Floral Chandelier — the wedding installation guide
Suspended floral installations over reception tables — sizing, structure, rigging, flower selection, and cost. From the studio side of the wedding-installation industry.
A floral chandelier — a suspended floral installation over a reception table or dance floor — is one of the most impactful statement pieces at modern weddings. It transforms a space vertically in a way no centerpiece or arch can, and it photographs beautifully in every direction.
This guide is written for couples planning a wedding and for florists building their first suspended installation. From the studio's operational side.
What a floral chandelier is
A structural framework (metal, wire, or hoop) suspended from a ceiling point, filled with flowers and greenery, hanging above a dining space or dance floor.
Sizes range from:
- Small — 60-90 cm diameter, 30-40 cm depth. For an intimate round table (8-10 guests).
- Medium — 100-150 cm, 40-60 cm depth. For head tables or 10-12 person rectangular tables.
- Large — 150-250 cm, 60-100 cm depth. For rectangular banquet tables 16+ guests or dance floors.
- Extra-large — 250 cm+. Commercial event scale; ballroom- spanning installations.
Where floral chandeliers work
Yes:
- Ballrooms with high ceilings (4+ metres)
- Marquees and tents with beam access
- Outdoor spaces with structural pergolas
- Venues with existing installation points
- Modern industrial venues
No:
- Low-ceilinged spaces (chandelier reads as low-hanging)
- Historic venues with no rigging permissions
- Venues with only sprinkler systems (fire code)
- Any space where lighting rigging isn't already present
Structural options
Metal ring (single circle). The most common. A single metal ring, 60-200 cm in diameter, painted or wrapped, with flowers mounted around and inside.
Multiple concentric rings. Two or three rings at different heights, connected. Creates depth.
Hoop chandelier (metallic hoop). A gold or brass hoop, exposed partially, with flowers cascading from one edge. Modern minimalist.
Botanic geometry. Bespoke frames — square, hexagonal, triangular — for editorial and modern brands. Custom weld, so 2-3× the cost.
Cascading vertical. A hanging vertical structure with flowers running top-to-bottom. Reads as flower-waterfall.
Rigging — who does the work
Never rig from the venue's HVAC or lighting rigs unless specifically approved by the venue. Improper rigging causes falls that endanger guests.
Standard rigging options:
- Fishing line from beam — invisible, cheap, weight-limited to 15-25 kg per line
- Steel cable + pulleys — professional; for installations 25 kg+
- Existing chandelier structure removed and replaced — needs venue and electrician cooperation
- Freestanding truss system — for spaces without ceiling attachments; adds cost
A florist should not be the rigger unless they're specifically trained in it. Most floristry studios partner with an event-rigging company for larger installations.
Flower selection
Suspended installations bear their own weight for 8-12 hours in warm venue air. Flowers must:
- Hold shape without hydration (dry-styled or in hidden vials)
- Not shed under vibration
- Look sculptural from all angles
Excellent for hanging installations:
- Eucalyptus (all varieties) — the structural backbone; light, durable, doesn't wilt visibly
- Pittosporum, salal, camellia foliage — evergreen filler
- Pampas grass (dried) — for volume; extremely lightweight
- Preserved roses and hydrangeas — for statement volume
- Cotton — texture and warmth for autumn/winter
- Amaranthus (hanging variety) — trailing purple/green
- Waxflower and gypsophila — cloud-like filler
- Statice (dried) — texture and colour
Acceptable with hidden vials:
- Roses (garden and standard) — vials attached to underside
- Hydrangea — best in vials
- Anemones — vials required, opening early risk
- Sweet pea — vials required, short vase life
Avoid for suspended installations:
- Peonies (too heavy, sheds)
- Tulips (grow after cutting)
- Any true lily (fragrance issues at eye level)
- Foam-mounted arrangements (foam sheds crumbs)
Cost expectations
- Small circle installation (60-90 cm): $500-1,200
- Medium installation (100-150 cm): $1,200-2,800
- Large ballroom installation (150-250 cm): $2,800-6,000
- Custom / editorial / statement: $6,000-15,000+
Costs vary by:
- Number of stems (mostly flower cost)
- Structural complexity (custom-welded frames cost more)
- Rigging setup (fishing line vs professional rigging)
- Delivery, install, and dismantle labour (typically 2-4 people × 3-6 hours)
Timing on the wedding day
- Delivery: morning of the wedding
- Structural assembly: 3-6 hours before reception opens
- Floral installation: 1-3 hours before reception opens
- Photography: immediately after installation, before reception
- Reception: installation live
- Dismantle: after guests leave, typically 11 PM - 1 AM
- Cleanup: removal of all rigging by contract deadline
If any part of the installation is preserved for the couple as a keepsake, arrange that at the design stage. Most installations are discarded because they're built to installation-standard, not preservation-standard.
Common failure modes
Weight underestimated. Real-world installation weighs more than the flower-only weight due to vials of water, hidden foam, and structural elements. Rigging must handle 2× the flower weight.
Ceiling access denied. Book the venue-and-rigging plan together, and confirm ceiling access at contract signing. Assumptions here have cancelled entire installations 24 hours before the event.
Wilting timeline miscalculated. Fresh flowers not in vials will wilt by hour 6 in a warm venue. Plan the installation for 3-hour peak-visibility window at the ceremony/first-look moment, then accept that late reception photographs won't feature the installation as prominently.
Fire code violation. Some jurisdictions require flame-retardant treatment on decorations above dance floors. Check venue.
Alternative — semi-suspended installations
If full ceiling rigging isn't possible:
- Overhead beam draping — flowers on a beam that's already structural, no ceiling anchor needed
- Column-mounted — flowers on a floor-standing pillar with an overhead reach
- Freestanding arch over table — the "flower arch" but placed above a table rather than an aisle
These achieve much of the visual impact at 30-50% the cost of a full chandelier.
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