I hear wedding bells! And the sound of dollar signs continuing to “Cha-Ching” with every wedding decision. Congratulations! Wedding planning can definitely be stressful. However, when you have all of the information, it can be significantly less stressful. The cost of wedding flowers can certainly add up with every design idea you have in mind. But, I’m here to break it down for you so you can go into your initial consultation with your floral designer or florist with a more open mind as to what your Pinterest example may cost.

Look at this beauty! This bridal bouquet is a very LARGE & wide hand-tied arrangement. This bouquet contains peonies, anemones, stock, eucalyptus, delphiniums, salal leaves, palm leaves, wax flowers, astilbe, lisianthus, scabiosa, and Italian ruscus.

There are so many types of flowers and foliage packed into this bouquet, many of which can cost us anywhere from $2-$6 a stem. This bouquet uses a Holly Chappel egg to hold its form. And is wrapped with a hand-tied satin ribbon. Of course, silk would be much more expensive. I would retail this bouquet anywhere between $225 and $325 for the amount of blooms that have to be purchased, and the price of the blooms at the time of purchasing.

This beauty is a significantly smaller bouquet with the exact same materials and color scheme. I would use this bouquet as a bridesmaid’s bouquet to pair with the bouquet above; or, as a smaller scale bridal bouquet. The bouquet on the right would retail somewhere between $85 and $150 depending on the number of blooms needed to purchase to create this bouquet and the pricing at the time of purchase.

Keep in mind that the number of bouquets and arrangements required can impact the cost of purchasing.

For example:

To create the bouquet on my right I would need to purchase:

• Peonies come in bunches of 5

• Lisianthus come in bunches of 10

• Stock comes in bunches of 10

• Eucalyptus comes in bunches of 10

• Salal leaves come in bunches of 10

• Wax flower comes in bunches of 10

• Astilbe comes in bunches of 8-10

So, with this in mind, if I only needed to create ONE small bridal bouquet, I would have to charge you at least the cost of the flowers that I am purchasing for your arrangement. However, if I needed to make 3-5 of these sized bouquets I would still only need to order about the same number of bunches. Thus, my cost is the same and your cost will reflect that as well!

Farmer florists are a great option to consider when booking your wedding flowers. Farmer florist typically aren’t a cheaper option; however, they will create more value within your arrangement.

For example, farmer florists are able to grow exactly what they require for your wedding. They are able to grow flowers in your perfect shade to match your color palette. Farmer florists are able to grow flowers specific for your liking. Farmer florists can grow unique blooms that are unable to be shipped from overseas. Or, they can grow plants that are native to your local environment.

The options are endless with farmer florists because of their ability to create your dream wedding!

Likewise, your florist may be able to connect with a local flower farmer to create a crop that is perfect for your event. Keep in mind, though, that the farmer your florist will hire will definitely require a payment up front to ensure that they are paid for the crop that they are producing special for you. Flower farmers absolutely want to ensure that their time tending to this special crop is not wasted; this is insurance for the farmer!

Eighty percent of the cut-flower market consists of imported flowers. Warm climates are obviously better equipped to grow some varieties of flowers year-round, compared to the likes of Northern Michigan where a flower farmer would be lucky to have FOUR quality months of growing.

The cost of wedding flowers can be expensive with imported flowers, as well. Most of the flowers that you see imported are OLD- at least two weeks old. I like to envision the farmer in Africa growing their flowers and harvesting by hand. The farmer takes the time to condition them for travel. Then the farmer travels to the large wholesaler. At this point, the wholesaler packs and prepares them for shipping to a large shipping center. Then the shipping center loads the plane to ship to another center here in the States if it doesn’t make any other pit stops along the way. Then the shipment is disbursed again to the local wholesaler in your area. Then the florist purchases the flowers that they require. Then the florist constructs your arrangement. And then you see it sitting beautifully on your event table. There is a significantly longer process for your flowers to get to your event. And each of those parties has to be paid for their time and resources! So, when your Garden Roses or Italian Ranunuclus cost $15-18 a stem, that is why.

The American Cut Flower movement is something to definitely follow and support. Only 20% of flowers in the cut-flower industry are locally grown here in the United States. Locally grown flowers follow much more stringent guidelines compared to those of imported flowers. Likewise, over-seas competitors take advantage of cheaper labor and different labor laws.

You can read more about the battle between American Grown Flowers & The Imported Flower Market on these websites:

The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers

NC Extension

Whenever possible, try to support local flower farmers! The quality will be unmatched!

Contact Garden in the Pines for More About the Cost of Wedding Flowers

I hope that when you are planning your wedding that this article helps to put some perspective into your decision-making process. Wedding flowers quickly add up and your florist is running a business that needs to pay his or her bills. Trust your floral design professional to make the most beautiful arrangement that they can within your budget and maximize your service for the cost of wedding flowers!

If you want to read some tips on how to save some money on your wedding flowers, you can read my article “Five Ways to Reduce the Average Cost of Wedding Flowers.”

Please let us know in the comments how this article helped you going into your initial consultation meeting. We are excited to read about your experiences!

Contact us for a quote!