A Lesson With Floral Designer Michael George

• By Denise Penny
• Published Winter 2006

If you're inviting less than 100 guests, you'll save about 50 percent by making the centerpieces yourself. To get started, take a class at Flower School New York (212-661-8074). A week before your wedding, order blooms from a Chelsea wholesaler or local farmers' market. Ask for flowers that are half-developed. Sunflowers are good for novices-buy 250 per 100 guests-as are heliconia, astilbe, and roses. Two days before the event, pick up your flowers, remove foliage below the water line, and keep them in a cold room. The next day, assemble the centerpieces. It's a three-person job, and the bride should not be one of them.

1. "Neatly lay the lemon-scented geraniums down in a pyramid, keeping the top a straight line and building it up. Overdo it a bit; quantity hides amateur flaws."

2. "Put the roses in clusters inside a basket. Or, use steel buckets, flea-market teapots, or silver ice buckets. Barrels are sweet with grapes on the table."

3. "These garden roses, called Latin Ambiance, are arranged to look carefree-dégagé. Fourteen inches is a good height. And remember, no cheap florist fillers."