While flowers such as gardenias, lilac, freesia and tuberose can be quite fragrant and wonderful in certain situations, they can be competing and overpowering in a centerpiece setting.  For your reception, you don’t want the florals to compete with cuisine, and you certainly don’t want a guest with scent sensitivity to not enjoy your reception because they have a migraine from the overpowering smell of your centerpiece.

Used in small amounts, these blossoms are alright, but creating a very fragrant centerpiece, especially if your venue is an indoor environment can be less than enjoyable.  Your guests will enjoy the atmosphere, the smell of the fine cuisine they are about to eat, and the beauty of your centerpieces without overpowering them with a floral fragrance.

Clockwise from top left: Lilac, tuberose, freesia, gardenia, jasmine vine, paperwhites, casablanca lilies.