We hear it time and time again that as soon as you mention wedding flowers to a florist the price triples, well if they re only tripling it you are getting a bargain.

How to decide on a flower budget for your wedding day. For some of you this is the first time to get married, so this is the first time to experience planning and buying for a wedding.

The biggest chore for you as a wedding couple is deciding on an overall Wedding budget for your special day. How much you spend really depends on what you can afford and when you decide on that, you can then decide where your priorities lie as a couple in your wedding planning.

In no particular order these are some of the larger costs of planning a wedding.

• The Dress / shoes / underwear

• The Suits / shoes

• The Bridemaids / shoes

• The Flowers - Personal and Room decor

• Makeup / Hair - trials / on the day

• The Hotel - Dinner / Wine/ cocktails / evening food

• The Photographer

• The Videographer

• Celebrant / Cermony

• Church

• Singers

• Band / Entertainment

• Cars / Transport

• Favours

• Invitations

• And so on - the list can keep going

You need to sit down as a couple and list how important each aspect of your wedding is to you.

Is the cake more important than the transport?

Is the Band more important than the photographer?

Is the photographer more important than the flowers?

Only you as a couple can decide this and then decide on a budget for each element of your own wedding.

Deciding on your Wedding Flower Budget

The general rule of thumb is Wedding Florals should account for a minimum of 10% of your overall budget, with the average being 15%, but obviously this can be much more or less depending on how you prioritise their importance to you as a couple.

When you go to your florist with a budget, they will work within that budget to give you as much as they possible can for that budget, they may discuss giving you the more expensive garden roses in your own Bouquet which will be in practically every one of your wedding photos, and maybe use less expensive flowers in your table arrangements that will be taken from the tables after your meal.

They may show you options where you can repurpose flowers from area to area to save money ( the floral designer will need to be there for the repurposing, so repurposing a large structure like pillars or floral arches would be more budget friendly than maybe repurposing smaller items like pew ends)

Your florist plans your wedding flowers weeks in advance of your day, it is not just one delivery of flowers and they start designing, it is planning for different deliveries so that your flowers are at their optimum on the day of your wedding.

Wedding flowers are not like a retail bouquet where you can walk into a shop and buy it off the shelf, it will be most likely in bud and will take 4/5 days to open and show their blooms, these will be at their prime for 2/3 days before they start to look a little tired.

Your florist will use their years of experience in planning to ensure your wedding flowers and floral decor is at its absolute perfect for your wedding day and not for the couple getting married a few days later by buying it at the appropriate time for each bloom.

For large luxury installations or venue decor your florist will plan a site visit to plan their designs, to plan their construction ( they may only have a few hours in the morning of the wedding if there is a wedding or event there the day before). Your floral designers may also need to plan for break down of your florals either the evening of your event or the next morning. This time all need to be taken into account.

Creating wedding florals is so much more than selling flowers, you are investing in bespoke designs tailored to your dreams. The process involves detailed consultations where your florist delves into your vision, your preferences, and your wedding style. This level of customization ensures that your florals are as unique as your love story.

The expertise a floral designer brings to your wedding isn't just a given; it's the result of years of training, workshops, and staying on top of floral trends. The costs involved in this continuous learning are reflected their pricing. You're not just paying for flowers; you're investing in the knowledge and artistry that elevates your wedding to the extraordinary.

Don’t be swayed by looking for the cheapest florist, look for the florist that fits your vibe, give them your budget and get the most that you can for that budget. It is exactly like every other aspect of your wedding planning.

Most luxury floral designers and florists have set their own minimum spend in order to retain their services for your special day.

You can have your most favourite band ( more expensive than others) play for three hours and have the floor rocking for those two hours, or you can go with a cheaper alternative who will play for 4 hours and people only dance for the last 30 minutes - but hey maybe dancing is not your priority on your list, so the cheaper alternative suits your vibe. Only you can decide.

Happy wedding planning and what ever your decision on priorities and budget, this is your wedding, do it your way and enjoy every minute of it

Thinking of learning about flowers as a Hobby or a Career - sign up for our FREE Flower Masterclass Webinars here