Looking for something fun and different to do with your friends? What about a flower arranging party? Here’s everything you need to know to host an unforgettable (and beautiful) night!
We may be a little biased, but we believe the best kind of party is a flower arranging party. Friends, flowers and food – what’s not to love about this perfect trio?
A flower arranging party can be a wonderful celebration for a bride-to-be, mother-to-be, birthday or simply to spend time with people you love. It can be a great way to get the conversation flowing in a low-pressure social setting. And if you do have a special event coming up, it’s a great way to get those blooms ready for the big day!
Whether your guests are learning a new skill or brushing up on an old one, flower arranging makes for a wonderful, shared activity. Plus, your guests will all get to take home a beautiful party favour at the end of the gathering!
If this sounds like your kind of party too, don’t miss our best tips for hosting the ultimate flower fiesta.
What is a flower arranging party?
In a nutshell, a flower arranging party involves guests getting together to create their own DIY flower arrangements. It’s a fun and original way to host a low-fuss social gathering.
The host will typically supply an array of flowers for guests to choose from. They may plan to serve food and refreshments, or keep it simple. At the end of the party, guests can take home their arrangements to enjoy or use them for any special occasion!
This kind of party is a lot easier to prepare than you may think – and a whole lot of fun! Guests can enjoy chatting as they get creative together and novices are sure to enjoy a few laughs.
How to host a flower arranging party
Prepare the invitations and invite list
First things first – is your party to celebrate anything special? If so, you may wish to let the VIP guest choose their attendees. Keep in mind that you will likely be supplying the flowers so consider your budget when capping your guest numbers.
It doesn’t matter if your guests have never tried flower arranging before or if they’re professionals. Regardless, they’ll either learn something new or enjoy showing off their skills. The focus here is on having fun and socialising in a creative setting.
If you wish to keep your invitations in the floral theme, you’ll find plenty of beautiful templates online.
Gather your supplies
Before we talk flowers, you’ll need to think about the tools and equipment you might need.
The number of guests will dictate how many tables and chairs to set up. It’s best to protect your tables by covering them in butcher’s paper (or any low-cost paper). You’ll also need to supply tools for guests to cut their flowers to size. Secateurs are the best option, but scissors will work as well. You could also provide disinfectant for guests to use on the snips between uses.
The vessel is important. Will you be supplying vases, recycled jars, florist foam blocks or simple paper and string? It would be nice to offer your guests some options for their presentation. Alternatively, you could encourage guests to bring along their favourite vase from home.
Other thoughtful additions include gloves, clear floral tape, green moulding wire, thorn strippers, misting bottles and watering cans. You could also add some ribbons, gift tags and pens on the table should guests choose to gift their arrangements.
Fresh flowers can be kept in buckets of water. Tubs or bins for green waste will also help with the clean-up at the end.
Organise refreshments
Will you be serving food and drinks? You can keep things simple with a drinks dispenser full of water or juice and cups nearby, or an esky full of assorted beverages. Perhaps a tea and coffee-making station is more appropriate. Or up the ante with bottles of champagne, rosé or even cocktails.
Food can be as simple as a fruit platter and cupcakes, or pre-purchased snacks. If you’d like to take things up a notch you could serve a high tea during the arranging session. Or provide a sit-down meal after everyone is finished with their creations.
Set the scene
Where will your flower arranging party take place? If the weather is suitable, setting up tables outside is perfect to keep in theme. Alternatively, you could decorate a garage or patio with greenery and twinkling fairy lights.
Long tables are best so guests can reach the various tools and conversation flows easily. Lazy Susans can also be convenient to help guests access equipment. This will also save you from having to buy too many new items as guests can share easily.
You may wish to decorate the space with some floral arrangements for inspiration. If you choose to have place cards, make them in the same theme as the invitation.
Music can be a great help when working on something creative – find a chilled playlist that will get your guests in a happy, inspired mood.
Brush up on your flower arranging skills
You may wish to hire a floral stylist to share some tips with the group, or perhaps you could share your own research. We have plenty of great advice in our blog on DIY flower arranging.
You could also find inspiration from our styled arrangements online. Print out some images of designs such as our pastel arrangement or bright seasonal arrangement for guests to view while working on their own versions.
Source top quality flowers
Of course, we can’t forget about the stars of the show – the fresh flowers.
We recommend choosing the best quality flowers you can. This will mean peak freshness, stunning good looks and a beautiful scent. Plus, they will last longer for your guests after they take them home.
Typically, you will find better quality flowers through a local grower rather than from a supermarket, service station or gift shop. Buying direct may help you to save money too.
Choose a variety of fresh, seasonal flowers that will inspire your guests. This means a diverse array of different colours, heights, shapes and textures. Be sure to include feature blooms, complementary greenery and low-cost filler flowers.
You could also share advice with guests on how to care for cut flowers after they get their arrangement home. You could even print out some tips on gift tags for them to wrap around their completed arrangements.
Check out The Flower Farm for fields full of inspiration, based on more than 40 years of flower-growing experience. Contact our friendly team for any advice and to find out what’s in season now.
Don’t take things too seriously
Potentially the most important tip on our list – don’t forget to enjoy yourself! Many of us have likely hosted a gathering in the past where the behind-the-scenes stress has threatened to ruin the event. This time, remember to keep things fuss-free and fun!