When planning for your upcoming wedding, it seems like there are a million and one things to think about, and about that many things to spend your hard earned money on. If you're not in the wedding industry, there are probably things that seem mysterious. We want to do our part and make sure all information about wedding floral pricing, budgeting, and planning is available to you!
We know that the topic of money can make some folks uncomfortable, however we wish to be as transparent as possible in what we are charging our clients for our flowers and services, especially when it comes to their wedding day. That’s where client education comes in, so please consider this the best starting point for de-mystifying the cost of wedding floral decor, or any custom floral decor for that matter.
We are often asked “how much do you charge for ____?” Usually they want to know the cost of a bridal bouquet, arch decor, table centrepieces, etc. And while we aren’t trying to hide our prices or deceive ANYONE, the answer isn’t an easy, cut- and-dry, one-price-fits-all, number. We wish it were that easy!
This is due to a multitude of factors such as the size of the piece, the varieties of flowers used, the season and availability, and current demand. This means that every single time we sit down to price out a wedding or event for a client, we are starting our math from scratch. It is a time consuming process to say the least!
We are also going to use this opportunity to address the “wedding tax” phrase that we have heard whispered over the years. Apparently some people think that floral designers put an extra “tax” on flowers intended for weddings. The rumour is that you will get a better deal if you pretend the flowers aren’t for a wedding. This is absolutely not true. There is a definite difference in price between a bouquet you pick up from our retail storefront and a bridal bouquet that you have custom ordered. This would be the same for any order that requires a specific colour palette, using specially sourced varieties of flowers regardless of the time of year, and finished to perfection by a senior wedding designer that has 15+ years of experience. Not to mention the hours of correspondence that is involved in making sure the client gets exactly what they want, as well as the hours of sourcing specific product from all over the world. We absolutely make all of our retail designs with love and care, but the level of work needed to design a fully custom wedding is definitely more involved.
In your search for a florist, you will undoubtedly find a range of prices from different sources. What we have discovered over the years of talking with our industry peers, those with a high level of skill and years of experience in the floral industry, is that we all charge similarly for our flowers and services. This is primarily due to the farms and wholesalers that we all shop at setting the cost of flower stems and hard goods. That is why we believe it is best practice to find a florist who’s design style and portfolio resonates with your vision for your day. Any good florist will tell you if your budget is realistic or not, and if not, will find different ways to bring the cost down while still making your flower dreams come true.
This also means that if you are finding someone who is charging a lot less for the “same” design, you need to ask yourself why they are able to charge so low. Or if their slogan says that they charge 75% less than everyone else in the industry, something there doesn’t quite work mathematically. You might be getting what you paid for, and not what you really wanted (unfortunately we have heard some wedding floral horror stories and really don’t want that to be your experience!) Similarly, upon hearing “I can just get that at Costco!” a few too many times, we would just like to respectfully say: No, no you cannot. And to be clear, there isn’t anything wrong with budget floral design from the grocery store, but there is a difference in what sort of experience, attention, and quality you will receive.
We pride ourselves in working with clients with budgets big and small, as we also had specific budgets for our own weddings that we couldn’t “budge” on! We are never going to shame someone for not having the money for extravagant floral design, especially in our current economic climate. We just want our clients’ to have realistic expectations when they bring in Pinterest images of weddings that have floral budgets of $20,000 but can only afford $2000. We often have to tell our clients that “having a small budget is okay but you might not get everything you want, having everything you want is okay but you might be over your budget.”
So, how DO you budget for your wedding florals?
Firstly, please take what you see on wedding blogs from different cities with a grain of salt. They will have pricing that reflects their market (usually somewhere in the US of A) which is probably much different from ours in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, flowers cost more here due to our land-locked location in the centre of the country. We also have a very short season for locally grown blooms (but we absolutely take advantage of that short season from July to September!) which means that the majority of our flowers do have to travel quite far from their origin.
Secondly, decide how important certain floral decor is to you. Prioritize things that will make an impact on your space or in photos. Maybe you know that you want a spectacular, full floral ceremony arch, but having a corsage or boutonniere for every extended member of your family isn’t as important.
When you meet with us, we’ll discuss your floral decor priorities and quote everything you are hoping for. This way you can see what your dream florals would cost and make an informed decision with all of the relevant information. Then, once you decide what is feasible, we can discuss alternatives if you need. We are with you every step of the way, have knowledge that has come from years of experience, and are experts at problem solving.
Our number one tip to save money and have your floral vision come to fruition is to TRUST YOUR WEDDING FLORIST (and other talented vendors!)
Here are some of the best ways to lower a floral quote if it is coming in over your budget:
1. Keep your wedding party small!
When deciding on who all will stand up with you during the ceremony, keep in mind that the more attendants you include, the more bouquets or boutonnieres you may want to buy. All of those extra personal flowers add up quickly!
