Photo Walls & Backdrop Installation
The moment guests arrive should feel like the event has already begun.
A photo wall isn't just a backdrop. In the right hands, it's the first impression, the talking point, the image that ends up in every phone at the event and on every social feed the morning after.
At Wild Apricot, we design and install bespoke photo walls and backdrop installations that are considered, beautiful, and completely tailored to your event. Not a generic hire piece pulled from a warehouse but a designed feature built around your theme, your brand, and the specific moment you want to create.
What We Create
Floral and Botanical Walls
Lush, layered, and completely bespoke. Fresh florals, premium silk flowers, dried botanicals, or a combination designed to the colour palette and aesthetic of your event. From soft romantic arrangements to bold tropical statements, each installation is built to photograph beautifully from every angle.
Branded Corporate Backdrops
Clean, polished, and designed to put your brand front and centre. Whether it's a step-and-repeat for a media moment, a logo wall for an awards night, or a branded installation for a product launch we build corporate backdrops that look considered rather than corporate.
Themed and Decorative Installations
From Gatsby glamour to Great Barrier Reef, from whimsical garden parties to sleek black-tie, our photo wall installations extend the theme of your event rather than sitting apart from it. Every element is chosen to work as part of the larger design, not as a standalone prop.
Balloon and Mixed-Media Walls
Bold, playful, and completely on-trend. Balloon installations — organic garlands, geometric arrangements, colour-gradient walls — combined with florals, neon signs, dried palms, or custom signage. Ideal for brand activations, birthday celebrations, product launches, and events where fun and impact are the brief.
Neon and Signage Walls
A custom neon sign or personalised message surrounded by a designed backdrop — florals, greenery, fabric draping, or balloon arrangements. The kind of installation that becomes the social centrepiece of the event and drives organic sharing long after the evening ends.
Natural and Sustainable Installations
Dried florals, native NZ botanicals, woven textures, natural timbers, and organic materials. For events where the aesthetic is considered, earthy, and grounded and for clients who want a beautiful installation that aligns with their sustainability values.
Why the Photo Wall Matters More Than Most People Realise
It's the image that travels.
In an age where every guest has a high-quality camera in their pocket, the photo wall is the most photographed element of almost any event. The images taken in front of it are shared, posted, and saved, carrying your event's aesthetic and your brand far beyond the room and long after the evening ends.
It sets the tone on arrival.
Guests form their impression of an event in the first sixty seconds. A beautifully designed photo wall at the entrance or within the main space immediately signals that this event has been thought about and that someone cared about the details. That signal changes how guests experience everything that follows.
It creates a natural gathering point.
Without a focal point, guests drift. A photo wall gives people a reason to gather, to interact, to take photos together. It creates the kind of spontaneous social moments that no programme item can manufacture.
It extends your brand beyond the event.
For corporate events, product launches, and brand activations, a designed photo wall with brand elements becomes an organic content engine. Every guest photo shared on social media is a piece of content your brand didn't have to create.
Events We Create Photo Walls For
Corporate events and conferences
Annual dinners, awards nights, team celebrations, leadership summits, product launches, and brand activations. We design corporate photo walls that feel premium and on-brand without feeling stiff.
School balls and formal events
The entrance moment that every student photographs. We create photo wall installations for school balls across the country themed to complement the event's overall design and built to handle a high volume of photos across an entire evening.
Weddings and private celebrations
Bespoke floral and decorative installations for wedding receptions, milestone birthdays, and private events. Designed around your colour palette, your florals, and the specific aesthetic of your celebration.
Charity galas and fundraising events
Photo walls that create the atmosphere of generosity and celebration that fundraising events need and that serve as beautiful brand elements for the hosting organisation.
Brand activations and product launches
Installations specifically designed to drive social sharing and brand visibility. Built around your brand colours, your messaging, and the content you want guests to create and share.
The Wild Apricot Difference
Every photo wall we create is designed, not just assembled.
We start with the brief. What is the event? What is the aesthetic? What do you want guests to feel when they stand in front of it? What colours are in the room? What is the brand? What is the moment this installation is designed to create?
From there, we design an installation that works as part of the larger event environment rather than sitting separately from it. The same design eye that goes into our full event theming work goes into every photo wall because a photo wall that doesn't integrate with the rest of the room is a missed opportunity.
We handle the full process: design, sourcing, build, installation, and pack-down. You arrive to a finished installation. Your guests enjoy it. We take care of everything else.
PAST WORK
Experiences We've Delivered
From intimate gatherings through to large-scale events, we design and deliver environments that bring people together, elevate the atmosphere, and leave a lasting impression.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance do I need to book?
For larger installations and peak event periods, particularly school ball season and the summer corporate event season we recommend booking 6–8 weeks in advance minimum. Floral installations in particular require lead time for sourcing. For simpler installations, 3–4 weeks is often sufficient. The earlier the better.
Can you match our brand colours exactly?
Yes. For corporate clients we work from brand guidelines and match colours as precisely as the chosen materials allow. Florals and fabrics are sourced in the closest available match to your brand palette.
How big can an installation be?
We build installations to suit the space and the brief, from intimate 1.5m backdrops to full wall installations of 4m+ in width. We'll advise on the right dimensions based on the venue, the expected foot traffic, and how the installation will be photographed.
Do you travel outside of Tauranga?
Yes. Wild Apricot operates from offices in Papamoa, and delivers installations across Aotearoa. Travel costs for installations outside our key regions are quoted on request.
Can we hire the installation rather than commissioning a bespoke one?
We offer dry hire of selected backdrop and prop elements through our hire range. If you have a styling team who can install, get in touch to discuss what's available. For bespoke floral and themed installations, full service is required.
What happens if something needs to be adjusted on the day?
Our team is on-site for installation and available for the duration of setup. Any adjustments are made before guests arrive. For larger events, we build contingency time into the installation schedule.
Start the Conversation
Tell us about your event and what you're imagining. We'll tell you what's possible.
Our Locations
Papamoa
12b Kopukairoa Boulevard
Papamoa
Rotorua
398 Oturoa Road
Rotorua
Auckland
27 Inverness Road
Browns Bay, Auckland
Contact us
Phone
022 158 1318
