Event flowers

Galas, fundraisers, conferences, and large dinners use flowers differently from weddings. The rooms are often bigger, the tables more numerous, and the brief usually comes from a planner who is also juggling catering, audiovisual, and seating. Centerpieces carry most of the budget and most of the visual weight, so the guides here start at the table.

The guide to centerpieces that don't block conversation covers height, width, and the sightline zone across the table. For formats that hold up across thirty or forty tables, along with seasonal and brand-color choices, see the article on corporate gala centerpieces. If you want the flowers to have a second life, the guide to sustainable event planning covers local sourcing, foam-free mechanics, and donating arrangements the morning after. Most of the questions to ask a florist apply to events too, especially the ones about setup windows and what the quote includes.