If it is a priority for you to have a large wedding party, consider something smaller such as a single flower tied with a pretty ribbon instead of a traditional bouquet.
2. Remove personal flowers for anyone not in the wedding party
While it is lovely to honour parents, grandparents, extended family, MCs, officiants, etc. boutonnieres and corsages can add up really quickly. They are also a more traditional item and aren’t a “must” anymore.
3. Repurposing items
Pieces such as aisle arrangements or free standing pillar arrangements can be transported by a trusted family member or friend from the ceremony to the reception and used elsewhere such as in front of the head table, around signage or the bar, etc.
*Note on repurposing*
While we fully support repurposing your items, some pieces may not be feasible to move or place elsewhere due to the nature of the design. We have had a lot of clients want to repurpose their arch flowers in particular, but often the mechanics and cost of reusing and adding flowers is the same as ordering a separate piece made for the secondary location. Your florist is the absolute best place to get information on repurposing pieces, especially floral installations, as we have the knowledge of the mechanics behind the design.
4. Avoid contracting your florist for late-night teardown
If you can, ask a trusted family member or friend that is attending the reception if they would be willing to remove the decor from the venue at the end of the night for you. We charge a premium for our services after 8pm as we pay our staff extra wages to get out of bed to clean up your wedding at 2am!
5. Be flexible with floral varieties and colours
We are the first people to understand if you have a favourite flower and want to include it in your special day! Or maybe a certain variety has a special memory attached to it. We love that! The reality is, some flowers are more expensive than others and can affect the bottom line. For example, everyone loves peonies, however in season they cost anywhere from $10-15 per stem, out of season upwards of $25! If you are trying to cut costs, either letting your florist choose stems that have a lower cost, or even just letting us mix in some varieties that we know are cheaper but will still look amazing, can keep your costs down. Our design style mixes high AND low end blooms together, which we think is the best of both worlds. And if you HAVE to have peonies, containing them to a few special pieces such as your bouquet can help as well.
We also recommend being flexible with the specific shades of colours you are wanting. Requesting a very specific shade of coral or burgundy can make it A LOT harder for us to source the product needed at a good price, therefore adding to the overall cost.
Here is a list of items that you may want to consider keeping in mind while budgeting and the prices they START at:
Personals:
- Bouquets for client $250+
- Bouquets for attendants $115+
- Boutonnieres $20+
- Corsages $40+
- Hair flowers $60+
Decor:
- Arch flowers $250+ per piece
- Pillar floral arrangements $350+
- Aisle flowers $150+ per piece
- Signage such as welcome signs or seating charts $150+
- Small table centrepiece $75+
- Large table centrepiece $150+
- Bud vases $25+
- Place settings $0.75+ per piece
- Table garlands $50+ per foot
- Candles $6+ per piece
- Bar decor $150+ per piece
- Hanging installations $150+ per square foot
Other costs to plan for:
- Delivery and Set up
- Rentals such as Pillars/Arches/Vases
- Flipping and Repurposing
- Late night teardown
- Tax
Wedding Pricing/Budgeting Misconceptions:
Misconception: Greenery is cheaper than flowers
Truth: Our clients often think that in order to save money on their decor, they’ll just get greenery instead of flowers. While beautiful, some greenery is just as (or more) expensive than flowers! Your florist will be able to tell you the best and most effective way to budget your decor with current stem pricing.
Misconception: DIY-ing your flowers will be easy and affordable
Truth: While we are more than happy to help out DIY clients with bulk flowers, we do need them to understand a few things. You will need the proper tools and supplies, the proper care knowledge, proper refrigerated storage, and a LOT more time than you think you do! Working with flowers isn’t easy, and while it might be possible, please do your research first!
Misconception: Silk flowers are cheaper
Truth: Only if you buy plastic flowers from the dollar store. Getting nice silk flowers is often more expensive than fresh, and would only save you money if you are able to store and sell your silk flowers after your wedding.
Misconception: Roses and carnations are just for Grandma.
Truth: Maybe this was the case 15 years ago, but we’re not going to give you a dozen bullet-shaped red roses with babies breath (unless that’s what you want!) The roses and carnations we use for weddings are stunning, coming in a variety of colours that didn’t exist when your grandparents got married. Keeping an open mind when it comes to floral varieties WILL save you money, as they can add volume to pieces at a lower stem price than say a peony would.
If you've read this far, thank you! One of our goals for our business is to be able to educate our clients on what they are paying for when they choose us as their florist, and we know that it is a lot of information to take in! If you have any questions for us, please feel free to reach out to us via email at weddings@academyflorist.com or by phone at 204.488.4822 and we would be more than happy to answer.
If you would like to book a complimentary consultation to chat about your custom wedding, click here. For our couples that have smaller budgets, or who might be working within a tight timeframe, we recommend checking out our À La Carte Wedding Flower offerings.
Happy planning!