Marbella Wedding Decorations Guide Florists, Stylists & Wedding Design
When planning your wedding in Marbella, you will hear a lot about different decoration suppliers and two roles that often get mixed up are florists and wedding designers/stylists. They both help make your day look beautiful but they do very different jobs.
In this blog post we will break down what venues and suppliers typically offer in Marbella, and when you might need a florist, a designer/stylist or sometimes both.
Understanding that difference can completely change how you allocate your budget and how cohesive your wedding feels.
Many Venues & Caterers Offer Styling Elements
Before hiring a dedicated stylist, it is important to understand that many businesses already include some form of wedding styling or decor within their wedding services. It is also wise to know what each vendor will do under their services umbrella, don’t assume anything, always ask.
Creative caterers such as Sana Catering have a wide range of decor available as part of their wedding packages. This can include different styles of tables, chairs, linens, crockery and cutlery. They can also arrange accessories such as signage, parasols, bars and often have basic decorative accessories in stock such as easels in stock. Other caterers may not get involved in decor but will know which rental companies to hire from if you want alternative furniture, tableware or lounge areas.
Similarly venues like Cortijo Rosa Blanca, run by Rachel, are very design led. Much of the styling can be arranged in house and they have a decoration/stylist team who work with you to dress the Cortijo beautifully.
Hotels typically offer a standard wedding package, usually their chairs, round tables, white linens, silver cutlery and white plates, many also include a simple floral centrepiece included in their wedding menu prices. These are often elegant but simple and can usually be upgraded for an additional cost per table.
Standalone wedding venues are usually decorated to some degree already, they may already have decorative lighting, a marquee, dance floor, a ceremony area, it is a good idea to check what is installed and included in the hire cost.
Wedding Planners, aren’t they Stylists too?
This depends on the scope of your wedding design. Some planners are brilliant organisers who will recommend and book amazing suppliers on your behalf but they won't offer a design input, instead they will leave the creative direction to the specialists they bring in for you.
Part of their planning services may include putting out place cards, table names and setting up signs but they won't be involved in designing your wedding vision. A planner will be onsite during the day to organise logistics, ‘put out fires’ and most importantly make sure your day runs like a dream.
What Does a Wedding Stylist Do?
Wedding Stylists are creatives, they will listen to your ideas and help design the wedding of your dreams. They will suggest colour palettes, lighting suggestions, advise on table layouts, create atmospheres and be on hand during your wedding set up to ensure everything is beautifully arranged.
They are not going to be worrying if your hair and make up is running overtime, this isn't their department but they absolutely care about your napkin colours and how your cake table looks!
Sometimes you get both services, a planner & stylist, some include both in their price and others offer the design and styling as a bolt on service.
What About Wedding Florists?
We have a vast range of floral decorators in Marbella.
At the top end are large event styling companies, who I prefer to call event designers. Marbella hosts some extraordinary events throughout the year and these companies often manage the florals for them. Not only do they create spectacular floral installations but also have a wide range of furniture, chill outs, lighting and dancefloors. As you would expect these companies come with a larger budget but are amazing at creating breathtaking transformations of venues.
Then we have wedding florists, smaller businesses but vary in what they offer but incredibly creative.
Most florists will provide the bouquets, buttonholes, church or ceremony arrangements, arches and table decor. Some florists also offer other decor items such as candles, tealights, etc to compliment their flowers and your tables. They will arrive at the venue, set it all up and deliver the bouquets and bridal flowers to you or your wedding planner.
The slightly larger florists can create beautiful, creative floral installations and hold a larger stock of decor. It is worth checking their portfolios to understand their style and specialities. Some will have a minimum order so do check this before asking for a quote.
A Little Marbella Wedding Flower Tip
All the florals will be prepped, as much is done as humanely possible in advance ready to install.
The rest of the flowers are not placed on the tables but are ready to go out when the heat dies down or just before guests are due to be seated. A common question is 'why aren’t the flowers on the tables yet?' Answer - it is far too hot and your flowers will fry. In Marbella's climate, delicate flowers can burn or wilt quickly in the full sun and florists often wait until either the temperatures drop, sometimes leaving assistants at the venue to complete this final setup.
Florists are not involved in putting out place cards, table names, etc, they are purely booked to provide the flowers and decorate on the day. Do not assume this is part of their job, it isn’t.
What if I Need other Decor?
If you have a wedding planner, which we recommend you do, they have their little black book full of their trusted suppliers.
If you need a last minute marquee they know who to call. Dance floors, bars, lighting, stages, chill outs, ice cream trucks or cakes designers, the Costa del Sol has an incredible range of specialist event companies.
Understanding the difference between florists, stylists and planners will help you build the right team and avoid unnecessary costs. If you are currently planning a wedding on the Costa del Sol, you can explore recommended florists, planners, stylists and decoration suppliers inside the Marbella Wedding Directory and take a look at the 'real weddings' on our blog.
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