Wedding Flowers Cost

When it comes to wedding flowers, the price tag can often be a sensitive topic. Brides envision lush arrangements inspired by Pinterest boards, but reality sets in when they receive quotes from florists. Disappointment and discouragement arise when faced with the high prices. However, it’s crucial to understand the reasons behind the expenses. As a florist, I want to shed light on why wedding flowers can be expensive. Let’s explore the truth behind the numbers and gain a better understanding.

1. The Ideal Color Palette and Sourcing:

Ordering flowers for a wedding involves creating the perfect color palette, which can be a challenging task. Specific colors are often pricier due to sourcing difficulties. Flowers may need to be imported from various locations like Japan, Holland, Ecuador, Colombia, or California, incurring transportation costs. After COVID-19 transportation costs fluctuate. Local blooms might be limited, particularly in areas like Miami, further impacting availability and pricing.

2. Processing, Waste, and Care:

Upon receiving the flowers, a florist embarks on the meticulous process of processing, generating a significant amount of waste. Proper disposal of boxes and other materials adds to the expenses. Additionally, maintaining optimal care for the flowers is crucial, requiring a perfect environment to keep them fresh for 4 to 5 days leading up to the wedding.

3. Preparing Vases, Installations, and On-Site Work:

Prepping vases, containers, arches, and installations is a time-consuming task that demands attention to detail. If a florist offers candle staging or on-site installations, further preparations are required. In some cases, on-site work, such as setting up arches and installations, needs to be completed within a limited timeframe, often necessitating the assistance of freelance designers. The cost of their time and expertise adds to the overall expenses.

4. Labor and Staffing:

Executing a wedding floral arrangement is a team effort. Even for smaller weddings, florists typically work with multiple assistants and designers. For example, a small wedding with a modest flower budget may require the florist and three assistants, totaling four people working throughout the week. On the wedding day itself, a 14-hour shift may be necessary for each person involved, including the designers on-site for installations. Calculating the labor costs based on an hourly rate of $15-20 for 8 hours a day, multiplied by four people, for four days, highlights the labor expenses involved. Larger weddings with budgets of $30,000 or more exclusively for flowers would necessitate even more significant labor costs.

Although some florists may choose to handle everything themselves, minimizing labor costs, it often comes at the expense of their own well-being, considering the pressure and demands of wedding preparations.

5. Overhead and Business Expenses:

Running a floral business incurs various overhead expenses, including water, electricity, Wi-Fi, rent, SEO, and marketing. Remaining competitive in the industry requires investing in these aspects. Florists need to charge accordingly to cover these expenses and sustain profitability.

Weddings are momentous occasions that deserve attention to detail and flawless execution. Florists play a crucial role in bringing the bride’s vision to life. The pricing structure reflects the effort, expertise, and resources invested by florists to create stunning floral arrangements. While it is perfectly acceptable to have a small budget or choose to DIY the flowers, it is essential to comprehend the reasons behind the costs associated with professional wedding flowers. As a florist, it is important to determine fair pricing based on the value of the services provided, rather than merely trying to compete in a market where undercharging has become the norm.