Choosing your wedding flowers is probably one of more enjoyable aspects of wedding planning – certainly a lot more fun than, say, trying to figure out how to seat your feuding families so the reception doesn’t turn into a scene from Springer. Yet even deciding on fragrant, gorgeous blooms can become more chore than pleasure if you just don’t know where to start. Many brides have a favorite flower or color scheme in mind, but even then, the floral choices can be endless and overwhelming.

A good place to start is with the centerpieces – the floral arrangements that will grace every table at the reception. While they don’t have to be identical to the rest of your floral décor, they should certainly complement it. In fact, centerpieces may constitute the bulk of your wedding flowers.

Choosing your Centerpieces

There are many things to consider when planning your centerpieces. Some of the main points to think about are:

• Colour scheme
• Flower type/combination
• Vase colour
• Vase height
• Whether the centerpieces will be taken home by your guests or not

A good place to start is with the fourth point, vase height. What is better, a tall centerpiece, or a short one? That is almost like asking what kind of bride is better, tall or short! The varieties are literally just as infinite. But there are some guiding principles that should help you decide whether to go tall or short for your wedding flower centerpieces.

Long and Tall

Your flowers say a lot about your personality. Tall wedding centerpieces tend to be more dramatic and fancier than short ones. You’ve probably heard the injunction against having tall centerpieces: the fact that your guests might not be able to see each other over the towering flower arrangements. But there are two simple fixes for that: the first is to have glass vases that your guests can see right through, and the second is to make sure that the vases are slender, and more than 24 inches tall. That way, your guests will be able to talk to each other ‘under’ the arrangements. Just make sure no blooms are at head-height.

Short and Sweet

Your options increase with short centerpieces, just because there are so many different types of short vases (or other receptacles, such as teapots, flower pots, hurricane lamps, and the like) that can be used. Generally with shorter centerpieces, the flowers within will require more arranging than with a tall centerpiece (you can’t really get away with sticking a single radiant tulip into a short vase).

Bit of Both

Don’t forget, it’s your party! There is nothing wrong with mixing it up. You can have more than one centerpiece per table, mixing tall and short creations; place short centerpieces on some tables, and tall ones on others; or change some feature of the centerpieces, such as playing with different coloured vases. A popular idea is to add shells, coloured stones, or flower petals to the tablecloth itself, to complement and enhance your centerpieces.

When it comes to your centerpieces, the sky’s the limit – tall or short or anything in between, your centerpieces should be a beautiful representation of your special day.

For more Centerpiece ideas & Inspiration – www.gpsdecors.com