Ceremony Backdrops: How to pack a punch with large scale installations.
Large ceremony backdrops and installations are exciting and can be a bit intimidating too! Today, I’ll unpack some thoughts about how you can tackle these challenging designs and make a profit at the same time!
Ceremony Backdrops Wedding Arch Photo by Jenny DeMarco Photography
Ceremony backdrops and designs vary widely. Actually, this is a total understatement. They run the gamut from simple hand-tied bouquets attached to either side of an arch all the way to lush elaborate oversized flower walls. It may feel awkward, but discussing budget up front with your client is the best way to establish what direction you’ll need to guide them in for their ceremony décor.
Money talks when it comes to ceremony backdrops and designs.
I’ll level with you here. You don’t want to spend valuable time visualizing and pricing ceremony backdrops that your client simply cannot afford. A general idea of their budget and overview of all the elements they want at the wedding will be a huge step towards deciding what ceremony backdrop options you can suggest.
Here’s a general guide on ceremony backdrops.
Simple hand-tied bouquets attached to either side of an arch $100 to $300 each depending on the flowers used and size of bouquets.
A lush floral design in the corner of an arbor $500- $1000
Garland style greenery draped over the arch with flowers tucked throughout $500 to $1000 depending on fullness, type of flowers used, and length of garland.
Lush full arch with base of greenery and pops of flowers throughout $1000 to $5000 depending on the fullness, type of flowers used, and length of garland.
Alternatively, two lush free standing arrangements could be used for a lovely ceremony backdrop. These can also vary widely in price, but for general budgeting purposes I’d say they range from $350 to $1000 each in my area of TX.
Now keep in mind that these are price ranges that I would generally use to establish the look a client could afford. It’s 2021 and I’m in the central Texas market. So, your ranges might be quite different depending on your location and when you are reading this. I always cost out the flowers and confirm my pricing using EveryStem before I charged an exact price to any client. I think every floral designer should do the same to ensure profitability on their projects!
Ceremony Backdrops Hand Tied Bouquet on Arbor
Now that you have a general idea of price ranges and just a few possibilities of common ceremony backdrops, we can talk recipes!
I love a good recipe. It helps me keep my budget in line and achieve my profit goal. It also helps me to be focused and organized during the design production of the event. Sustainable Floral Design has some helpful insights and tips about how to design large scale floral installations. Thinking about how your design will be built is a key piece of building your recipe.
Tobey Nelson, the blog’s author puts it best. Here’s a snippet from her blog:
The HOW
How will I need to work to make this piece? This is a very important step. It determines the goals and parameters of the design. It helps me think through which methods I will use. This is where I can really dig into some holistic design thinking to maximize my eco-friendly floristry approach. I ask myself these questions:
How much time do I have to set this up and take this down? Will this be built on site or prebuilt in the studio? How will I transport it? Do I have enough time at strike to take it apart enough to fit in my vehicle?
What does the venue have to offer/what do they allow in terms of installation methods – are there beams to hang from? Can I stake into the ground? Can I attach things to a wall? Am I allowed to use a drill, tape, etc.
Will I get my mechanics back or will they be sacrificed? What are the waste services available – will the item be carefully salvaged by me, or will the whole thing be chucked into the trash or compost?
Where is the piece to be enjoyed – indoors or out? What is the weather likely to be? What is the climate? Is there wind, will it be hot, will it be humid or dry? Will I be able to get my materials in time to process them as I would prefer?
How much time between when I am done with set up and when the piece will be enjoyed by an audience? How long must the piece perform?
The answers to these questions heavily inform my choice of mechanics, water sources and botanicals.
This 2-part blog post is great for designers interested in more eco-friendly design options.
The planning portion of your work is equal to if not more important than the on-site work itself in many cases. Considering all the factors Tobey mentioned above plus building a recipe that ensures your design will achieve your profit goals are the keys to successful ceremony backdrops and all large scale installations.
Here are a few estimates on how many flowers and greenery you need to use in each of the ceremony backdrops I listed above.
Hand-tied bouquets.
1 to 3 bunches of greenery or more
12 to 24 blooms or more
A lush floral design in the corner of an arbor.
0 to 5 bunches of greenery or more
30 blooms or more
Garland style greenery draped over the arch with flowers tucked throughout.
6 to 12 foot-long garland or longer
24 to 48 blooms or more
Full Lush arch with pops of flowers throughout.
1 small box Smilax to 1 large box Smilax
5 to 10 bunches of other greenery
50 to 100 booms or more
Free standing ceremony backdrop arrangements.
2 to 5 bunches of greenery or more
30 to 50 blooms or more
Altar arrangements for wedding ceremony backdrops
Now, with those base amounts of greenery and blooms you can take your designs in any direction you’d like to go! Use your established markup and labor fee to determine your prices. Be sure to include your mechanics like chicken wire into the cost. You’ll be able to dream up an endless amount of designs using the HOW thought process shared above.
Let’s talk about the greenery and flowers that work best for ceremony backdrops and installs.
Here are a few varieties of greenery that hold up well in ceremony backdrops and large scale installations without floral foam.
Bay Laurel
Boxwood
Eucalyptus
Huck
Magnolia
Olive
Roses
Rosemary
Ruscus
Salal
Smilax
Tree Ivy
Hand-tied bouquets can be kept in water until right before the set-up times. Other larger elements can be partially designed before the set-up and finished on-site like the garland style arch shown below. This garland was pre-made and then the flowers were inserted into water tubes the morning of the wedding and added to the garland during the set-up. Alternatively, full and elaborate ceremony arches can be produced partially beforehand and partially on-site or they can be designed completely on-site.
Saltlick BBQ Wedding Ceremony Couple under Arbor
These floral installation choices all depend on your schedule for the event day and how long you’ll have to set-up on site.
If you need an event day production schedule template, mine is available for you to use for free. Sign up at Profitable Floral Design to download the template.
I also have a blog post dedicated to how to make it work for you!
Of the varieties that I’ve worked with in the past the above-listed greenery tends to hold shape best in outdoor conditions. Other varieties of greenery may need a water source like hidden buckets or plastic cups filled with water and zip tied to your structure. Foraged greenery also may need a water source so plan accordingly.
Here’s a list of flowers that I have relied on over the years for ceremony backdrops and large scale installations.
They all hold up well in outdoor conditions, but I am in central Texas and in the summer, there isn’t much that holds up for extended time periods when exposed to direct sun. So, be sure to consider the timing of your set up to account for weather and exposure to the elements when designing ceremony and arch installations outdoors.
Alstromeria
Anthurium
Asiatic Lily
Boronia
Bouvardia
Calla Lily
Carnations
Craspedia
Dianthus
Freesia
Garden roses
Hyacinth
Lissianthus
Marigold
Orchids
Proteas
Statice
Yarrow
Of course, there are more varieties that can hold up well, but these are a great starting point if you feel unsure about which flowers to incorporate into your large scale floral installations.
An important take-away here is that your client should not dictate exactly which floral elements are used in your designs. Educate your clients about how your business works. Whether that means sourcing as many local flowers as possible or ensuring that outdoor large scale floral installations hold up for the duration of their event, it’s important to manage expectations and retain control of your designs.
Ceremony flowers and wedding party
Start out with a general price range. Then, suggest suitable options to your clients. Take the option they feel drawn to and consider the HOW thought process. Next, price it all out using your method or EveryStem and then make the design magic happen.
I hope this is helpful and that your next ceremony backdrop is your client’s dream come true!
Until next time,
LuAnn