In a former life for about 7 years, I was a budget analyst for a large county government finance office. I worked on multi million dollar budgets, so I know a little bit about developing a good one. There are some lucky people that don't need to worry about costs in general and are able to allow floral designers to plan what it will take to transform a room into the magical world the client desires. But for the rest of the bride's out there, it's important to stay within a budget, either one that they have personally saved for, or one that's given to them by a parent or close relative who definitely has a total to not exceed. So the challenging work of creating a detailed budget begins, starting with a total and then subtracting the cost of the venue rental, catering, entertainment, photography and let's not forget, the dress. When working this way, sometimes the flowers and decor come last. I'd like to move that item up the list to a more prominent position because I can't emphasis how much flowers can change the mood of an event. And your reception is the biggest event of your life. Beautifully arranged flowers take an average room to the next level. Some brides understand this. They understand the power of getting the right 'WOW' factor for their ceremony and/or reception. And, by the way, if you have a tight budget, you can focus more on the reception decor than the ceremony decor. It's perfectly acceptable to make the ceremony setting more simple, but then increase the decorations in the reception room.
Two common question I have for brides is (1) how many guests do you expect and (2) what is your flower budget? There is a correlation between the number of guests and the catering budget, of course, but there is also a correlation between the number of guests and the flower budget. Normally, the larger the wedding, the nicer the decor must be. It's all about perception. Guests who travel from out of state to be at your wedding will bring a gift, but they also will have spent money on airfare, hotel, rental car and taken vacation time in order to be present. That's a great personal cost. And even the local attendees have out of pocket costs for being there on your big day. So, providing a beautifully decorated room is your way of saying that you're thankful for the sacrifices they've made to be with you.
A beautiful table arrangement in the appropriate size for a large table seating for 8-10 people is one of the major costs for your flower budget. Start with the cost of your bouquet and the cost for your bridesmaid bouquets and men's boutonnieres and mom's corsages and then add the table arrangements. Add another 20% to cover the cost of delivery, set up and take away after the reception and you'll have a rough idea of the basic amount that will be needed for flowers and decor. And then think about the wedding pictures and what will be needed for the ceremony site. It's a good beginning.
It's also nice to have a flower budget in mind before you talk with wedding florist because you'll be able to determine quicker if the designer is the one you want to work with, and you'll be able to reserve the wedding date sooner. Dates on a wedding florist's calendar fill up fast and often a florist is quoting two or more brides about the same date, knowing that only one large wedding will be booked for that particular date. The first deposit received for the date is the one that gets booked and the florist then has to respond to future inquiries that they're no longer available for that date. So it's very important to develop a budget for flowers early on and don't hesitate to share that budget with your wedding florist. Having to spend time quoting floral decor items that a bride never intended spending money for, is unproductive for both. When a wedding florist knows the budget, it's so much easier to begin mapping out a plan for a cohesive look to the ceremony and reception, emphasizing the areas that will give the greatest impact.
I've seen what some bridal websites say you should spend on wedding flowers as a percent of your total budget, 8% according to TheKnot.com, for example, but that number is low. A percentage, if you want to do it that way, of 10% - 12% is closer to what you'll need, and more if you want a bigger floral impact to transform a room. Many of my brides will tell me that, for example, they have $1,500, or $2,000 or $3,000+ budget for flowers, which allows me to create a proposal for not only the most beautiful reception decor, but also ideas for the ceremony to help create the best look for pictures and lasting memories. My best advice is to be up front about your budget, the challenges of the venue site, the number of guests and the overall look you want to achieve, and let the designer do what they do best. When I provide a quote, after meeting and discussing everything, I break down the details of what will be provided and when. There are never any hidden costs. Everything is spelled out and our contract covers everything else to make you feel comfortable about what you will receive on your wedding day. We send you pictures of styles to approve so that you have a clear picture of what everything will look like. Everything we do is custom, but you will have confidence in the overall look of what to expect on your wedding day.
Once a bride has determined her budget, one question I get asked often is: "what's your minimum?" Why do some florists even have minimums for a wedding flower order? With some florists, their main business is in other areas, such as daily deliveries (birthdays, anniversaries, get well and funeral work), so weddings can take a great deal of time away from that business. Client consultations, quotes, adjusting quotes, securing the contract, sending pictures, billing the down payment and balance payments, ordering the special flowers, processing the large quantities of flowers when they come in, obtaining vases, and then having the space and personnel on hand to actually start designing the big arrangements, not including delivering and setting them up and sometimes going back to pick them up late in the evening. That's a great deal of time, effort and forethought, not to mention dedicated employees free to work on that area of the business, so some florists don't like doing weddings. Wedding and Event Florists dedicate themselves to these large parties. They welcome the challenges and they can dedicate the time needed to create the most beautiful event. While profit margins are narrow, requiring a minimum ensures that the florist will have bookings that provide more stability to the business. As for my minimum, I normally say that if it's a large wedding, $1,200 - $1,500 is my minimum, however I have agreed to take on smaller weddings. It depends on the season, the demand for a particular date and my schedule. Most florists wouldn't want to book a small $300 wedding if a much larger $3,000 one comes along later.
I wish you much luck with making out your budget. I hope that your budget allows you to enjoy flowers as much as you want on your special day. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need ideas for transforming a space into your dream setting, while staying within your budget. It's your big day and I'd love to help!
