Wedding flower decor, space by space

Wedding floral decor works better when you plan it by space rather than by total quantity. The most expensive mistake is splitting the budget evenly across places that don't matter equally.

Where to put the budget

These three places account for 80% of the photos and of what guests take away:

1. The ceremony spot. The arch, altar or backdrop where you say "I do." It is the main photo of the wedding.
2. The entrance. It is where the first impression forms and where everyone takes photos on arrival.
3. The tables. Guests spend four hours there looking at them.

Where not to

• The walkway to the venue, if people cross it in thirty seconds.
• The restrooms. A small touch is more than enough.
• Areas that go dark after ten at night. If there is no light, no flower will be seen.
• The cake table, if the cake already has its own decoration.

Space by space

Ceremony. An arch, or two tall arrangements on either side. If it is in a church, check the parish rules first: many have restrictions on what can be attached and where. Pew decorations along the aisle are the first thing you can cut if the budget gets tight.

Entrance and reception. One large arrangement is worth more than five small ones. If there is a welcome table or a guest book table, a low arrangement goes there.

Tables. This is where most of the floral budget goes, because of sheer volume. It is covered in detail in wedding centerpieces.

Head table. If it is long, a low continuous garland looks much better than separate arrangements.

Photo area. If there is a photo backdrop, a floral panel or arch goes a long way: it is where half of the guests' photos end up.

How to stretch the budget

• Reuse. The ceremony arrangements can be moved to the reception venue while guests are at cocktail hour. It needs to be coordinated in advance, but it saves the most.
• Foliage and candles. A eucalyptus runner with candles costs a fraction of the same length in flowers and looks spectacular at night.
• Seasonal flowers. This makes the biggest difference of all.
• Fewer focal points, stronger ones. Three places done well beat ten done halfway.

Coordination

Decide ahead of time who sets up, what time the venue opens for setup, who picks everything up at the end and what happens to the flowers afterwards. It is the kind of detail nobody looks at until four in the morning, when someone has to decide who takes home twenty arrangements.

Availability of each flower changes with the season. If you are looking for a specific flower, ask us before ordering and we will confirm whether we have it.