Let's Start With The Flowers
Fresh flowers always brighten up my day and can make the house feel more inviting. Whether it is just for you to enjoy or to finish off the decor for a dinner party, flowers elevate the mood and aesthetic immediately.
If I am creating a look for a dinner party I would aim to pick vases that are shorter and wouldn't get in the view of people at the table for conversation purposes. If I am making arrangements around the house then I will usually just stick to simple arrangements. Then there are arrangements for parties that I want to be big and grand, to catch the eye. It is all about setting the mood as a host and florals fall right into that.
Realistic Dinner Table arrangements:
These arrangements above are examples of what we feel are best for dressing up the table yet promoting conversation by being low to the table and not too fussy. I usually make table arrangements in vases, however, a great option to wow your dinner guests and still make sure the florals are not in the way is with a floral runner. A floral runner is so easy to do and really just requires wet foam, a shallow box lined with aluminum foil, and your fresh flowers. All that you need to do from there is cut the flowers accordingly for the different dimensions in the arrangement and stick them in the wet foam. Make sure to surround the floral runner with greenery so you don't see the box and foil.
Simple arrangements around the house:
Flowers around the house make me feel instantly better about the day. This is such a small detail that quietly sticks out to your guests when they come over. I usually just purchase a simple bunch of flowers for my smaller vases to stick around the house, such as carnations or peonies... of course it just depends on what is in season as well. Do this small detail and I promise your coffee table or bedside table will thank you!
Show stopper arrangements for big events (Showers, luncheons, parties):
Arrangements for parties that are meant to make a statement are my favorite. This is where my creative juices really get to flow. The goal for these type of elevated events is to catch the guests eye by going all out, the bigger the better basically. Gracie and I staged for a Women's Club event in Austin to highlight the holidays. Again, the bigger the better was what we were going for. The arrangements I made for the Thanksgiving table also included wet foam and lots of newspaper to pack under the foam to create height as seen below.
Flowers really do make all the difference and it doesn't require you to be a professional florist by any means. Thank goodness for pre-made arrangements if this is not your strong suit. With this said, remember to cut them to fit nicely in the vase... and voila!
Happy Hosting!