Wedding flower quotes vary so much because a florist isn’t pricing flowers. They’re pricing flowers plus design, labour, delivery, setup, rentals and teardown. The quickest way to know whether a quote is fair is to work out the stem cost yourself first.
The formula
For each arrangement: stems per piece x price per stem x how many pieces, plus extras such as vases, ribbon and labour. Add the arrangements together and you have your flower budget. Add 10 to 15% to stem counts for breakage and blooms that don’t open.
A worked example
These prices are illustrative only. Real prices vary a lot by country, season and supplier, so use quotes from your own florist or wholesaler.
| Arrangement | Stems | Qty | Example cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridal bouquet (12 roses, 7 spray roses, 5 lisianthus, 6 eucalyptus) | 30 | 1 | $50 in stems |
| Bridesmaid bouquets (6 roses, 4 spray roses, 3 lisianthus, 4 eucalyptus) | 17 | 4 | $27 each |
| Buttonholes | 3 | 6 | $4 each |
| Low centrepieces (5 roses, 3 spray roses, 2 hydrangea, 4 greenery) | 14 | 10 | $29 each |
That’s the cost of the flowers alone. A florist’s quote for the same list will be higher, because design time, delivery and setup are real work. The point of the stem cost is to understand what you’re paying for, not to haggle a florist down to it.
Where the money goes
- Centrepieces: the biggest line, because you need one per table.
- The bridal bouquet: the single most photographed arrangement, so it's worth spending on.
- Ceremony pieces: arches and installations take the most labour.
- Delivery, setup and teardown: often a fixed fee, so ask for it as its own line.
Ways to spend less
- Choose flowers that are in season for your date.
- Use bud vases on some tables instead of full centrepieces.
- Move ceremony flowers to the reception.
- Lean on greenery, which costs less per stem than focal flowers.
- Have fewer bridesmaid bouquets, or smaller ones in a single variety.
From the shop
Wedding Flower Budget Spreadsheet
Put in your flowers and prices and it works out the cost of every arrangement, how many stems to order, and how florist quotes compare.
