How to Floor Your Attendees with Florals

Spring always feels like a fresh start, a clean slate. When the world comes into bloom, everything feels brighter, and anything feels possible. To celebrate the first day of spring on March 19th, Kelly Markota , 360DG’s Design & Development Manager, Los Angeles, and I decided to dish on all things floral. So, let us plant some seeds of inspiration and help you add the perfect splash of natural color to your next event.?

How to Sprout the Best Floral Decor Ideas

Asking clients their favorite flower isn’t the best place to start. In addition to blank stares, you’ll often get answers that make things more difficult and expensive. Out-of-season flowers are twice as costly because they need to be injected with chemicals and steroids to get them ready for the spotlight. Instead, let Mother Nature do what she does best!?

Once you have a feel for your event's desired color palette and vibe, speak with a florist about which blooms are ripe for the picking. They can guide you and curate some gorgeous options without busting your budget. You can even ask to see their portfolio of seasonal work for extra inspiration.

Put Some Spring in Your Step

Speaking of embracing the season’s bounty, it’s time for our favorite spring florals. While many default to pastels in spring (Pantone’s color of the year, Peach Fuzz, is a great starting point!), Kelly also enjoys playing with contrast by incorporating bolder, darker tones like this:

Here’s some lighter inspiration (often requested) around Easter:

Kelly's top five spring blooms

• Tulips reflect the classic boldness and freshness of the season, and they come in all the colors of the rainbow.
• Appeal to even more of your attendees' senses with daffodils; they always smell bright and inviting.
• Irises come in an array of tones, from amethyst to indigo, and their unique shape will provide visual interest in any arrangement.
• Pansies aren’t just full of character; they’re also edible! Incorporate them into your food and beverage offerings for an extra Instagrammable touch.
• Peonies, particularly the multi-colored kind, are Kelly’s absolute favorite. These blooms have so much variety in shape, color, and texture that they can suit almost any aesthetic.

Floral Arranging Tips from the 360DG Pros

Kelly’s number one tip for floral arranging? Don’t overthink it! Flowers and greenery are the gems of the natural world and beautiful in their own right. Let them speak for themselves, and you won’t go wrong.?

Here are some quick tips on how to best approach different types of arrangements:

• If you’re arranging a hand-held bouquet to honor a special guest or award winner, start with a foliage base. Keep the tallest flowers you want to feature in the center, then build out the rest in a spiral.
• For centerpieces in vases, keep fragile florals in the center to avoid breakage from bumping and moving.
• If you want to create something more abstract, don’t be afraid to be innovative and let your selected blooms drive the direction.
• Kelly’s dainty arrangement sidekick is a pin frog. They keep flowers exactly where you want them without depending on hot glue, foam, or vase fillers.

Go Beyond the Bloom

While florals will always be a staple of event decor, there are many other options to harvest. Pampas grass is a weed that is so hardy and prolific that it can grow out of concrete. Florists and creators have begun to celebrate its feathery, show-stopping potential in the past few years. We recently suggested it as decor for a trend-setting entryway, and the results were beyond gorgeous. Dried florals, grasses, branches, greenery, and even potted plants like succulents can all provide unique beauty. So, don’t be afraid to embrace the unexpected!

We hope this article makes you feel more confident when approaching floral design for your next event. Message us with questions, ideas, and your favorite floral creations. And, a friendly reminder from us at 360DG and Miley Cyrus alike: you can (and should!) buy yourself flowers. ??