Velvety chocolate cosmos form a cuff around lavender 'Paradise' roses. Inspired by fifties haute couture, the bouquet is finished with chocolate bows pinned to its handle.

The bride, Cheree, wears a Carolina Hererra lace gown and carries a bouquet of red, pink, and orange ranunculus with a single tiny golden bee -- one of the motifs she often uses in her work as a stationer -- perched among the flowers. The embroidered hankie, her something blue, is a gift from Martha Stewart Weddings editorial director Darcy Miller.

Late-season aubergine dahlias get their sparkle from white-tipped petals. The leaves are embossed velvet. Fresh chartreuse acorns are a nod to the colors of spring, just a season away from a winter wedding.

Dark and light ribbons bind a festive bunch of red 'Black Magic' and 'Black Beauty' roses, and viburnum berries glow like rubies amid pale geranium foliage.

This arrangement features several red carnations clustered together to create a dramatic centerpiece. To add even more drama and a little bit of playfulness, we paired the red hue of the carnations with aqua accents. 

DIY bride, Cheree Berry adorned her reception tables with a bright dome of dahlias, zinnias, and roses.

A mixture of red dahlias, mums, and other freshly cut flowers were displayed in votive holders and centerpiece vessels, which the bride bought at tag sales, antiques stores, Goodwill, and the Alameda Flea Market.

In Dutch flower paintings of the seventeenth century, every blossom has a symbolic meaning; in this modern bouquet, closed rosebuds allude to innocence. The floral palette embodies the classic artistic effect of chiaroscuro (the striking interplay of dark and light) by combining purple scabiosa and 'Black Beauty' roses with silvery lamb's ear.

For big arrangements, the simplest geometry is best, as in this bouquet created for a Christmas bride. Velvety, perfectly opened amaryllis blossoms and hypericum berries resembling beads of garnet are offset by lacy sprigs of arborvitae.

An ivory gown becomes more luminous when paired with a bouquet of purple Dutch calla lilies, chocolate cosmos, lisianthus, lamb's ear, and burgundy ribbon. The bride is the picture of natural grace in a wreath of pale lisianthus buds threaded with cosmos.

An autumnal theme is conveyed with red and orange garden roses, pepperberries, and crab apples in the centerpieces.

A trio of festive, jewel-toned roses -- 'Black Magic,' 'Red Devil' and 'Black Beauty' -- combines to striking effect with plumes of garnet astilbe and bunches of pink pepperberries. The stems are wrapped in a cone of brown satin ribbon almost three inches wide.

The centerpieces -- small terra-cotta and copper pots filled with roses, tiny pinecones, and vanilla-scented pillar candles -- add warmth to each of the reception tables.