Had to pick between foam and wire cages for a wedding arch last weekend

I was building a big arch for a wedding at a barn venue outside Portland and had to choose between using foam blocks or wire floral cages to hold the mechanics. I went with wire cages because the arch was going to be outside all day and foam gets heavy when wet. Plus the bride wanted a mix of garden roses and dahlias that needed deep water. The cages held up perfect even with the afternoon breeze. Took me about 45 minutes to wire them all onto the frame but it was worth it. Has anyone else had foam collapse on them during an outdoor event? I'm still nervous about trying it again.

4 comments

4 Comments

adam_patel18d ago

The wire cages were the right call for outdoor work. I had foam collapse on me once at a vineyard wedding in August. It was a big arch with heavy hydrangeas and the foam just gave up after about three hours. Waterlogged and the whole thing sagged forward like a drunk uncle at the reception. Took two of us to fix it while the ceremony was going on. How long did it take to get the cages secured on the arch frame? I'm guessing you had to pre-drill some spots.

uma_taylor4717d ago

Maybe it's just me but that sounds like a lot of extra work for flower arrangement.

sarah81817d ago

Pre-drilled about 20 spots, saved us huge, @claire_gibson's right about foam being useless outside.

claire_gibson17d ago

Read a florist blog that said foam basically turns to mud after a few hours outside.