What Makes a Thanksgiving Centerpiece Feel Generous
A generous Thanksgiving flower centerpiece runs long and low rather than tall: two or three low arrangements down the length of the table, loose and garden-style, with candles filling the gaps between them. That is how Nancy White, owner of The Flower Bar in Larchmont, dresses her own table, and it is how our designers approach the Thanksgiving centerpieces we deliver across Westchester.
“Thanksgiving is the one holiday built around gathering and gratitude rather than gifts,” Nancy says. “I tend to go overboard with my Thanksgiving table… The trick is going overboard in the right direction. Long and low, not tall.” Two or three low pieces, she explains, “feel abundant without blocking anyone's view. Everyone gets flowers in front of them, not just the people at the middle seats.”
“A lush garden style arrangement has stems that trail, lean and spill over the edge of the container,” she says. “That looseness reads [as] abundance in a way a tight, perfect dome never does.” Several pieces placed end to end with candles “look like one long ribbon of flowers. It feels like a feast, which is the point of the day.”
Why the Table Is the Heart of Thanksgiving
“Most holidays are spread across the house, but Thanksgiving comes down to one long meal, often two or three hours, with everyone seated together,” Nancy says. “Flowers set the mood before anyone takes a bite. And they tie together the linens, the dishes and the candlelight.”
A set table also tells guests they were thought of. “The set table tells them that they're expected and someone thought about them when they arrived,” she says, and the right flowers keep them there: “A beautiful table invites guests to sit a little longer after dessert… When the flowers are right, nobody wants to get up.”
Choosing Your Thanksgiving Palette
This year we're designing four Thanksgiving palettes, each in three shapes, all in our Thanksgiving flower collection. “Start with what's already on your table,” Nancy says. “Your dishes, your linens and the light in the room will usually point you to the right palette before the flowers do.”
Scarlet Harvest: the classic host
“Warm oranges with reds, golds and a little magenta and hot pink.” Nancy calls it “the most Thanksgiving of the [four].” It belongs in a traditional dining room with “wood tables, family china” and brass or gold accents, for someone “who loves [the] classic Thanksgiving look but wants a little surprise. The magenta keeps it from feeling predictable.” Pair it, she says, “with cream or ivory linens, brass candlesticks, gold rimmed plates.” See the Scarlet Harvest Long & Low.
Autumn Garden: the minimalist
“Deep greens, chocolate browns, moss and soft cream. It looks gathered from a late season garden.” It suits a modern or minimalist space, or a farmhouse table, and a host “who would rather a table feel gathered than decorated.” Nancy pairs it with “natural linen, stoneware or matte ceramics, unlacquered wood, simple ivory tapers.” In her words, it “feels like late season foraging rather than a flower shop.”
Mulled Wine: the candlelit dinner party
“A deep and rich burgundy. Plum, berry and a touch of lavender. Moody and romantic.” It is made for a formal dining room, “evening dinners, rooms with velvet, crystal or silver,” and for a host who “likes drama and romance and hosts a later candlelit dinner.” “The feeling is moody, rich and intimate,” Nancy says. “Most at home after dark.”
Pumpkin Spice: sunshine on your table
“Softer and golden. Apricot butter, yellow peach. A pop of red and fresh green. Warm without being heavy.” It is “perfect for bright, airy rooms with lots of natural light,” and for a host who serves a midday meal. It is also Nancy's own choice this year: “This is actually the palette that I'll be using in my dining room this year because the colors and mood really suit my style of entertaining.”
Our arrangements are designed by hand by our team of designers, each bringing their own eye to the palette, so the color story and feel stay true while the exact flowers vary by designer and market availability. For more on the flowers that carry an autumn palette, read our guide to fall blooms for fall flower arrangements.
How to Choose When You Can't Decide
“When someone can't decide, I don't start with the flowers,” Nancy says. “I ask about their table, their room, and what time they're eating. By the third question, you'll probably already know.”
- What's on your table? “Gold rim plates point one way, matte stoneware another.”
- What does the room look like? The wall color, the wood tones, and how formal or casual the space feels.
- Lunch or dinner? “Daylight favors the softer palettes, like pumpkin spice. Candlelight is where mulled wine shines.”
- Tradition or a fresh take? “Some families want Thanksgiving to look the way it always has. Others want to be surprised.”
- What are you building around? A family tablecloth, a special set of candlesticks, a new dining room.
“There isn't a wrong answer,” she adds. “All four palettes are designed for the season and for the table. And if you're torn between the two, there's often a way to blend them, like [Autumn Garden's] greenery with the full [Mulled Wine] tones.”
What Size Centerpiece Do You Need?
“…you don't want your [flowers] to look like a postage stamp on your table,” Nancy says. “We want them to be full and abundant but not overwhelm. You want to keep it low so guests can see and talk across the table.” The most common mistakes, in her words: “too tall, too small, or too wide.”
Before you order, she says, “measure your table with the leaves in. Know how many guests you're going to be and how… you're serving.” For a long table, Nancy recommends “two or three long low pieces spread down the center with candles connecting them or a continuous runner of flowers.” For a round table, “one large compact low piece in the center, scaled to the table so guests can still reach across.” And a round container isn't only for a round table: “Many people choose a round container to leave more room for the food, even if the table is rectangular.”
How you serve matters too. “Family style service keeps the flowers narrow and leaves landing spots for platters between arrangements,” she says. With a buffet, “the dining table can go fuller and wider and the buffet itself could carry a taller statement piece since nobody is sitting behind it.” Nancy serves buffet style from her own kitchen: “I actually find it easier because the food stays warmer.”
