How to Hang Flowers in a Wedding Tent

Adorn the support beams of your wedding tent.

When decorating a wedding tent, there are several techniques you can employ to make your reception venue beautiful. Hanging flowers from the tent's beams is one such method, but not every style will fit with every reception. A few ideas include hanging flower-adorned parasols, garlands, birdcages and pomanders. Speak with your decorator about your ideas for the venue, or try out a small example of each to decide how well you like it in person.

Things You'll Need

• Drill
• Lace parasols
• 22-gauge wire
• Natural or silk flowers
• Garland
• Floral wire
• Hanging flower basket
• Floral foam ball
• Corsage pins
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. 

   Parasols can add a vintage atmosphere to your wedding reception.

   Drill a small hole in the handles of several lace parasols. Though many parasols already have this hole, it is not always present. Thread a 22-gauge wire through the hole and twist it to one of the upper rungs of the tent. You can then fill the parasols with lightweight hanging flowers, such as lilacs, wisteria and hydrangeas. If you want to incorporate stiffer flowers, such as roses, wire them to the parasol's handle before hanging it up.

2. 

   Hanging baskets are easily found in garden centers and plant shops.

   Drape long strands of garland around the upper rungs of the tent. You can start with simple greenery, such as ivy, boxwood or evergreen and then use floral wire to attach the blossoms you want. For maximum hold, push a 22-gauge wire perpendicularly through the base of the flowers and twist the wire around the garland. Then, to draw your guests' eyes to the center of the tent, wire a hanging basket of flowers above the head table for a striking finish.

3. 

   Delicate birdcages make for lovely decorations.

   Fill several vintage birdcages with flowers that match your wedding bouquet and shut the cage doors to secure them inside. Slip a 22-gauge wire through the top ring of the birdcage and twist it around the upper support beam of the tent. Because the birdcages will slide on the slanting beams of the tent, this technique is only usable on the horizontal beams and joins of the tent.

4. 

   Roses easily create the tight collection of flowers needed by pomanders.

   Push the stems of flower blossoms into a floral foam ball to create a pomander or kissing ball. Pomanders are a Victorian tradition, and they were given their "kissing ball" nickname when decorators began putting mistletoe at the lowest point of the ball. Begin by wrapping two one-yard lengths of ribbon around the ball, beginning at the lowest point and working your way up to the top. The two ribbons should split the ball evenly into quarters. Push corsage pins into the ribbons, spacing them evenly every 1/2 inch. The ribbons must be secure, as they will support the full weight of the ball. Push the flowers' stems into the foam, leaving none of the base on display. Thread the ribbons through the rungs of the tent and knot them at the top.

References

• My Wedding Marquee: Styling Tips for a Sensational Summer Marquee Wedding Reception
• Wedding Guide: Choosing Your Flowers
• Pioneer Thinking: How to Make Pomanders

Resources

• Country Marquees: Find Inspiration for Any Type of Event