Container or No Container - that is the question

 Are you planning an event that requires floral centerpieces? Are you overwhelmed with all the flower, color and container options? If so, this blog should help you at least understand how the container being used to "house" the flowers can help or hurt you with regards to size and budget. Read on to learn how important choosing the right container can be!

Let's talk about the flowers pictured below. These floral centerpieces were created in elegant wooden pedestal bowls. There are a few reasons that I personally like this way of designing. First off, the container, although adding to the cost of the over all table display, also creates a wonderful starting point for the flowers. The container is interesting in and by itself and the flowers only add to the elegance. The pluses to use a container like this one is that the flowers are slightly elevated off the table making the arrangement look more substantial. The fact that the container is decorative means you need less flowers to make a statement. This container could have been arranged with a nice mixture of foliage's accented with flowers and still would have looked very nice, don't you think? Also, the fact that this type of container requires the use of "floral foam" is a wonderful money saving tool. The foam allows the floral designer to control the placement of the flowers better than if simply arranged in water. In this case, spending a bit on the container is a good investment!

Now, in the floral display below, there basically is no "seen" container. The flowers are created and arranged directly into "floral foam" that is placed into a low plastic dish. Almost no money is going into the container housing the flowers. This way of styling allows you to put all of your budget into the flowers and not the container. Is this a good thing you might ask? Well, sometimes yes. Sometimes when you wish to see the flowers take up more room across the table (as for width) this way of styling is very good. I call this "foot print" when I'm working with clients. What is the footprint of the arrangement - how wide is it? How tall is it? Using these low dishes really help to make a nice wide footprint. Add a lot of height, however, and you'll be amazed at how quickly your flower budget can go. Remember, this piece now needs to be flowers from the table all the way up. A flat centerpiece is not overly interesting, so this style can take more greens and flowers, than the style above but for a client that loves the lush feel of the flowers spilling onto the table, this is a great look!

Arranging directly into water/glass. Ah, how this has been a trend and all through the recession, not a good one for budgeting. Elegant and simple, this trend has been strong but as you can see, the sheer bulk of the flowers is what creates the "footprint" of the bouquet, which is the most expensive way to style flowers. Control over the placement of the flowers is left up to the mercy of how the flowers and foliage's compacted together support each other. If you are looking for a centerpiece with both visual interest and bulk, this way of arranging probably should not be top of mind for you. If you love a compact, lush feel and simple clean lines of the glass and fresh water - go for it!

Remember, the container can and should be an important part of your floral centerpiece - even if you choose one you can't really see!! To see more of our centerpiece designs check out our wedding site at http://www.perfectweddingflowers.com/ and view our centerpiece picture gallery!