What do I pay for when I invest in my wedding flowers?
"But they're just flowers plonked on a table"
Comments like this one, are something that every single florist in the world will have received or over heard at one time or another!
I was chatting to one of my 2023 Brides the other day, (She happens to have worked in the wedding industry herself previously, so is fully aware of why things cost what they do!) and we got onto the conversation of wedding flower costs and that her own parents had “gone nuts”, when they found out how much her wedding flowers were, because they were ” just flowers plonked on a table” and they could have “got flowers from a supermarket for pennies” in comparison!
Me and the Bride laughed a lot about this and thankfully, she had been able to educate her parents as to why they cost, what they do…. But it got me thinking, that maybe a bit of transparency would help current and future couples to understand why they pay what they pay…. so here goes!
Markups
For those with business knowledge or experience, markups are used in absolutely every business on the planet, to allow them to make a profit, which in turn , allows businesses to pay staff wages, cover running costs and buy stock.
A florist is no different. The majority of flowers in the UK are brought at “wholesale ” price and a florist will markup using the industry standard amount to allow for wages, expenses and stock. The markup used, can vary ever so slightly dependant on some factors. For example, the Florist’s experience level- an experienced, luxury or in demand florist can charge a little more.
So yes, your flowers were brought by your florist at a lower cost than you were invoiced for. But without this markup, your florist literally wouldn’t be able to pay themselves a wage!
What it takes to “plonk your wedding flowers on the table”
There is a common misconception that wedding florists, add a few zeros because its a wedding. But this simply isn’t true.
To deliver your beautiful wedding flowers, there are literally hours & hours of unseen work involved….
….creating quotes, creating proposals, sending emails, telephone & face to face consultations, researching flowers, designing the arrangements, creating flower recipes, creating invoices, venue visits, sourcing flowers, ordering flowers, sourcing & ordering non floral supplies, collecting flowers, conditioning flowers, creating arrangements, building mechanics, planning drop off/ set up schedules, liaising with other suppliers, travel, set up of flowers at the venue, delivery of the bouquets & buttonholes, staying at venues to move arrangements inbetween the ceremony & reception and take down.
This is by no means everything, just a brief overview of an average wedding!
Early cold mornings & very late nights. Its not unusual for a florist to work 18 hour days, in the week of your wedding to get everything ready in time!
From your initial enquiry to your wedding day, it can more than often, take upwards of 50 hours worth of work, to get everything plonked on that table on your big day!
But supermarkets are able to sell their flowers cheaply, why can’t you?
Don’t get me wrong, supermarket flowers can be beautiful and they certainly have a place in the market. I’m always happy receive them and have been known to buy them for myself on occasion!
However, they’re cheap for a reason.
Firstly, Flowers are graded on their quality… supermarket flowers are generally of a lower quality grade (think smaller heads, wonky stems, lower longevity). So naturally, they will be cheaper than buying the same flowers from a florist.
Secondly, supermarkets have huge contracts directly with flower growers. So the flowers are brought in bulk, at lower bulk buy prices. Simply, florists are not able to do this!
These two factors are why supermarkets are able to underprice a florist so significantly!
So where does my money go?
Currently, the average UK couple, spends around £1000- £1500 on their wedding flowers. Although, this is increasing due to the wholesale cost of flowers dramatically rising due to the energy crisis in Europe (another topic for another day).
This price covers 3 main areas:
- Buying the flowers from a flower grower or wholesaler
A significant percentage of the money you pay, covers the cost of buying the actual flowers & foliage.
- Company Profits
All florists aspire to have company profits, but often than not, this little business nest egg gets depleted & used up.
It often covers running costs, such a shop or studio rental, training costs to ensure we are up to date with our practices and are able to deliver the best flowers we can.
There is a big movement in the floristry world to be more eco friendly and to achieve this, it involves investment into learning and materials.
This also covers the cost of buying vases, candlestick holders, the mechanics behind arrangements and even the zip ties and chicken wire that holds everything together.
- Wages
While there are floral designers and floristry companies that are able to make significant profits, the average florist isn’t rolling in it! Most florists are in the industry for the love of the job and not to make mountains of cash!
Another thing to note is that, it’s not uncommon to have couples ask for discounts or try to negotiate on the price of their wedding flowers. The reason that many florists will not budge on the price is because, any discount or price drop offered, comes directly from their wage pot.
When it comes down to it, 99% of florists don’t charge couples excessively, but just enough to allow them to live.
If anything, many florists will have found themselves guilty of under pricing in the hope to securing a booking at some point in their career, which is detrimental to themselves and the industry as a whole!
So there you have it… in a very small, condensed nutshell… I could go on in so much more detail, but no one has time for that!!! 
I’m hoping that a little transparency, will help to reassure couples past, present & future, that when they invest in their wedding flowers, they aren’t being ripped off, because the word “wedding” was used!
For more wedding flower hints, tips & inspiration, follow Wildlings & Aster on our Instagram page @wildlingsandaster
Lucy williams
❤️