Whether you're a couple planning on getting married, or a wedding florist seeking some direction on how to price their craft appropriately, this post is for you! My goal is to provide an honest, straightforward, and educational post that can act as a baseline as you head into your wedding season, whatever your role is.
Let's be real. Life is expensive. Groceries are expensive. Home maintenance is expensive. Everything is expensive. Flowers and floral design services are no different. I speak from personal experience as a Vermont bride not so long ago-I understand the sticker shock that any wedding vendor proposal or quote can give. Weddings are inherently luxury events, and luxury events are meant to stand out and provide not only an incredible experience for you and your partner, but for your guests as well. Floral design is a huge part of creating the visual impact I believe that my couples are looking for, and goes far beyond simply throwing a few stems together in a vase.
I recently listened to a reel on Instagram comparing stems to restaurant vegetables that I'd like to share with you. When you go out to a fancy restaurant, and let's say your meal choice includes asparagus, you are not going to ask the waiter to break down the wholesale cost of each asparagus stem, why it costs that much, what the retail markup is (which, by the way, is usually at least 300%), and so on. You order the filet mignon with asparagus on the side for $50, and you don't question it because you know you're at a business, eating a high-end meal, and hopefully receiving high-end service. The same analogy works for wedding flowers. Sure, you could go to the grocery store and try to DIY your wedding with bruised and chemical-covered flowers and pay a whole lot less. However, here is what you are paying for when you hire a professional florist to design for you. I've included some approximate percentage breakdowns of where your dollars are allotted:
10%-15% of your overall wedding budget should be dedicated to floral design IF flowers are important, but not everything
Plan on spending between 20%-25% if you are seeking a Pinterest-worthy, lux, "WOW" factor design! Most of our couples spend between $4,000-$8,000 on average, with some exceeding $15,000. We strive to work within your budget as much as possible.
Your wedding day should reflect you, your love story, your budget, and what YOU envision on your wedding day. Below is a list that is meant to provide a rough guide to what you can expect within your price range. It is by no means "complete," and as with anything in wedding-planning life, there are many "except this," "what ifs," and so on!
Under $1,000
In most cases, this budget will allow for a small to medium bridal bouquet, a few small bridesmaid bouquets, and wedding party boutonnieres (buttonholes). Depending on the size of the wedding party, it may also include a few additional corsages or boutonnieres for family members. If you are having an elopement, it may include your bridal bouquet and/or boutonniere/lapel florals, as well as a small feature installation at the ceremony or reception. This budget does not typically include delivery, set-up, and breakdown. If you require these, we are happy to provide this service at an additional fee. This budget also falls within our A La Carte minimum spend of $500, not including taxes and other fees.
$1,500-$4,000
Depending on the wedding party size, this budget will cover your bouquets and boutonnieres/lapels/floral pocket boutonnieres. It will also allow for some small florals for the reception tables such as scattered bud vases or small arrangements. We suggest a small arrangement at each guest table or scattered bud vases with some votive candles.
Alternatively, this budget could allow for a larger ceremony floral feature (like a lightly flowered arch or greenery-only arch), OR perhaps a smaller hanging installation at the reception. If you have a smaller wedding party (1-2 on each side), this budget could allow for both a ceremony focal floral element and a reception installation! This budget does not typically include delivery, set-up, and breakdown. If you require these, we are happy to provide this service at an additional fee. This budget also falls within our A La Carte minimum spend of $500, not including taxes and other fees.
$4,000-$6,000
This budget falls within our minimum full-service investment of $4,000, and the average spend of many of our clients. Most often, this includes the full suite of wedding party personals, a ceremony installation, a reception floral feature, and flowers/candles for the guest tables.
With all of this being said, if we are building out a large floral feature piece (i.e. a custom-built arch, chuppah, etc), this budget may only account for wedding party personals, the ceremony feature, and a few smaller reception touches.
$6,000-$10,000
This budget is approaching our higher-end full-service wedding floral design investment, and will likely include a custom ceremony installation, a premium bridal bouquet, wedding party personals for the whole crew, and gorgeous reception florals!
Depending on the size of your wedding party, this may include extras like some tent/space vining, a cake meadow, and so on.
$10,000-$15,000+
With a budget in this range, we are looking at a full line-up of wedding party personals, large statement/impact ceremony pieces (think: aisle meadows, a large floral wedding arch, or multiple large ceremony arrangements), reception floral features, guest table florals and candles, and so on. You may also elect to include more unique factors such as cake meadows, full-length head table hanging installations, full tent vining, full-length aisle florals, and so on!
Because every single one of our weddings is completely customized and unique, it is almost impossible to provide all of the details on each budget. Once we schedule our initial complimentary consultation call, we can go over your vision and budget. The above is intended to provide some general guidance on what items might be included within a given budget.
You'll notice that we haven't mentioned a lot of the smaller floral pieces that are often requested-flower girl crowns, flower girl petals, hair pieces, and so on. There are an infinite number of variations and combinations that can be created, so we have intentionally left these out for now!
Prices will also vary depending on the number of flowers used and how many premium blooms are included. If you are hoping for David Austin garden roses and phalaenopsis orchids throughout your wedding, your starting investment is going to be significantly higher. Additionally, labor and design charges can change drastically. Each venue has different rules on when we can set up and when our strike team can return for breakdown. Delivery and setup is always included within Woodstock, Vermont but all events outside of Woodstock are subject to the IRS mileage rate of $0.67/mile. Events beyond three hours of our studio will incur additional travel costs which may include, but are not limited to: travel/airfare, lodging, meals, and so on; these are all the responsibility of the client.
We are so incredibly honored that you have considered us to flower your wedding, and are so excited to work with you! While we have a minimum full-service spend of $4,000 in 2024, we are always happy to try to work within your budget which is why we offer an A La Carte floral menu.
Finally, please remember that every single florist has different minimums, different levels of education and experience, different overhead costs, and that none of these things necessarily determine the quality and/or impact of your florals. Someone who is brand new to the industry may be able to create the most incredible hanging installation you've ever seen, and someone with 30+ years in the biz may be tied to old traditions; quantity of years does not always equal the quality of design. Ultimately, you need to trust your gut and trust your vendors. Make sure they have very detailed contracts (and make sure YOU read them)! This post is intended to help you manage expectations, and hopefully provide you with a bit of education as you embark on your wedding planning journey.
Blue Door Flower Co. is a Woodstock, Vermont Wedding Florist. Blue Door's CEO and Head Designer, Emma Murray, is passionate about providing high-end, seasonally-inspired wedding floral design to couples who value fresh, whimsical floral design. Emma's favorite color palettes are vibrant and colorful, drawing inspiration from the garden and the surrounding landscapes. Blue Door Flower Company was born from a deep love of the natural world, a passion for connecting with others, and a goal of making the world a more beautiful place, one flower stem at a time.
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