wedding table flowers
Wedding table flowers like these are all about mechanics construction. You have to create a firm base that will hold up to both the oasis foam (saturated with water) and the weight of the flowers themselves. Today's designs include water loving flowers like hydrangeas and peonies.
This tutorial is demonstrated on a 6 foot banquet table, with just enough seating for the bride and groom. Adjust the length and foam needed for the size tables you plan on.
You'll need the following products:
- Wholesale Fresh Flowers (combo packs of greens & flowers are the best buy)
- 2 18" Oasis Raquettes
- 4 Syndicate Sales Table Saddles
- 8 bricks of Oasis Foam (2 for each saddle)
- Craft Chicken Wire
- Oasis Wire Cutters
- Florist Knife
- Crystal Clear Flower Food
- Floralock Stem Adhesive
- Finishing Touch or Crowning Glory Flower Sealant
Picture what is UNDER the flowers. The backdrop has two Oasis Raquettes, saturated in water treated with fresh flower food. Don't skimp and skip the fresh flower products described when you process the wholesale flowers upon arrival. Read up on it and have your workspace already set up and ready to go.
You can attach the Oasis foam cages to the backdrop frame with either wire or long zip ties. I like the zip ties because they are tight, easy to attach and can be cut off after the event with wire cutters.
The cascade off the table has to be supported. As I said, fresh flowers and foam bricks are HEAVY! Use craft chicken wire to create a flowing mass of flowers over the table edge. Be careful, as chicken wire is sharp and can leave you with cut fingers or snagged clothing (such as beautiful wedding gowns). Take your time and fold the rough edge over and bent into itself.
Your chicken wire frame will bend over the table top, fitting under the two right table saddles. The weight of the saddles will help keep the wire frame in place.
However, looking down on the top of the table, you'll see that I use ribbon (preferably the color of the table cloth, that is attached to the edges of the chicken wire. Bring all four strands down, over the inside table edge and either tie to the table legs or attach to heavy weights. This will keep the waterfall arrangement over the table edge where it belongs.
You can drop an overlay to cover the chicken wire after attached in front of the table skirting. There is an alternate method explained in a different tutorial that uses Oasis Sculpting Sheets instead of chicken wire.
I like using the two brick saddles because the design braces the wet foam to prevent tipping over the table edge. The weight keeps the arrangement firmly anchored on the table, even if flowers are flowing over the side edge of the table.
You can see that the saddle allows two bricks to have enough foam above the container to insert flowing greens and flower insertions at an upward angle.
You are going to need to attach water sources to the chicken wire form. Oasis offers two types of bricks.
Use either the regular Floracage or the Grande, or even a mix of both to zip tie to the chicken wire.
You can use these same cages for silk flowers if you wish. Simply dip the ends of the artificial flowers into white kraft glue before inserting into the cages. If you wish, you can simply poke artificial flowers into the wire grid, but you have to do it with a hook bent into the flower's stem.
Always keep in mind that you have to transport these flowers. It's good to do as much designing at home or the shop that you can. But you have to be able to lift, carry and transport these flowers to your venue, so keep that in mind!
Massed flowers take a lot of time and a lot of flowers. You can ease the cost of your flower budge by greening the foam and spreading out the flowers. You can buy combo packs of greens or combo packs of mixed flowers that give you more punch for the dollars spent.
Take the time to read through all the bridal table tutorials. It will give you a feel on designing flowers and different methods for achieving different looks.
