Flowers for Your Reception
As you will be spending the majority of your day at the reception venue, it is probably wise to spend most of your floristry budget and planning time in this area.
You may wish to consider the following arrangements:
Pedestals in the Entrance Areas
This will be the first thing that your guests will see on their arrival, so choose something stunning. However, as they will usually pass through the entrance area quite quickly, you could cut costs by using masses of variegated foliage with just a few flowers. This is one of the places where you could set one of your pedestal arrangements from the ceremony.
An alternative could be to place topiary trees - or you can create a faux topiary arrangement - a large ball of oasis on top on a short (about 4 foot) pole, packed with greenery or flowers.
Other pedestals arrangements could be placed around the reception venue, to add colour and interest.
Top Table Decorations
The top table will usually have a long low arrangement, to allow the newlyweds and their guests to see each other. A garland could be hung across the front of the table, to add extra decoration.
Use your bridal bouquet and bridesmaids' bouquets as floral arrangements at the reception. You can use them as the centrepiece for the head table or you can put them on the cake table, guest book table or gift table. They make a stunning floral display and your guests will love to see the bouquets up close!
Table Arrangements
Each dining table should have some decoration, floral or otherwise. Make sure that the decorations are either tall enough to allow your guests to see each other underneath, or low enough to let them speak over them. You also need to ensure that you've left enough room on the table for all the food, plates and glasses. To add a touch of romance, you could add candles to the arrangement, or place votive candles around the base of tall arrangements.
Popular table arrangements flowers are gerbera, lilies, daffodils, carnations, daisies, gypsophilia and roses. Try not to choose flowers with an overpowering scent, as it may put your guests off their dinner!
Other Flower Ideas for the Table:
- Place a fresh flower into a tiny vase or candle votive for each guest
- Tuck a tiny posy of flowers, or a sprig of heather into the napkins
- Sprinkle fresh (or freeze-dried) flower petals (eg rose or bougainvillea) across the table for added romance
Wedding Cake Decoration
You could decorate your wedding cake with a small flower arrangement. If you're using fresh flowers you will need to arrange communication between your cake designer and florist - the florist will need to know the cake dimensions, and the cake designer will need to know what the florist plans to do.
An alternative is to use sugar flowers. These can look wonderful and have the advantage of being able to be made to the exact proportions needed, can be placed on the cake before the wedding (one less thing to think about on the day), and will never be in any danger of wilting!
Marquees
If you're having your reception in a marquee, the marquee company will provide rope or hooks on the poles, to hang floral arrangements like chandeliers. You could also use well-established hanging baskets (so plan well in advance) - ideal flowers include ivy, lobelia, and fuchsia.
Gardens
If you're going to have the wedding reception outside in a garden, you should start planning early if you want to have a colour theme. Nearer the time, a trip to the garden centre will deal with any spaces that might be left in the flowerbeds.
If you're holding your reception in a marquee, guests may walk through the garden on their way to it, so make sure that your garden is immaculate. If the marquee is in a field, try to make sure the grass is mown where your guests will be walking.
Other Ideas
- Cover up eyesores or liven up dull areas with the use of foliage and flowers
- Place a small floral arrangement in the bathroom area to brighten it up
- Wind trailing ivy around poles, napkins and chairs, use in garlands or place sprigs on your tables
