why do florists charge different prices?

It’s peak wedding enquiry season and lots of couples are shopping around for a wedding florist.

As a couple this is probably the only time you will need to enquire about the price of wedding flowers and this is the time when you realise that some florists charge more than others for their services.

In this little blog I am going to explain how we set our prices when it comes to wedding flowers or any floral arrangements for other occasions.

The price of wedding flowers has 2 factors; the wholesale cost of the goods and the cost of florist overheads and wages.

The quality and cost of flowers we can get at the wholesalers vary enormously.

Take a simple white Rose, you can get them all year round so seasonality is not really an issue. Here’s a picture of a small Athena Rose, a large Avalanche Rose and a garden Rose named Patience. The wholesale price of roses varies depending on the grower and length of the stem and the supply and demand. The Avalanche Rose is on average 3 times more expensive than the Athena. The Patience Rose is 3 times more expensive than the Avalanche and 9 times more expensive than the Athena. So if you are choosing white Roses to feature heavily in your wedding the price can vary hugely depending on which type of Rose you choose.

All other flowers come in a variety of size and quality and are priced accordingly.

Flowers are more expensive when they are out of season or when demand is high. An experienced florist will always help you choose the best flowers for your wedding.

 

 

Now let’s talk about the other factor, the florist and their overheads.

A very good floral designer will charge more for their time and expertise than a florist who is just starting out (and may not have a lot of experience creating wedding flowers). An experienced florist would have flowered many weddings before and is knowledgable in what flowers will be available at any given time of year. An experienced florist will have their own signature style  that is consistent throughout their work. They will always listen to the wishes of the couples they work with but choose a florist that has the style you are after, don’t presume we are all the same! The overheads of a high street florist are higher than a studio florist like Rose & Mary and a home florist overheads are lower still. All these factors determine the price of wedding flowers so if you are receiving several quotes from different florists you need to take all that into account.

Simply choosing the cheapest quote is not always the best choice to make. You wouldn’t run into a bridal gown shop and just pick the cheapest dress. The cost of the materials and the cost of the design all need to be taken into account, just like choosing a florist.

If you are still confused by all of this, imagine a burger. It’s a bit of beef in a bun but there is a lot of choice out there.

A burger from a fast food outlet costs very little compared to a burger at a gastropub and there are even very fancy restaurants that sell very special Wagyu beef burgers at eye-watering prices…

The price of the burger is based on the cost of the ingredients and the way it is cooked, everybody knows that. You wouldn’t want to compare a cheap soggy fast food burger with a burger served in a fancy restaurant and it’s the same for wedding flowers . If want a fancy burger for your wedding then don’t expect to pay fast food burger prices. Not all burgers are the same and that is the same for wedding flowers!

We hope that all makes sense and this blog was useful. Here at Rose&Mary we are not a fan of the cheap burger nor are we a fan of the really expensive burger. We are always happy to work within a couple’s budget as long as we can match your budget with your expectation. To read more on this please click here

Dress by Made with Love Bridal