Photo by Jake Morely Photography
At EJFD we LOVE a hanging floral installation at weddings! Whether it be a hanging floral hoop, flower cloud, flower curtain, gorgeous foliage garlands or something else! They're guaranteed to WOW your guests and create real impact in your wedding venue. Your guests might not remember what your table centrepieces looked like, but they'll be sure to remember that stunning hanging floral design!
As gorgeous are they are, hanging floral designs do require some extra thought, planning and preparation (and let's be honest, extra budget too!). Here are a few things to consider when deciding if a hanging floral installation is right for your wedding:
1. Will a hanging floral installation work at your venue?
First things first, is it even possible?! It might sound obvious, but all hanging designs need a point to attach them to the ceiling. This means hanging installations are best suited to marquee weddings and venues with good supporting structures (such as beams) but less so for period houses or listed venues. It's always worth checking, if there are any decorating restrictions at your venue if it's something you have your heart set on!
2. Share you suppliers' contact details.
Your florist will need to contact your venue / marquee company to discuss exciting(!) logistics like weight restrictions, fixings and weight bearing points. Let everyone involved have each other's contact details to get the ball rolling smoothly.
3. Prices for hanging floral pieces are always bespoke.
Many aspects go into calculating the price of floral installations, it's much more than just the flowers! Extra planning and designing time, extra staff and extra insurance are all needed by your florist and, let's face it, anything as luxurious as hanging flowers is never going to be cheap!
4. Your florist will need extra time on site to bring a hanging installation to life.
Your florist will need access to your venue / marquee the day before the wedding, to create you hanging installation. Big floral installations usually take between half a day and a full day to design so please allow time in your timeline.
5. Your florist will need a clear workspace.
Those gorgeous luxurious foliage hoops you see hanging in marquees? Yep, they take time to make... and the process can be messy!
It isn't safe for other wedding suppliers (or family and friends) to be milling about whilst we create hanging installations and we don't want to get leaves all over your perfectly dressed tables and decor either, so you also need to consider coordinating your timeline!
Ideally, your hanging installation will be completed before the rest of the decorating begins. Tables and chairs should all be stacked out of the way to allow for a clear and safe working space.
Photo by Sophie Renshaw Photography
6. Your florist will need extra support staff.
When working at height, all florists will require at least two staff members on site. This is for their own health and safety and insurance purposes. This means an increased labour cost compared to some smaller designs.
And no, your family and friends cannot lend a hand to reduce this cost! Our insurance will only allow trained and briefed staff to assist. That brings me to...
7. Often florists will require extra insurance to create hanging installations.
Both working at height and just providing a hanging floral display, will require your florist to purchase extra insurance. This is additional cost will usually be included in your florist's itemised design fee.
8. Breakdown
Your florist will need to return to site to remove the hanging installation after your wedding, whether that is at night-time when your celebrations have finished or in the following days. Please be aware that you will be required to pay for staff to remove these designs and hence, the breakdown cost of a hanging installation is usually more than of other smaller designs.
Photo by Jake Morely Photography
If you'd like to discuss having a hanging floral installation at your wedding, get in touch via the contact form or drop me an email! I can't wait to start planning your dreamy wedding florals!