When planning your dream wedding or event, it’s easy to get swept up in the beauty of blooms—but not all floral designs are created equal. At Stem Design, we often get asked: What’s the difference between a floral centrepiece and a floral installation? While both add beauty and elegance to your event, they serve different purposes and create very different visual impacts.

Whether you’re getting married at the Bougainvillea House at Howard Smith Wharves, Victoria Park, The Greek Club, or planning a Byron Bay wedding, understanding the role of each floral element can help bring your floral vision to life.

FLORAL CENTREPIECES: THE HEART OF YOUR TABLESCAPE

Floral centrepieces are the stunning arrangements you’ll typically find on reception tables. They are designed to sit at eye level or slightly below so your guests can still converse comfortably across the table.

Characteristics:

• Designed to suit dining or coffee tables
• Can be low and lush or tall and elegant (but never obtrusive)
• Usually repeated across tables for visual cohesion
• Can include candles, foliage, or vases for added texture

Ideal for:

• Sit-down wedding receptions
• Corporate dinners
• High teas and bridal showers
• Event spaces like The Greek Club and Victoria Park, where table styling is a key design element

At Stem Design, we create centrepieces tailored to your table shapes, colour palette, and seasonal blooms—whether you’re after romantic, boho, modern, or native-inspired designs.

FLORAL INSTALLATIONS: STATEMENT PIECES THAT WOW

Floral installations are large-scale, often suspended or structural, and designed to stop people in their tracks. These are your ceiling blooms, flower walls, entryway arches, or ground meadows—anything that makes a statement and transforms a space.

Characteristics:

• Large-scale and often gravity-defying
• Can be freestanding or hanging
• Designed to create a moment (hello, ceremony arch or photo backdrop!)
• Customised to suit the venue architecture and space

Ideal for:

• Wedding ceremonies and receptions
• Brand activations and editorial shoots
• Dramatic venues like Bougainvillea House at Howard Smith Wharves or Byron Bay weddings
• Creating impact at the entrance, over the bridal table, or above a dancefloor

We specialise in floral installations that elevate your event and become a talking point for your guests. Think hanging botanicals at your Fortitude Valley cocktail event or lush coastal installations for Gold Coast weddings.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

At Stem Design, we often pair both centrepieces and installations to create layered floral experiences. A lush tablescape paired with a hanging ceiling garden? Pure magic. A minimal setup with a single floral arch to frame your vows? Perfectly elegant.

Whether you’re planning a ballroom wedding at The Greek Club, a garden party at Victoria Park, or a breezy coastal celebration with Gold Coast wedding flowers, our team can guide you in choosing the right balance of centrepieces and installations to suit your space, style, and budget.

NEED A FORTITUDE VALLEY FLORIST TO BRING YOUR FLORAL VISION TO LIFE?

We’d love to help. At Stem Design, we offer creative, custom floral styling for weddings and events across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Byron Bay. Let’s chat about how we can turn your venue into a blooming dream—from tabletop to ceiling. Get in touch with Us Today!