Couples often raise their eyebrows at the perceived high cost of wedding flowers. Let’s find out the real factors behind the cost of your wedding flowers and whether they are value for money.

Buying the blooms

Did you know that professional wedding and event florists only use A1-grade flowers? This is a premium grade of flowers. You might be asking yourself why? Well, these gold-standard flowers form the basis of your wow bridal bouquets, and elegant centrepieces. This quality is non-negotiable. I advise my couples to invest in quality statement flowers, rather than masses of flowers. Consequently, premium petals cost a premium price.

How are the finest blooms selected? The process begins by using premium wholesalers where they guarantee quality. I use a variety of UK and Dutch wholesalers, and increasingly several local British flower farms that are renowned for the flower quality.

Most flowers used in commercial floristry are purchased via the Dutch wholesale auction house. In this chain, prices fluctuate daily, based on supply and demand, as well as seasonal availability. Therefore, flower prices peak during the summer wedding season because florists from across the world scramble to buy the same flowers. It is also worth noting that wedding flower prices will be extremely high during other peak times, such as Valentine’s and Mother’s Day. Surprisingly, UK flower prices are also strongly influenced by celebrations in Europe and North America, like International Women’s Day, Secretary Day, and Independence Day.

Next, we come onto the thorny issue of minimum spending. It is customary for wholesalers to insist on minimum spending on each flower order, which is often hundreds of pounds! When designing your swoon-worthy wedding bouquet your floral stylist may only opt to use a few stems, regardless they will need to buy wraps of 20/25/50/100. As a result, many florists apply minimum investment prices to offset these costs and keep their business sustainable.

Running costs

All wedding and event florists have different running costs associated with their businesses. For example, vans and warehouses may be more costly to run than cars or a shop. Your florist will likely pay professional costs: accountant, trade subscriptions, and website costs.

Insurance might not immediately spring to mind when considering your wedding flowers however, it is an essential cost. Vehicle and business premiums protect the floral team, the couple, and the guests against unforeseen circumstances. Whether it’s potential damage during transportation or unexpected weather conditions, insurance ensures your floral vision. 

The price of design & skills

The cost of your wedding petals is also based on the time required for the job. Naturally, more complex floral arrangements, flower arches and hanging installations demand higher labour costs, because they require a team of skilled florists to produce them. The price of staff and freelance florists will contribute to the cost.

A major factor in determining the cost of wedding florals is design time. Couples often overlook that florists are floral designers, and our skills are equal to those of interior designers and web and brand designers. Creating bespoke wedding arrangements involves hours of careful consideration, hours of meticulous planning of colour palettes and textures and accompanying styling. 

Designers use their skills and knowledge to select the correct flowers for the design and this process is time-consuming. Equally, their knowledge of flower availability and the mechanics involved in making huge flower arches and hanging installations is crucial.

Whether the florist is college or bench-trained they have spent years and thousands of pounds to perfect their skills.  These skills and creativity are used in every wedding design.

As you explore the world of wedding flowers, it’s essential to recognise the range of factors contributing to their cost. Essentially, there is so much more than mere blooms involved in the price of a wedding flower proposal and ultimately your wedding day flowers. Florists’ investment in training, quality, design, labour, skill level, and time all contribute to your floral investment.

We would love to hear about your floral dreams and the elements you believe contribute to the overall luxury of wedding flowers.