Centerpieces have a long history of tying traditional holiday themes with candles, serving pots, and ornaments. Meant to be festive focal points that remind us and our guests of the holiday season, these pieces often are more beautiful than meaningful.
If you’re looking for ways to create a meaningful, but still stunning, centerpiece for this holiday, here’s how you can do that in four simple steps.
This year, though, the trend according to a recent Accenture survey is intimate gatherings that focus on experiences and products that align with core values. These values may be gifting meaningfully, reconnecting with a loved one you haven’t seen in awhile, or conveying your authentic feelings in a special way this year.
One of the most powerful ways to create a sense of intimacy and thoughtfulness around the table is to return to that core centerpiece and reinvent all it can be, turning it from mere beauty to a message from you, the host. This unique holiday decoration can then become a giftable connection with each individual seated at the table.
Instead of putting just a centerpiece at your holiday table or party, turn it into a message and a gift. You can do so by curating florals that convey through the language of flowers thoughts and sentiments to guide the spirit of your event. Flowers have long been included in ancient rituals for occasions of various types, and their meanings, have always been the basis for why they were chosen for certain ceremonies or events.
Learn more about the language of flowers in 5 Myths Around the Language of Flowers.
Here are the four steps to create this special experience.
1. Think About What Meanings You Want to Convey
Find flowers that resonate with what you want to celebrate this year, and the centerpiece display can honor that with meaningful florals. Here’s a list of meanings we recommend including this year:
-Pride (of our children, our families, our daughters and sons, our friends)
-Togetherness (to carry the year together, to be together even when we’re apart)
-Our homes and their love (as they are sanctuaries where we can sit in contemplation)
-Hope (faith, hope, love, a dream for the future)
-Gratitude (thankfulness, peace)
2. Add Pieces That Tie Those Meanings Together
Focus on colors and what they symbolize. Instead of the traditional red, that is often associated with romance, opt for a display burgundy florals this year. Consider using a burgundy rose, which means “a love that is deeper than the red rose.” This powerful color is associated with sophistication whereas lighter shades of red tend to be more playful. Flowers also have an incredible impact on our health and help boost our mood, improve our relationships with others, and alleviate stress. These floral benefits, along with their meanings, are ideal for this holiday season. Here are some ideas for tying in meaningful florals with the message you want to convey:
Floracracy giftable centerpiece
Example 1 in Florals
Maybe this year has been challenging, but you want to share a sense of togetherness, even when apart. Flowers that speak to perseverance and resilience include the white carnation and gladiolus, which both symbolize strength. While the white carnation is the only color of the floral to mean strength, explore with different colors of the gladiolus to add a unique pop of pink or blue but also staying true to the meaning.
Example 2 in Florals
You feel transformed by what you’ve learned this year, and you look forward to growing as an individual or with members of your family or community. As one of the oldest flowers in the world, the protea means change and courage. It is also a striking flower when added into any arrangement, and there is no floral quite like it in terms of shape.
Example 3 in Florals
You are especially thankful to spend the holidays with those closest to you, and you hope to express this during the season. Pink roses and pink carnations symbolize gratitude, and blend well with burgundy florals for a monochromatic look. Pink carnations also mean “a mother’s love,” making them ideal to celebrate or show thanks to a mother or mother figure that is very dear to our hearts.
Learn more about popular colors and flowers for the holidays here.
3. Place Little Cards With the Meanings Next to the Flowers
When you have your meanings and florals picked out, spread each flower along the center of the table. Go beyond the classic name tag for each individual at the table, and put a little meaning card next to each flower. If you have extra flowers, create a mini bouquet for the center, or place them on the dinner plate along with the name tags.
Meaningful cards to go along with the giftable centerpieces
4. The Invitation
At some point in the evening, invite your guests to read the cards and also to select the florals that speak to them. Let them take those flowers home in a bundle.
If you love traditional holiday decor, and don’t want to completely remove those pieces from your holiday look, you can mix the natural floral look with classic lighting, ornaments, or garlands.
By thoughtfully adding such an expected element to your holiday gathering, you are opening the conversation and experience. It acknowledges in its subtlety, and it gives your guests a path to connect that is socially distanced. It also creates beauty that is elegant and lasting, building into your holiday a tradition that is appropriate for the year but meaningful enough to stay long after.
P.S. Floracracy has created a special line of giftable centerpiece kits that are available through the 2020 holiday season. Every small bunch will have two cards included, and our larges will have four. Learn more about our holiday florals here.
Learn more about holiday how to make your holiday special and elegant here.
Sources
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/01/pandemic-weary-shoppers-want-a-meaningful-holiday-season.html
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