20 Centerpieces for Any Occasion

There are no hard-set rules that state you MUST use only certain colors of flowers for specific times of the year -- mix it up and choose blooms in whatever color you like. Here, designer Manvi Drona Hidalgo used copper amaranth, white astilbe, silver brunia berries, echinacea, gomphrenia, Dutch hydrangea and sweet Annie artemisia to create a real stunner.

To create a show-stopping arrangement, rely on contrast. Designer Erinn Valencich contrasts both color and style by pairing magenta cockscomb, dahlia and calla lilies with chartreuse mums for pop then sliding this sophisticated arrangement into an earthy birch-bark container.

As Chelsea Fuss of Frolic! blog proves, you don't need to be a florist to create a stunning centerpiece. To recreate this look, use a ceramic pot without a drainage hole instead of a standard vase. Criss-cross florist tape over the top of the pot to keep heavy stems in place. When arranging flowers, allow them to arch out in all directions, don't worry about the arrangement being perfectly symmetrical. For an earthy finishing touch, add fresh fruit, like small apples, pears, citrus or even a pomegranate by inserting a skewer into the fruit then sliding the skewer into the arrangement. Photography by Chelsea Fuss

Make your last pre-party grocery store stop in the floral department to pick up a few bunches of flowers in colors that complement your party. Here, we paired peach, orange and yellow ranunculus with white stock and statice for a pretty pastel arrangement. Once home, immediately cut the flowers' stems and place the cut ends in water so they'll stay fresh till you're ready to arrange them.