What Flowers Are Right for a Formal Dinner?

Tip

• Flowers always make a nice table arrangement for a formal dinner as long as they are not tall and bulky. Choose an arrangement of flowers that is short enough for your guests to see across the table and still be able to talk. Also, avoid using flowers that have a strong fragrance that could over power the aroma of the food you are serving.

Flower of the Month

• Not only are there flowers of the month, but these flowers have different themes and colors. There are carnations, lilies and baby's breath for winter months, and pansies and petunias for summer flowers. Geraniums are perfect for July, while coleuses are good any time of the year.

Multi-Colored Flowers

• Carnations and roses come in a variety of colors that you can mix and match. Choose flowers with an array of colors such as small arrangements of chrysanthemums, lilies or azaleas. Flowers that come in different colors can be combined to make a multicolored table arrangement.

Holiday Flowers

• Flowers that are available during the holidays will make perfect table arrangements for a formal dinner. At Christmas, a poinsettia in red or white can be used, or perhaps white mums for Mother's Day. Think about what flowers are fitting for the holiday you are celebrating and include them in your centerpieces.

Displays

• Come up with creative ways to display formal dinner flowers. For instance, use crystal bowls, open rose buds and water. The floating flowers look nice in the center of tables, and you can use more than one or two because they are small. Or, use cut flowers with green plants to decorate the tables. Small vases are good for tables as long as you use flowers with shorter stems