Why are wedding flowers so expensive?
It’s a common myth that a florist hears the word ‘wedding’ and immediately doubles the price! I can’t speak for absolutely everyone but I can assure you the majority of florists are not out to rip you off, they just want to be paid fairly for the work they do.
So why are wedding flowers so expensive?
Let’s break down what you are actually paying for -
Time
Florists put in a lot of hours to ensure each wedding is executed perfectly. From initial consultations, researching flower options (taking in to account your budget, seasons, availability), creating designs, proposals and contracts to sourcing and ordering your flowers. And then finally creating the florals of your dreams.
Experience
All florists have differing levels of experience and charge accordingly. Training, whether via a traditional college education or through industry based learning all takes time and money. Practicing and finding your unique style takes years and in truth the best florists are never finished learning.
Quality of blooms
Wedding florists are using the very best quality ingredients they can source. These flowers are a completely different beast from the cheap flowers available in supermarkets. They are grown to a higher standard ensuring your wedding photographs are on point. Each year there will be flowers that are the most sort after colours/ varieties (you’ll find them on Pinterest!) and this in turn pushes up prices as there are only so many available but they are suddenly the floristry industries ‘most wanted’.
Quantity of blooms
A standard bridal bouquet has around 30 - 40 stems. That’s a lot more than your average bunch of flowers. To create luxury floral arrangements an abundance of stems are required. And even for smaller weddings where perhaps less is needed, we still have to purchase from wholesalers who do not generally sell per stem - we still have to buy the whole bunch.
Non-floral materials
Ribbons, vases/ vessels, buckets, tools, chicken wire, twine, cleaning products, packaging … the list is endless!
Transportation
Flowers need to be transported from the wholesalers, to our workspaces and then on to your venue. In some instances (especially when using local British grown flowers) a florist may need to visit multiple growers to collect all the varieties of flowers required. Our vehicles need to be insured and maintained. You’d also be surprised just how much space flowers take up. For larger weddings, a van may be required and in some cases this will need to be hired for the occasion.
Staff
For larger scale weddings it is near on impossible for a one-woman business to get all the floral designs made up, delivered and set up in time. Remember we are working with a living product that has a limited lifespan, that we want looking absolutely perfect on your wedding day. Some florists will employ a permanent team to assist whilst others rely on freelancers. Either way, they have to be paid!
Business overheads
A workspace no matter how big or small has costs attached. At a minimum florists need electricity, water, internet, computer software, a website, insurance, marketing and lots of cups of tea!
All the other stuff!
There are so many parts to being a florist that are invisible to others. Cleaning buckets, conditioning and caring for the flowers, working in different temperatures that affect flower quality, dealing with wholesaler mistakes (including flowers that never arrive or are the wrong colour!) fluctuations in flower quality, seasonal availability, and many sleepless nights!
So are there ways to still have dreamy wedding day flowers on a smaller budget?
The answer is yes!
Sometimes it’s just a case of being creative on your choice of arrangements. Looking at cheaper varieties of flowers (Pinterest is not always right!) and using less of the very expensive blooms but in a way they are really being showcased can reduce costs.
Another option is to re-purpose designs throughout your day. Having the flowers used during your ceremony then quietly moved to the reception whilst you are busy having your photos done can be a great option. Bridesmaids bouquets can be used in vases as top table decorations.
To save money you could also opt to collect your flowers (where appropriate) to save on delivery costs.
So you can see being a florist has many moving parts, there’s lots to do, manage and think about. In reality wedding floristry is a luxury. It does cost money and no floristry business can successfully run as a charity. That said, I do think it is important we be transparent about costings and should you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!