Floral Installations - How To Incorporate Them Into Your Day

Becky: Have we ever mentioned how much we love flowers? We do. Bouquets, buttonholes, in a church, in a registry office, in your Nans back garden. Absolutely love them. And what we really like to see is them installed in clever and memorable ways. Enter the incredibly talented Afia of Afmena Events. Afmena Events is based in London and specialises in elegant floral and event design. Afia is going to talk to you all about floral installations and how you can incorporate them into your day. Enjoy.

Floral Installations At Weddings

Afia: An installation is a structure that is styled with flowers and/or foliage for a decorative feature. Balloons have made a comeback since being the popular décor styling choice they were 14+ years ago when I got married. I have to say, I have seen some very creative designs where balloon installations have been used for modern weddings, and I love the concept of having a fusion of both balloons and flowers/foliage for a design. When I have my consultations with clients, I always impress upon them the need to choose a focal point in their venue/wedding space, that is being styled. This focal area can be the Sweetheart/Top table where the bride and groom will be seated. Therefore, the installation would best be placed behind or around this table. This helps to beautifully frame the couple which makes for great pictures. It is a sensible choice to go for this because for a large portion of the wedding breakfast, all guests eyes will be concentrated on that all-important Sweetheart/Top table.

Afia: Another increasingly popular option is to have a ceiling installation. This looks stunning situated over the dancefloor and makes the centre of the room a great feature for pictures. Let’s face it, as much as we all value the experience and memories the wedding day will bring, we know that the pictures are one of the main incentives for where and how we spend our money for a wedding. Or at least it should be! I always tell our clients, spend the money where it will be seen and documented. The venue styling is a tangible feature of your special day that will remain captured in photographs for a lifetime. Ceiling installations work best with venues that have tall ceilings and in rooms where there is not too much colour already going on. If it is a space with plenty of natural light and a clean look, a ceiling installation will work brilliantly; making the statement it needs to. It screams glamour and opulence, but brides and grooms must appreciate that this will also be reflected in the cost due to the time and level of manpower involved. It is also important to research first if the venue will allow for it to be done.

Afia: If you are having an intimate wedding breakfast with an estate table setup, a suspended arrangement/floral installation on a smaller scale along the length of the table can be achievable with as much glamour and at less cost. A perfect backdrop for pictures that last a lifetime, they truly are a worthwhile consideration and investment for brides and groom’s to be. With an impressive installation, you can then compromise on spending in other areas e.g. linen or place settings. Depending on the size and fabulosity of your installation, it may mean you can have simpler centrepieces or perhaps centrepieces on a smaller scale. We have had the absolute pleasure of creating some amazing installations that have provided us with great opportunity to demonstrate creativity and versatility with flowers and other décor pieces. They become the signature of the weddings we design and are a fantastic way to create a bespoke look unique to that wedding day.

A conversation with a seasoned and expert venue stylist will help you consider your options and what works best with your vision, style and venue. Creativity has no boundaries.

Becky: Those backdrops really do make an unforgettable statement don't they? If you'd like to speak to Afia about your own floral arch, top table backdrop or ways to incorporate floral installations into your day or any other wedding styling or design ideas then you can contact her here on her website or over on her Instagram. We're looking forward to seeing more backdrops and installations in future submissions.