At Rooted Floral Design, we've worked with wedding floral budgets ranging from a few hundred dollars to nearly $20,000, and it is an honor to design for every single one.
But one thing we often notice is that couples inquire with floral budgets that don't quite align with the number of flowers they envision. And that makes perfect sense! Social media is filled with photos of stunning, over-the-top floral installations, and it's easy to assume those designs are the standard. There isn't much transparency around what wedding flowers actually cost, so how would you know what to expect? That's why we want to share this guide, with some common floral budgets and what you can expect for each one.
Why Are Wedding Flowers More Expensive?
Let's address a common misconception: that wedding vendors inflate prices simply because they can get away with it. In our experience, this just isn't true. Wedding flowers cost more because they are fundamentally different from everyday flowers, so let's get into why.
The Flowers Themselves: Everyday flowers (like those you'd find at a grocery store) are often mass-produced, lower-cost varieties. They are usually sold in bulk at a discount, which comes with a trade-off in quality. In contrast, wedding flowers are typically designed using more premium blooms like garden roses, ranunculus, peonies, and dahlias, which are significantly more expensive per stem. These flowers require more care and attention, and that quality comes at a cost.
Details Matter: Everyday bouquets and arrangements don't have to be flawless. With wedding flowers, however, perfection is the expectation. Every petal, every angle, and every bloom is carefully considered to create a seamless, beautiful design. That level of attention requires not just premium flowers, but also more product overall, and a lot more labor.
Labor & Logistics: An everyday bouquet might be made in minutes and sent out the door. Wedding florals, on the other hand, involve days (honestly, weeks in most cases, when you add up all the time) of back and forth communication, planning and ordering for your custom designs, and designing before your flowers ever reach your wedding. There is an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes work that goes into every wedding. The day-of logistics are also complex, often requiring a full team to transport, set up, and carefully install every element at exactly the right time.
So yes, wedding flowers are more expensive than everyday flowers, but for good reason. The quality, labor, and expertise that go into wedding floral design are what make them special and worth the investment.
So what can you expect?
Now that we've covered why wedding flowers cost what they do, let's look at what you can actually expect with different floral budgets. These breakdowns are based on real weddings we've designed and should give you a sense of what's possible within each price point. Keep in mind that prices will vary from florist to florist based on their unique design style, experience and expertise, and operating costs.
Each budget scenario assumes a guest count of 100, with flowers designed in our typical style: a mix of seasonal, locally-grown blooms with some premium flowers and greenery. Of course, design choices and flower varieties will always impact what we can do, and guest count is the biggest variable that will affect what you can get for any given budget, but this should give you a solid starting point.
$7,000: Our Most Common Budget
1 bridal bouquet
9 boutonnieres (1 groom, 5 groomsmen, 2 fathers, 1 officiant)
5 bridesmaids posies (small bouquets)
1 ceremony installation such as a lush floral meadow at the altar or an arch design with a mix of flowers and greenery, which can be repurposed for the reception
2 statement arrangements for the bar and escort card table
6 standard-sized centerpieces for round guest tables
30 bud vases for linear guest tables (5 per table)
A mix of taper and votive candles for guest tables
A few flowers for the cake, flat lay, and flower girl petals
Labor, delivery, cleanup, and sales tax included
$14,000: A More Luxe Floral Experience
Everything above, plus:
A lush floral meadow installation for the aisle that can be repurposed in front of your stage, dance floor, DJ table, and various other places
A hanging installation above the dance floor, or a few chandeliers with greenery and flowers
$3,000: A La Carte Florals
1 bridal bouquet
1 boutonniere
5 bridesmaids posies (small bouquets)
2 large arrangements for the ceremony, which can be repurposed for the reception
1 medium arrangement for the bar
36 bud vases for guest tables (3 per table)
Labor, delivery, cleanup, and sales tax included
At the end of the day, floral budgets are highly personal and the exact designs we can create will depend on your priorities, style preferences, guest count, and flexibility. If you're unsure how to maximize your budget, just ask! We love helping couples make the most of their floral investment by suggesting designs that offer the biggest impact. By giving us some creative freedom, we can often stretch your budget further and create something even more beautiful than you imagined.
Wedding flowers should feel exciting, not stressful, and we want you to feel just as inspired by what's possible as we do. If you're ready to start planning, reach out--we'd love to chat!
(Photos in this blog post by Diana Rothery Weddings.)
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