Talked to a wedding planner who said brides are now asking for 'no foam' designs

I was setting up for a big event in Austin last weekend and the planner mentioned three separate brides specifically requested no floral foam in their arrangements. She said one bride told her, 'I don't want my flowers sitting in that green plastic stuff, it feels wrong.' That hit different because I've been using foam for centerpieces for 15 years. I looked it up and some states are even considering bans on the stuff because it doesn't break down. What are you all using as a replacement for large installations? I'm testing chicken wire and water tubes but it's a learning curve.

4 comments

4 Comments

the_rowan3mo ago

Get the push for eco-friendly designs... but chicken wire is a pain. It works for big pieces if you have the time to learn it. The industry shift is real though.

blakestone3mo ago

Is the industry shift that big of a deal though? Chicken wire just seems like a hassle.

the_thomas1mo ago

My buddy in Seattle runs a flower farm and he told me the real issue isn't even the materials. It's the waste water. Foam particles go down the drain, into the soil, into the rivers. That's the part nobody talks about, @blakestone. Chicken wire is a hassle but it doesn't poison the ground. The shift is about keeping our water clean, not just avoiding plastic in the dumpster. Once you see the science on foam runoff, the hassle feels like a small price.

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smith.parker3mo ago

My friend in Portland said her whole shop switched to using reusable metal frogs and bent willow branches as a base. They cost more up front but last for years, and you can shape them to hold anything. It makes you wonder if the real cost of foam was always the cleanup we never saw.

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