Sizes, shape by shape
Cylinder, arranged in a clear glass vase: size by your guests. Petite for an intimate gathering of 4 to 6, Signature for a family table of 8 to 10, and Signature Plus for the same table with a fuller, more abundant look. Luxe suits 12 to 14 guests, Grand makes an entryway statement, and Ultimate is for going all out.
Long & Low, arranged low and lush to run the length of your table: size by your guests. Petite for 6 to 8, Signature or Signature Plus for 8 to 10, and Luxe for 12 to 14. Choose a classic green boat, a clear glass rectangle in 8, 12 or 16 inches, or a specialty container: a 12-inch gold rectangle or a 14-inch white oval.
Specialty Vase, gathered in a keepsake container that stays on long after the flowers (a gold bowl, a silver or copper compote, or white ceramic): size by your table. Petite for a 48-inch round or a rectangular table, Signature for a 60-inch round or a rectangular table, Luxe for a 72-inch round or a rectangular table, and Grand, a low and generous statement centerpiece, for a 72-inch round.
Nancy seats as many as 14 at her own large table. “For me, I would have at least a 12 inch arrangement. But as I said, I typically like to go overboard and put several arrangements together.” Our arrangement size guide shows the full dimensions and what's included in each size.
Candles, Bud Vases and Finishing Touches
“The taper candles add the height the flowers don't,” Nancy says. “Since the arrangements stay low, tapers give the table vertical interest without blocking anyone's view.” Votives do the rest: “They make the table glow and connect the separate pieces into one long line of light.” For color, “Ivory and cream work with everything,” with burnt orange for Scarlet Harvest, deep burgundy for Mulled Wine and natural beeswax for Autumn Garden. And always unscented: “you always want to make sure that you use unscented candles.” The same goes for the flowers on the table. She skips strongly scented blooms “because they compete with the food.”
Our hand-dipped 12-inch tapers come in white, ivory, taupe, sage and burgundy, in sets of 2, 4 or 6, along with a sculptural three-tier holder in antique gold, and you can add them to any arrangement. Keep lit candles well away from the flowers and anything else that can burn, and never leave them burning unattended.
On a crowded table, bud vases are the answer: “we can create a tablescape of bud vases going down the center of your table,” Nancy says, and “Guests can take their bud vase home at the end of the night.” She finishes every table with place cards, sometimes tucked into a slit in a pear or finished with a sprig of rosemary, and builds around heirlooms such as her mother's silver candelabra. “Flowers can be designed around those pieces rather than competing with them,” she says. “The flowers set the mood, but the personal touches are what people remember.”
Flowers Beyond the Table
“Thanksgiving just doesn't happen at the table,” Nancy says. “People gather in the kitchen, they settle in the family room, and the first thing they see is the front hall. I like to carry the same palette throughout the house in smaller pieces, so the whole home feels like it's celebrating.”
At her house, everyone ends up in the kitchen keeping her husband company while he cooks, so she always has an arrangement on the kitchen island, a small one on the coffee table, and a bud vase in the powder room. That is the one spot where a scented flower is welcome.
Hostess Gifts That Don't Add a Task
“The kindest hostess gift is one that doesn't add a single task to her day,” Nancy says. Skip the loose bouquet: “You don't want to arrive with a hand tied bouquet because then the host has to stop what she's doing,” and too often the flowers “end up in the sink.” Bring an arrangement already in a vase, or have it sent ahead. If you're bringing the centerpiece itself, coordinate with your host and tell us the table's size and shape and how many guests are coming, so we can size it properly.
A seasonal orchid is Nancy's other suggestion: “It can bloom for weeks or months. So the host remembers the gift long after the leftovers are gone.” And “It needs almost nothing, no arranging, very little care, which is exactly what a tired host wants.” Our seasonal orchids range from a mini to tall, with one stem or several.
Ordering Thanksgiving Flowers for Delivery in Westchester
We deliver Thanksgiving centerpieces throughout Westchester County, lower Fairfield County and New York City, with same-day delivery when you order by 3 PM, Monday through Saturday. For Thanksgiving, we take orders through noon on Wednesday, November 25. The studio closes at 2 PM that day and is closed on Thanksgiving Day. You'll find delivery areas and times on our same-day delivery details page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall should a Thanksgiving centerpiece be?
Low enough for guests to see and talk across the table. Keep the flowers long and low, and let taper candles add the height.
What size centerpiece do I need for 10 guests?
For 8 to 10 guests, choose Signature or Signature Plus in a Cylinder or Long & Low; Signature Plus gives a fuller, more abundant look. For a Specialty Vase, choose by your table: Signature suits a 60-inch round or a rectangular table.
Can I use a round centerpiece on a rectangular table?
Yes. Many people choose a round container to leave more room for the food, even when the table is rectangular. Our Specialty Vase arrangements are sized for round or rectangular tables, from Petite to Luxe.
What is a good Thanksgiving hostess gift?
An arrangement that arrives already in a vase, or a seasonal orchid, so your host doesn't have to stop and find a vase. If you can, have it delivered ahead of the day.
When is the last day to order Thanksgiving flowers?
We take Thanksgiving orders through noon on Wednesday, November 25. The Flower Bar at 11 Addison Street, Larchmont is open Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM, closes at 2 PM on November 25, and is closed on Thanksgiving Day. Call (914) 834-4900 to speak with our team.
Thanksgiving Centerpieces from Our Larchmont Studio
Choose the shape by your table, the size by your guest count, and the palette by your dishes, your linens and the light in the room. The Flower Bar has been designing flowers for Westchester homes since 2008, and today our studio is at 11 Addison Street in Larchmont. We'd love to help you dress your Thanksgiving table.
When you're ready, browse our Thanksgiving centerpieces for delivery in Westchester, or call the studio and we'll help you choose.
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