Are you planning a dinner party? Do you need to choose the right flowers for your floral table centerpiece?

Choosing the right flowers can be frustrating and expensive - or it can be simple and economical. Knowing three key secrets makes it simple for you to choose the right flowers. Then you can create a simple but beautiful floral centerpiece.

The key is to have a plan and stick with it.

Have you tried to create a table centerpiece for your dinner party without a plan? Then you know how easy it is to get off track. Read on to see what happened to Sally because she didn't have a plan:

Sally wanted a beautiful table centerpiece. A little behind schedule, she rushed to her local flower store to buy her flowers. The selection was wide, the flowers looked so lavish and the colors just sang. She thought it would be a snap to choose her selection, hurry home and create a stunning, perfect little masterpiece for her dinner table.

But fifteen minutes later she was still wavering between the beautifully scented hyacinths, some striking pink lilies and the tall, expensive orchids. In the end she left the store with the tall expensive orchids.

Sally got home with flowers that cost her about four times what she had planned to spend. She got home late because it took her so long to decide. And she realized that the orchids she bought just weren't right for her centerpiece, they were far too tall.

So she ended up with no flowers for her centerpiece and had to rush back to the store.

OK, I confess, I was that Sally - and more than once too. But now I've learned three key secrets for choosing flowers for my table centerpieces. Now I can add beauty to my dinner parties and subtract frustration and stress from my day.

Here are the three key secrets.

Less choice means less stress. Eliminate impractical choices. That means you shouldn't choose tall flowers or flowers that are scented for your table centerpiece.

Your flower arrangement should not be more than about 5 inches high. Otherwise your guests have to peer through the floral bushes to see each other across the table.

So you can eliminate tall flowers unless you can cut them down. Now you won't be swayed by a beautiful but impractical purchase. Sally's tall orchids were stunning, but they didn't cut it for a sit-down dinner table arrangement.

Scented flowers are appealing, but not at the dinner table. Don't put highly scented flowers on the dinner table because their aroma can fight with the food aromas. Some guests may even be allergic to the strong scent as well. The scented hyacinths Sally was eyeing would not be good choices for the dinner table.

Now you can eliminate a large range of flowers before you even get to the store.

Remember, less choice means less stress.

White works with everything. White tablecloths work with every color of flower.

White taper candles work with every color of flower.

White or crystal candlesticks work with any color of flower.

And white flowers go with everything.

How easy could that be?

If you do want some color in your flowers, you already know that any color will go because of your white tablecloth and your white candles.

If you want color, select your color choices BEFORE you go shopping. Don't come home with a color that is lovely but doesn't work with your scheme. Making a color plan will really help you avoid stress at the flower shop.

Decide on one or two colors in your mind BEFORE you go to the flower store. If your first color choice isn't available when you get there, go to your second choice.

If you see some flowers you absolutely have to have, but they aren't one of your choices, don't change your whole plan for the dining room table centerpiece. Just buy those must-have flowers to decorate your living room. Then go back to the plan and select one of your color choices for the dining room table.

So don't be like Sally. Put the three key flower-choosing secrets to work for you:

1. Remember that you shouldn't choose tall or scented flowers for the dinner table
2. Remember that white goes with everything
3. And if you want color in your flowers, choose one or two colors before you go to the store, then stick with your choices, no matter how tempting the other colors are

Now you have maximized your chances of choosing the right flowers, and minimized your stress while you shop.

Did you know that with just three basic centerpiece arrangements, you can cover almost every dinner party you give over a year? See how on the Table Centerpiece page at the dinner party planning site.