Floating Centerpiece? Yes! How To Make a Floating Centerpiece for Your Next Event!
Last week we brought you four of our favorite edible garden centerpieces. This week, we are sticking with centerpieces, but upping the ante. How about we put a little magic into it? Today we’re bringing you an original Clarke Allen Event creation – the floating centerpiece. Designed by our very own Head Event Designer and Coordinator Alex Quill, this centerpiece is sure to leave your guests in awe. Abracadabra!
Why
This floating floral centerpiece was designed for a corporate client in Greensboro, NC. The event in question was their leadership summit awards dinner. According to Alex, this specific client is one of her favorites. Why? Because they really allow her to push the limits when it comes to design. (Take notes future clients!). Alex says that she wanted to create something that she had never seen done before, and was outside of the normal container.
What
For the container, the base was made out of wood and then painted copper for a more elegant finish. Each box cost about $150 to produce. When asked if difficult to make, Alex says it definitely took some creativity. The boxes needed to be completely battery powered, so it took testing and ordering multiple options until the right combination was found.
How
But how does it appear to float? The secret is a small box holding it up from underneath. A surrounding edge was left in order to hide batteries and lights so that they were not visible to seated guests. USB under-cabinet lighting systems powered by external batteries were used to power the centerpieces – and also so that guests could charge their phones! This method would allow the lights to stay on for days. Whether sitting or standing, guests viewed the effect that the box was floating off of the table.
Suggestions
If you’re thinking of trying to incorporate floating centerpieces into your upcoming event, Alex says to go for it! She recommends allowing yourself ample time to test, fail, and retest. To give you a little insight, it took the Clarke Allen Events team about two months to get the right combination. The build took a while as they made multiple models in order to get the base as small as possible, while making sure it remained sturdy and not top-heavy.
We hope this Clarke Allen Events original inspires you to get creative for your upcoming event. If you need some assistance, just contact us here. We will help you push your limits – and create some magic!
Written by,
Caitlin Carroll | Creative Writer | Clarke Allen Events
