When it comes to talking about "budget" for Wedding Flowers it really is a taboo subject! Nobody wants to give an amount, perhaps people really have no idea as to how much flowers for weddings actually cost. So here is a little guide into what actually goes into the cost of your Wedding Flowers - other than just the flowers!
So following your initial meeting with us, you will receive a Consultation Sheet, this will be a complete breakdown of everything discussed. HOW MUCH??! I hear you say....Ok, so first of all let's talk about the costing of the ACTUAL flowers. Depending on seasonal availability, depending on flower variety, depending on colour, this can all impact the cost of your order.
For example, flowers in limited colours such as Blue & Nude, usually come at a premium. To keep costs lower you can always opt for creams whites & greens. The above colours are in demand over the summer wedding months & this really can push the price per stem high.
Premium flowers that are in high demand, that everybody wants, that are only available at particular times of the year - such as Peonies! However beautiful, these flowers always come at a premium. Often unpredictable & difficult to work with, Growers know that our Brides LOVE a peony! Therefore charging ridiculously high prices per stem to the florists who are willing to pay for them.
Another beautiful flower, often thought of as the creme de la creme of wedding flowers, is of course the David Austin Rose. The unique scented, frilly English garden roses can be spotted in many of the high end Pinterest photoshoots & weddings of the celebrities & stars across the world. These roses are VERY expensive & you should expect to pay a premium. To save those pennies, stick to a Dutch Rose, they have many varieties, the Avalanche is very popular as well as cost effective.
Finally, foliage, this is not cheap! Around five years ago, before the growers cottoned on to the trend of masses of fresh foliage such as Eucalyptus, Soft Ruscus & Populous etc, it was a cost effective way of bulking out a bouquet or arrangement. Not any more! Prices per stem almost match that of a fresh Rose, sometimes more, so please do take this into consideration when planning wedding flowers on a budget. To keep to a budget, use more filler flowers such as Gypsophila or Wax flower, or opt for cheaper foliages such as pistachia.
The best option if you love beautiful flowers but are not really set on anything in particular, is to go with a Florists Choice. This would be a bouquet or arrangement made up of the finest available flowers & foliages available chosen by your florist, in the colours of your choice. With a reputable Wedding Florist you can trust that they will select gorgeous flowers for you & really get you the best for your budget by giving them the freedom to choose the materials. Florist Choice will often get you more for your money, as the flowers can be carefully selected at the time of ordering rather than pre-ordered, which of course comes at a premium.
Ok so now we have discussed the flowers, let's talk about the work involved....Firstly your florist will carefully look over your flower requirements & devise a ''Buying List'' prior to ordering from Holland/Wholesaler. That can take hours to put together, your florist will sit & work out EVERY stem required to create your beautiful bouquets or arrangements, ensuring that they select the best available flowers, whilst keeping to your budget. Then, once the order is placed, a couple of days before your big day, the florist will receive your delivery & begin the process which is known as ''Conditioning''. Every single stem is unpacked, (& usually with a wedding order it is HUNDREDS!) stripped free of thorns/lower foliage, checked over & placed in lovely clean buckets of water with flower food to 'condition' overnight. This process will allow your flowers to bloom as best as possible & look amazing for your wedding day.
Following conditioning, your florist will then revert back to the buying list to lay out all of the flowers ready to make up your beautiful bouquet or arrangement. Often each arrangement can take up to 45 minutes to create, sometimes longer, especially for Teardrop & Shower Bouquets which require intricate wiring. This is the design process, your florist will have listened carefully to you at the consultation, in order to create stunning flowers for your wedding! The finishing touches such as ribbons/diamantes/prepping the transportation boxes can then be done, and your flowers are boxed & ready for delivery!
Last question... Why does Florist X charge more than Florist Y for the same thing? Truth be told they won't be the same thing! Florists are a little like hairdressers, we all charge differently depending on our creative skill, experience, popularity, qualifications etc. In your costing you will be paying a rate for the florist of YOUR choice. Reputable & Experienced Wedding Florists are in demand, with many busy high street florists turning down the Bridal work as it is just too time consuming & demanding. Wedding Florists will have much more knowledge for variety & seasonal availability of flowers, they will have a vast portfolio of wedding work & the time & skill to dedicate to Brides for their special day . Wedding work is not easy, the expectations are very high (rightly so!) & any good Wedding Florist will aim for perfection every time to meet those expectations. Wedding Florists will use the best flowers possible, for example, high grade large head Ivory Avalanche Roses for a hand tied Brides bouquet, compared to cheaper short stem Ivory Athena Roses. You may notice the price difference but believe me you will also notice the quality difference & the look they add to the bouquet when they are delivered on your big day! Wedding Flowers are special, it requires a special understanding & communication between yourself & your florist, there is a large element of trust involved. We are not only there to create amazing flowers for you, we are always there for you. Whether it is a pre wedding styling wobble or a complete rethink of flowers, or whether you just need a recommendation for a good Cake Maker or Photographer, we are always here to help! So, if you do think ''HOW MUCH?!" when you receive your quotation, please do consider all of the other factors & the work & dedication your florist puts in, other than just the cost of the raw materials :-)
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