To decorate for a wedding in a grand hotel is quite an undertaking. Everything has to be coordinated. The decor, the food, the ambience, every little things add together to create that magic moment. For this wedding, the couple has chosen a mix between the traditional grand, mille fluer style, and the ultra modern simple, sleek designs as their theme of decoration. Think of old Dutch still life paintings bumping into modernist essentialism. Lots and lots of different kinds of flowers, yet under strict control and restraint.

The staircase adorned with rose bunches with petals threaded onto steel grass.

It is always worth planning ahead when you want flowers to compliment your hotel wedding banquet. Think first about the style you want, and then whether the venue fits with what you plan, and the number of guests. Then of course you have to work out a budget. As a general guideline, flowers will cost about 10-15 % of your entire wedding budget.

The basic flower arrangements for a hotel wedding should, in general, include flowers for the reception, the stage as well as other places where photographs will be taken. So it is always nice to concentrate on a few spots of the venue and invest more in them, rather than scattering smaller arrangements all over the place.

Reception arrangement should be welcoming and nicely proportioned so as to avoid obstructing guests signing in. Flowers used here are a variety of roses and orchid, with yellow calla lilies causually placed on top. A backdrop at the reception for taking photographs. I tend to design the backdrop myself as well, so that the flowers will always go with the whole design.

Other than the venue decorations, you will need corsages and at least one bridal bouquet. As the bride changes clothes and gowns throughout the night, she will need different flowers to accompany her oufits.

The bouquet for the bride during the day. As a general guideline, the darker the colour of the bouquet, the later the night it should appear.Yellow calla is for the day as it is bright and sunny.

Inside the ballroom, decorations are restricted to similar themes so as to create a unified general effect. It is most important, in my opinion, that wedding decor should be consistent and powerully conveyed. Bits and pieces dotted around simply will not cut it. So when planning your big day, you should just think of one major theme, and stick with it no matter what! Your restrain will finally be paid back!

Inside the ball room is a tinge of red and orange, a warm effect for a Chinese style banquet.