Okay, I think it’s confession time. Around 1995, I did an amazing wedding in New York. My client was over-the-moon happy and, as in some cases, she invited me to be a guest for her event. (Though all of us in the event business can probably understand how exhausting installing an event can be. Most of the time after finishing the set-up I just want to go home and soak my hurting feet.)

I had designed these 6 foot tall arrangements for most of the tables. It was with great horror (seriously, it was like being in a bad movie) that I sat in this beautiful room and watched in slow motion as one of the arrangements fell and hit a gorgeous lady on her head! Needless to say, she was not a very good sport about it. This is what I’d call my ultimate floral nightmare moment, and one that I’ll never forget as long as I live. Not only was it humbling, but I swore never to repeat the mistake that caused this accident.

I do think that centerpieces can be a great deal of fun to create. I have always tried to create my own version of an art sculpture on each table (I have not always been successful but I do keep trying). I love when guests sit down and wonder, “How the hell did he do this?” or, “I hope this does not fall on my head” (just kidding).

So, these are my suggestions for creating a secure tall centerpiece:

1) Create a very secure base as an anchor. In order to do this, I usually plant this base in cement. (This gives it no chance to fall.) To cover the cement, you can do something as simple as covering it with moss or extra flowers. See the picture above

2) Most of the tables and tablecloths are rented. I usually screw metal bases into the table (yes, a bit time-consuming but very secure) .

3) There is a fool proof test I do in my office to make sure the centerpieces are secure. Try bumping your body into the table with force. If nothing crashes, it’s working.

4) As you arrange your flowers, make sure your centerpiece is not side heavy or top heavy. The weight of the flowers need to be evenly distributed all around.

If you have no other decor in your event, strategically placed centerpieces could create the magic you’re looking for. Just please, make sure there are no casualties.

I’m sure this might be a little difficult, but could you share with me any “nightmare moments” you had that you learned from?

What could be more dramatic than a centerpiece that’s almost 6 feet tall? For your inspiration, here are a few of my favorite gravity-defying centerpieces:

How do we keep these centerpieces from falling? The answer to that will need to wait for tomorrow…

But tell me, which do you prefer? Tall or low centerpieces?

I wanted to start a new series of blog posts called Common Mistakes. I’ve found that what being an “expert” means is making 30 years worth of mistakes and learning from them. Everyone will make a mistake now and then (of course, we’re only human) and the thing you have to do is try to minimize the damage, and fix it (in whatever way you can) right away. And of course, learn from it and try not to make it again.

Today, I wanted to share some common mistakes regarding centerpieces on tables:

• Choose the appropriate mixture of tall and short centerpieces based on your client’s requests.  I’ve had some clients tell me their guests MUST be able to see each other across the table, while some clients are more comfortable indulging in the visuals to establish the right mood for their event. Make sure you listen to your client and deliver the right combination of dramatic and functional.
• That being said, be careful that your tall centerpieces are not too wide at the base to block each guest’s view. As you can tell, I love making tall centerpieces because they are a great way to add drama to a room, but be careful that the base of the centerpiece is no wider than 5-8 inches. The worst thing that can happen is having a host or hostess ask you to remove the centerpiece from the table because they can’t see each other or their guests.

• In conjunction with above, when creating tall centerpieces that look like they defy gravity, please make sure you secure your centerpieces properly. I learned this lesson the hard way 15 years ago when one of those dramatic centerpieces dramatically fell right on a guest’s head. From then on, I made sure I tested all the centerpieces we installed to ensure they were secure.
• Do not choose flowers that are too heavily scented for a centerpiece. As we mentioned in this post there are some flowers that, if used at a table, will compete too much with the fragrance of the food. Some common flowers not to use are: Casablanca lilies, gardenias and tuber roses.

As I said, I love learning from my mistakes. Please tell me about some mistakes you’ve made and what you learned from them–the worst the mistake, the better!

The most important thing, for me, about centerpieces is that they need to provide a sense of drama. I think of creating a centerpiece like creating a piece of art on a table.  Centerpieces fit into two categories: low & high.


For low centerpieces, I always like using a profusion of flowers. Use flowers that work together in the same color family, all purples or all reds for example, as opposed to too many colors in one arrangement, which can be distracting and less dramatic.

The benefit of a low centerpiece is that it enables guests to see each other across the table and allows an intimate experience. The benefit of a high centerpiece is that it serves as additional room decor and provides high drama.

Here are some tips for creating your own centerpieces:

• Think beyond flowers. In the picture above, using a tall black rod as a candleholder made the illusion that the candle was floating in the room. If you pair this with a beautiful low centerpiece, it brings a balance to the table.
• Flowers can have opposing fragrances. Be careful that the flowers you use don’t have a scent that could conflict with the food.  Some examples of strong fragrant flowers are: gardenias, tuber roses, Casablanca lilies, and paper whites (narcissus). But just because you can’t use them at the table doesn’t mean you can’t use them in arrangements around the rest of the room. Certain clients request their favorite fragrances, so it’s always something we need to balance and pay attention to.
• I suggest using some low and some high centerpieces–it gives the room more of a flow across the space and it can be more cost-effective (lowers centerpieces are less expensive). The correct height of an average low centerpiece is when it’s low enough that you can see the person sitting across from you at the table. For an average high centerpiece, there are no rules (sky’s the limit).

Do you have any tips or tricks for creating a dramatic centerpieces? Please share in the comments.

It’s a new year (a new decade!) and it’s time to talk about one of my favorite subjects: parties. I LOVE throwing parties (can you tell?). I often entertain at home with friends and family, but once or twice a year I enjoy having a BIG blow out party. Right now, I’m hard at work designing and planning my next big bash—a book launch party for Celebrations.

My book parties have become an exciting event in New York. I invite 500 of my closest friends and we take to the dance floor (or the buffet table) all night long. Here are some pictures from past book parties.

I’ll be blogging the whole process of planning and designing this celebration. Party day is January 28 so in the next few weeks, I’ll share ideas, inspiration, and ask for your opinion and feedback for the party.

Ready to help?