Need help with wedding arch flowers

[Snapdragon Studio]

I have a June bride that wants a lot of flowers on the wedding arch. I've done a lot of arch decor, but never where she wants the entire arch filled with flowers, something like the photos below.


I welcome some advice on mechanics...I initially thought I would create multiple arrangements in oasis, filling everything in on-site with additional greenery. Other suggestions? Here is the actual arch. I will decorate the top and down the inside pillars, the flowers won't go all the way to the outside pillars.

Do you guys use the oasis garland? It's so expensive, does anyone have a DIY technique? Any advice is welcome!

Also... would anyone mind telling me what you would charge? I plan to use hydrangeas, carnations, spiders, stock, bells of ireland, and hanging amaranthus. Plus greens of course.

 

[Snapdragon Studio]

hmm... having trouble attaching the photo...

 

[anytimeflowers]

Hi Jennifer.

There are several different methods you can use. I actually would not recommend the oasis garland for this project, it would take a lot more product. I would actually use 3 casket saddles, much easier to fill in. Make absolutely SURE SURE SURE that the gazebo is standing securely. That will be a lot of weight sitting up there above people's heads.

My one thought is that if you use bells, make use of them where they will not be viewed against the greens....because they won't show up. Looking at the pictures, I would say up at the top and down the sides, and not many in the middle. Remember they are geotropic (sp?) so they will go up. I would actually have them mostly done and then just do the ends when you get there. Remember that when you are looking at them on your bench, you are seeing it at a completely different perspective. The visual weight of your designs should be quite low so when you have them up there, they will have the punch you desire. Remember too that what looks great when you are standing right there does not look so great from further away. I would group the flowers rather than evenly spacing them.

USE CHICKEN WIRE over the oasis. I gave this a separate spot so it would not get missed.

A big fat guess at the product to do this:

20 hydrangea
4 doz carns
15 spiders
36 bells
24 amaranthus
15 stock
greenery - I would use a combo of ivy, plumosum, and tree fern, probably 5 bu of each. I would not use salal or leather

With that list, and an estimated two hours labor for making it and installing it would be at least $1,000-$1,200

 

[anytimeflowers]

Whoa.

That sucker is huge. I also think I would skip the bells entirely, the value won't be there because you won't be able to see them unless there will be a backdrop. If you want the color, you can always spray some of your foliage with DM Olive Bright.

I think I seriously underestimated the flowers, I was estimating for 8 feet plus two feet on each column. How big is that thing?

 

[RWK]

From the shape and style of the arch........In this case, I would recommend USING the oasis garland. Yes, it is expensive, but you charge the appropriate price and let your bride decide of she wants to put that much into the design.

I would use a good amount of trailing, vining foliage to hide mechanics, give an illusion of size, and to help fill space.

Now, you will need to stick with lighter, brighter colors, as even in the picture, the setting looks like it is a lower-light area and if it is a later day/hour wedding, then there will be less visible light to affect color perception.

In your flower selection, You will probably need I would gues-timate, somewhere along the line of about 150 stems of flowers all told.

If you so not want to use the oasis garland, or the full covering is cost-prohibitive for your bride, then use oasis floracages attached at intervals and link them that way, though I think you may end up using more florals with that method.

With either method, I would leave a good amount of space in between the individual blossoms. If you want an impression of fullness, then use some type of filler such as a statice or a limonium.

 

[rewolf]

Jennifer-

The attached pic shows an arbor we did using separate oasis cages and it took one worker 3-4 hours to create at the studio.Then it took another two hours to set up at the site. If I remember, there are about 7 - 9 cages in varying sizes on this arbor. At the time, I presented this arbor issue to FC and separate cages was the consensus.



But now, after the fact, if you think the oasis garland will save you time, I'd definitely consider it for that mammoth arbor you need to cover.

 

[kynda]

If you do decide to use the bells, they can be wired to help offset the phototropic effect. just run a wire up the middle, no taping, and then you can manipulate however you want

 

[RWK]

Since Bells are photo-troic and to a lesser degree geo-tropic, I would recommend using them on the outer edges of your design or divided up into closters and used in the interior of the design. You will want the twisting, arching, moving stems to not ruin a line, so use them in places where the effect would not be totally ruined.

 

[herndonflorist]

If i can ask what did you charge for this?

Jennifer-

The attached pic shows an arbor we did using separate oasis cages and it took one worker 3-4 hours to create at the studio.Then it took another two hours to set up at the site. If I remember, there are about 7 - 9 cages in varying sizes on this arbor. At the time, I presented this arbor issue to FC and separate cages was the consensus.

View attachment 14048

But now, after the fact, if you think the oasis garland will save you time, I'd definitely consider it for that mammoth arbor you need to cover.

 

[RWK]

Thought about another option........check with your wholesaler.......some of the foliage suppliers provide pre-made fresh garlands.........usually a mix of things like sprengerri, salal, and the like.......I know we usually think of evergreen garlands for Christmas.........but they are available for other seasons as well.

Now, also DEPENDING on how the arch is being used.......if it is a backdrop, then a trick I have done in the past is to combine lengths of pvc pine garland with FRESH greens, such as ivy's, sprengerri, plumosa, and the like......interweaving, wiring, glueing, tubing........to give a full look for a more attractive price.

 

[OB1]

I think you have under estimated the labour portion of this project.
It wil probebly take about 8 of the oasis cages...I think the oasis garland is too small and too expensive to work with for this particular project...so assuming you have 8 cages, filled with flowers and foliages...and I really think it is more like 200.00 each...and then you have labour on top of that.
When we go on site to decorate a trellis, it always takes 2 of us....we need to set up ladders, add foliages on site, move ladders, tie on stuff. clean up the mess, pack up the stuff....got to be at least 2 2/2 hours on site x two people plus travel time and filling the van, then unloading the van...then there is the take down trime, plus the stripping of the trellis, unpacking the stuff, saving the good things, throwing out the bad...I think it ends up more like the time on site plus 3 hours before leaving the shop plus 3 hours more cleaning up after the set up.
So now we are up to about 11 hours overall in labour, plus materials, plus stuff made at the flower shop.....
I have found that to do trellis work is a really large cost, that most brides do not want to pay for, and that we cannot do for less than cost due to the labour time.
Be careful with this one. It looks like a small deal, but in reality, it is huge.
JP