Simple or dramatic, flowers at the reception invite your guests in, welcoming them to your party of parties.

It is nearly impossible to touch upon the mystery of a single bloom. So much is implied through color and scent. Our imagination is toyed with by soft texture and vivid shape. A flower's gentle gesture hints at meaning and turns our heads.

Gertrude Stein wrote, "A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose." A phrase as mysterious, complex, and yet simple as the rose itself. Like the flower, the meaning of Stein's beguiling statement blooms with possibilities. But add an orchid or the grace of a tulip and floral designers would have to agree, a centerpiece is much more than a centerpiece.

While it's true that flowers remain the most traditional symbol of romance, it is also true that many of the floral wedding traditions have all but disappeared. Gone are the days when carnations and baby's breath sat lackluster in the middle of a reception table. Today's wedding centerpieces are not imitations of each other. They are cooperative and creative endeavors between florist and bride, expressing all they can, from personality and season to symbol and mood.

Another intriguing feature of today's centerpieces is that they do not necessarily end up in the center of the table. Flowers turn from ordinary into awesome when they are wound around chair backs and napkins, or grandly sweep over archways and thresholds. Use them effectively, and flowers will draw your guests to any corner of the room.

Beth Foster Peterson of Jardin has been known to rearrange the concept of a centerpiece on more than one occasion. Peterson notes, "Decorating twenty-five to thirty tables for a large wedding can be expensive, especially if you do something elaborate." She suggests a minimalist approach that will cut costs -- try using lots of candles with "some blossoms tucked in."

Peterson also notes that something dramatic happens when large-scale room arrangements are placed on pedestals or table rounds that have the ability to emphasize the effect. "This is the scale you want," Peterson explains. "People remember such designs, especially when placed in ballrooms with high ceilings and in oversized tents."

Another way to draw your guests around the room is to create centerpieces that don't all look alike. "You can achieve this by using similar flowers in different forms. Floating blossoms can decorate one table, while a tall centerpiece or wreath of the same flower adorns another." Peterson adds, "Some brides are comfortable using lots of color with many different flowers." A tablescape, for instance, influenced by a particular season, might include a scattering of brilliant autumn leaves and roses intertwined with fall vegetables. Peterson believes that an "arrangement should engage a guest's curiosity. If you are successful, she will want to look at all of the different designs [in the room]."

The purpose of a good designer is to create original and faultless designs. Greg Fowler of Teresa Gregory's Extraordinary Flowers looks at a centerpiece as a "thank-you gift for your guests for attending. If my clients are on a budget, I'd rather see them use the dollars close to their guests."

Fowler has been in business for thirty years and still is able to say "every wedding is different. Some brides opt for loose flowers, with trailing foliage, and some want a very formal, constructed arrangement." He further notes, "The feeling and look of the finished floral decorative pieces should tie in with the wedding party's flowers, even if the colors are not the same." A single flower or candle can be just the right touch when placecards are used as part of a table's overall design. Rebecca Boillat of The Flower Girl agrees -- "simple elegance" is what she strives for in her compact arrangements. Boillat creates domed centerpieces that do not use air or greenery as an element of space. And she believes less is more when using large, scented flowers like hydrangea, roses, and lilacs. Boillat says that because brides often plan their reception flowers around the church and the bridal party's dresses, her floral decorations will "tend to resemble the bridal party's romantic, hand-tied bouquets. My aim is to pull the decor of the venue in, too, while keeping with the theme and color of the wedding."

A striking example of just the opposite effect, centerpieces on a grand scale, is the personal favorite of Judy Page from A Floral Gallery. "Being a floral designer is a very pleasing and rewarding job," Judy says, "and becomes more fun when a client challenges your creativity." Which is exactly what happened when a bride and groom, wanting to make a personal statement, asked A Floral Gallery to decorate their beautifully restored antique boat. The boat was their wedding gift to each other and would be displayed outside the reception site. Page achieved a tropical feel by using large palmetto and anthurium leaves with hot pink and fuchsia godesca. Orange, pink, and red anthuriums were boldly mixed with yellow solidagos. The finished arrangements were draped across the boat's glossy wood, both stem and stern. Showy flowers and bright colors were used to repeat the tropical theme inside the reception site too. Intense purples, yellows, and fuchsias were arranged in tall vases and accented with large tropical leaves.

Although each floral designer has a specialty, all agree that centerpieces should not obstruct the view of your guests at dinner. Feel free to vary the size and proportion of each centerpiece as long as the flowers end up low or high enough to be out of the line of sight. If you choose a low arrangement, it should have a low, weighted presence that emphasizes color and texture. Or you might choose to elevate a centerpiece above eye level by using glass rods. Colorful petals can be strewn around the base or foliage allowed to trail down to achieve a garden look.

Variations on a Theme

Spend some time talking with the floral designer you choose about the mood you want to create at your reception, the arrangement of the room, its colors and dimension. Take your folder of magazine clippings with you and then be willing to capitalize on your imagination and the creativity of the designer. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• If the reception is informal, use potted seasonal plants on the tables. You might also use them to line a walkway or hallway and then have enough to give away as favors.
• To add a personal touch (and reap some savings), draw from your family's collection of vases, urns and pitchers for centerpiece containers.
• Use flower petals to adorn the tiers of your cake, tuck into the folds of your napkins, add drama to a table of hors d'oeuvres. Edible blossoms can be floated in the punch bowl or used to dress up an autumn salad.
• Combine flowers with seasonal fruits, berries, gourds, or herbs for earthy and attractive centerpieces. Consider the decorative possibilities of moss, wheat stalks and grapevine.

This article was contributed by Saint Louis Bride Magazine working in partnership with Wedding-Club.com. If you have questions or comments about this article, please email their editor at nancy.slade@wheremagazine.com.