THE JOURNAL / behind the scenes
BEHIND THE SCENES

It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done

Large floral installations have a slightly unfortunate habit of looking their worst somewhere around the middle of the build. The van is empty, there are boxes everywhere, half the structure is still showing and somebody inevitably asks what time we’re going to be finished. Then, somehow, it starts to come together. This is the bit behind the finished photograph — the planning, problem-solving and practical work that actually gets a large floral installation over the line.
London Event Florist · Warren Bushaway · Updated on the 16 August 2026
Large jungle style installation on a building reinstallation appears to be three stories high covered in lush thick jungle Foliage with monkeys, leopards and other jungle animals
Three Story Jungle installation at 65 Walton Street

The job at a glance

The Scale

Big spaces swallow flowers quickly. What looks enormous in the studio can feel surprisingly restrained once it reaches the venue.

The structure

Before the flowers go anywhere near it, the installation needs a framework that is safe, stable and practical to build.

The logistics

Access, timings, transport, ladders, tools, loading and removal all have to be worked out before installation day.

The reality

Something unexpected nearly always happens. Experience is knowing which problems matter and which ones you simply solve and move past.

What happens before the flowers arrive

The finished installation is usually the easiest bit to understand.

What people don’t see is everything that had to happen before it.

We start with the space. How big is it? Where will the flowers actually be seen from? How do we get everything into the building? Can we use ladders? Is there somewhere to unload? How long do we realistically have to install it?

Then there’s the structure itself.

Large floral installations need something underneath them. That structure has to carry the weight of the flowers, stay secure for however long the display is there and ideally disappear completely once everything is finished.

And then, of course, there are the flowers.

They still have to survive being conditioned, packed, transported and installed before anybody gets to enjoy them.

None of this is particularly glamorous, but it’s the reason the glamorous bit actually works.

“The finished flowers are only the last ten percent of the job.”

The point where everything looks slightly chaotic and you just keep going.
The same job once the mechanics disappear and the flowers take over.
Warrens NOTE

WHY EXPERIENCE MATTERS MORE HALF-WAY THROUGH

“Most large installations have a point where they look worse before they look better.

That’s usually when the structure is still visible, half the flowers are in, the floor is covered in boxes and somebody has started wondering whether it’s all going to come together.

That’s the bit experience really helps with.

You learn not to judge the job too early. You know which areas still need weight, where the eye is being pulled in the wrong direction and when something genuinely needs changing rather than simply needing another hour of work.

A lot of floristry is visual instinct.

A surprising amount of installation work is just staying calm enough to use it.”

Keep this note on the same soft ivory/pale stone background as the previous article so the Journal has a consistent design language..

When the build starts fighting back

“No matter how carefully you plan an installation, something nearly always behaves differently once you’re actually on site.

An entrance is tighter than expected. A wall isn’t quite where it looked in the photograph. The weather changes. A delivery arrives late. Or something that seemed perfectly sensible in the studio suddenly looks completely wrong at full scale.

That’s normal.

The important thing is being able to change direction without losing the overall idea.

Sometimes that means moving part of the structure. Sometimes it means adding more flowers, taking something away or completely changing the balance of the design.

The client doesn’t need to see the problem.

They just need to see the finished flowers.”

WHAT WE LEARNED

What twenty years of installing flowers teaches you

1 — PLAN EVERYTHING YOU CAN

“Access, timings, structure and logistics are much easier to solve before the van is parked outside.”

2 — EXPECT SOMETHING TO CHANGE

“No site behaves exactly as expected. Building a little flexibility into the plan makes a huge difference.”

3 — DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE IT

“If something isn’t working visually, fix it. Being attached to the original plan is less important than getting the finished installation right.”

Keep these as three open editorial columns, not cards, with fine separators and plenty of white space.

Where next?

A few more ways to explore London Event Florist.

Planning an event?

Flowers, installations and styling designed around the space and the occasion.

Explore Event Flowers →

Planning a wedding?

Bespoke wedding flowers designed from the venue upwards.

Explore Wedding Flowers →

Looking for flowers in London?

Seasonal bouquets made by our florists and delivered across London.

Shop Flowers →

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