Your individual flower budget is an important but often tricky thing to determine.
Why setting a budget is important
My enquiry form asks you what your overall wedding budget is and also your approximate floral budget. You will find that the majority of other florists you approach will do similar.
So why do we do this?
The answer is, that is informs the designs we discuss with you; bud vases vs decorated candelabras for your tables; an undressed aisle vs abundant meadows to frame the walk to your beloved. It also influences the sorts of flowers we include in your proposals, there is a huge variety in price between flowers that serve a similar purpose in a design and even types of the same flower, roses can vary from £1 to £10!
You could just give your wishlist to your wedding florist and see what the quote comes to, letting that be your guide, but at one end of the scale you risk missing out on luxury flowers or a design concept you haven’t thought of. On the other you may elongate the process of quoting if your florist comes up with ideas that are out of budget and no-one needs wed-min that can be avoided!
Communication is absolutely key to a creative and exciting partnership between you and all of your suppliers, one most importantly built on trust and openness.
How to set the budget for your wedding flowers
All that said, how do you actually go about setting a budget I hear you cry!
Common advice is to allocate 10% of your overall wedding budget to flowers. This is an ok place to start but, we are all different, one sized floral budget does not fit all!
Have a think about how important flowers are to achieving the feel of your dream day, I would argue that the flowers at your wedding are one of the biggest contributors to the atmosphere, so if you want sweeping, whimsical romance or fun-filled, colourful quirkiness, consider going big on your flowers.
Think about how much you actually like flowers, you don’t have to know a lot about them to feel the joy they bring, if they speak to you on a special level, make sure your budget reflects that. If any of these statements ring true I would recommend considering 15-30% of your overall budget as a starting point and then discussing your vision with your florist.
What do different budgets look like
The cost of wedding flowers really does differ from couple to couple and is influenced by the season, the type of flowers that are used and even as simply as the number of bridesmaids you may be having!
If your budget is £1000 you may choose personal flowers for you and the bridal/groom party (bouquets and buttonholes) and light decoration on your wedding breakfast tables.
If your budget is £2500 consider personal flowers and a statement piece such as a broken arch (my fave!) With your remaining budget decide with your florist if you would like to focus on aisle decoration that can perhaps be re-purposed for the wedding breakfast, or if you would like to create a stunning tablescape instead.
Photo by Antonia-Grace Photography
If your budget is £5000+ we are talking , abundant aisle decor and then maybe two or more statement pieces. An arch to frame the entrance of your venue and a hanging installation over the top table perhaps?
Hopefully that has given some insight into why we ask for a flower budget and where to start with setting one. If you have any questions about budgeting please ask in the comments or send me an email at poppy@wildpoppyblooms.com
Thanks so much for reading!
Poppy x