Photography: True Photography
Churches come alive and turn the atmosphere romantic when dressed with flowers. But depending on the time of year certain flowers are forbidden in some churches (bet you didn't know that!). Lily Chan, director of operations of The Olive 3, draws up 3 main points of focus when differentiating floral décor for churches and other secular venues.
Respect the restrictions
When we decorate a church, we need to respect the church environment and regulations, and make sure that statues/ banners/ artwork are not moved without permission from the secretariat.
There are also other restrictions to take note of such as the differences between Christian and Catholic churches. For example, for Catholic church weddings, flowers must never be placed on the altar table, but this is not applicable for Christian churches. Catholic wedding celebrations are discouraged during the season of Lent (April), and for some churches, Advent (the 4 weeks leading to Christmas).
For churches which allow the celebrations, some may restrict any floral displays during Lent (permitted to use only foliage), and some may have their own decorations (eg. a Nativity scene), or require flowers following the advent colours, during Advent. Christian churches generally do not have these restrictions.
Compared to other wedding venues, most do not impose any restriction on the colours or type of decoration/ flowers used, so long as it doesn't interfere with their existing decor and structure. Hence, couples basically can have any theme or decoration they want, and are only limited by their budget.
Choose a main focus
For Church weddings, the main focus for the flowers is on the altar. Some couples try to cut cost by asking for smaller arrangements but then get disappointed when the flowers are lost in front of the church (especially if it is a big church).
Decoration for the pews is another must. Depending on the design of the pews and the couple's budget, the decoration can be simple and elegant or more elaborate with exotic flowers used. Pew flowers are visible up-front and hence, smaller flowers are usually used.
Altar centrepieces are generally large in size, hence we usually use a few varieties of flowers in different sizes to make the arrangements look more interesting from afar where the guests are seated. Floral arrangements tend to be more traditional in design.
The focus for other wedding venues is usually on the solemnisation area, where the signing of the marriage register takes place. Besides a lovely backdrop, decoration for the marriage signing table and bride and groom chairs, flowers for the guest chairs, etc. are examples of what is usually required.
The signing is often followed by the reception, so decoration of the dining tables is also a must, unless the venue provides this. Table centrepieces can be in the form of loose stalks in vases or table arrangements, depending on the couple's preferences. Some venues also have large pillars or walls which couples may wish to decorate.
The date of set-up
Most church weddings are held on Saturday morning and early afternoon, unlike other wedding venues which can take place on Saturday or Sunday, lunch or dinner time. Also, some churches require the setup to be done a day before, while other wedding venues especially restaurants, usually allow the florist to decorate only on the wedding day itself, within a stipulated time frame.
