteed quality, remember that flowers in season are often healthier, not to mention cheaper. Bonus! For this reason, it’s often best to think about your flower choices early on in your planning and develop your theme around what’s available at that time of year. Seasonal flowers will be incredibly varied so you’ll still have plenty of choice over colour and look.
Keep it low
It’s easy to get distracted deciding on the design of the centerpiece itself and forget to consider something more important – can your guests see each other across the table?
Opt for short, wide vases that keep your flowers below eye level or avoid the problem entirely by choosing a number of smaller displays – think jam jars or teacups – for a quirky and practical solution to a potential conversation killer!
Avoid fragrant flowers
Having worked so hard to prepare a delicious three-course meal, the last thing you want is the overpowering scent of the centerpiece interrupting the flavour of the food – or the sneezes of an unfortunate guest with allergies!
Poppies, sunflowers and dahlias are all fragrance-free and make good choices for your table arrangement but for the winter season try evergreens, holly or a winter cactus for something festive and free from overpowering smells.