The rising price of wedding flowers – what to expect when budgeting for your blooms

We’re all aware of supply chain problems right now but have you given much thought to the impact they could have on your wedding flowers?

With people queuing at the petrol pumps, warnings of rising costs to consumers and energy bills soaring, there’s barely a day goes by that we don’t wake up to headlines of some new issue.

And the flower sector is no different.

We speak to wedding florists Jenni from Stucio and Waow and Laura from Cherry Blossom about the rising cost of your wedding blooms and what to expect.

“The cost price of flowers increased immediately after the Brexit vote and prices have been increased gradually, though since Covid hit they have gone through the roof and seem to keep rising, especially since April 2021,” explains Laura.

Part of the reason Covid is responsible for the rising costs is because flowers became a go-to gift when people couldn’t get together.

Jenni says, “Prices increased from May [2021] onwards which is typically a peak month for increased costs anyway due to it being a popular month for weddings and worldwide supply for Mothers Day which takes place in various countries each week of the month.

“The demand for flowers was always high then and due to the unprecedented times that we are living in with the pandemic and effects of Brexit, costs have been beyond anything we have ever seen.

“During the pandemic flowers became the turn-to product for gifts and demand outstripped supply for months.”

Far from just driving up demand for well-wishers’ flowers however, the pandemic has hit the supply chain right at the roots – pun intended.

Guided by research by Caroline Marshall-Foster for the Good Florist Guide, of which Stucio and Waow are selected members, Jenni says Covid forced growers to pull out crops as they did not have staff to keep them nurtured and it takes months for crops to be established from the mother plants.

But it’s not just Covid pushing up the price of flowers.

Jenni says, “Global bad weather means that flowers in production are growing slowly.

“There has been snow in Ecuador, floods in America, cold in Colombia and rain in Kenya. These are some of the key regions for growing those much loved and sought-after flowers.

“Add in the extreme temperatures in Europe where some crops came on too quickly it has been a never-ending battle for growers.”

And while some growers struggle on, Laura says many others simply went out of business or farmers just stopped growing crops.

Despite growers struggling to bring on the plants, Jenni explains demand is huge with weddings now happening in their millions all over the world.

Add to this other costs and you can start to see why wedding flowers are costing more.

“Raw costs have increased,” explains Jenni. “From root plants to cardboard, paper to vases, it’s all costing more.”

Laura adds that transportation costs have increased massively before you even mention the B-word.

“The extra paperwork created by Brexit, …. [and] the increase in raw materials, add these all together and we are dealing with ridiculous costs,” she says.

A rare bloom

Certain flowers have always been more expensive than others.

For example, according to Laura many bridal flowers like peonies, roses, garden roses and hydrangeas have always been pricier.

But now, she says, even those flowers that were traditionally cheaper have also gone up.

“One area that has increased which brides often think is free is foliage,” she says.

“A bunch of eucalyptus has doubled over the last year.

“One of our weddings last weekend we were ordering 40 bunches of foliage for it so when you are buying that much and it’s double the price it makes it very difficult.”

Stress of the job

Given the huge price hikes of the raw materials it’s no surprise that suppliers are under pressure.

“Stress doesn’t come close,” says Laura.

“I’ve been close to tears when seeing my flower bill each week and it seriously makes me think, is this a viable job?”

Jenni also says the current situation is making it difficult to estimate costs.

“This year has put us into unknown territory and prices for everything are out of sync,” she says.

“I imagine this scenario will continue well into next year but at any time of change you have to adapt.

“Yes, it can be challenging to say the least but having a good rapport with your clients, being honest about any difficulties with costs and supply, there is always a solution to resolve issues.”

Know the price of quality

With such eye-watering price rises couples should be realistic with their flower budget.

However, some are still surprised by the price of their wedding flowers. These are not your average petrol station blooms.

Jenni says, “Perhaps some are surprised because they don’t understand the difference in quality and price between what they see in the supermarkets to the choice of and grade of flowers used by professional florists.”

Then in addition to the flowers themselves, she says, there is also the design and time element chargeable for the skills provided by the florist.

“Personally we provide a price guide prior to quoting for weddings so that clients have awareness of the costs we charge for floral and foliage designs,” says Jenni.

Realistic expectations

Given the increased prices and uncertainty it’s time to get real.

If your budget simply won’t stretch to a hydrangea moongate look for an alternative.

So what advice would florists give to couples choosing their wedding blooms?

Laura says, “Talk to your florist openly about your budget.

“Let them guide you with ideas to make your budget go further and be open to your florist substituting certain flowers for ones that aren’t as expensive.”

Remember when you hire a wedding florist you are hiring a professional so you’re in safe hands.

“Clients should trust them to choose the perfect blooms that will create the look they desire,” says Jenni.

“Florists have vast knowledge and resources, they can work their magic and yes, they may have to substitute one variety for another or introduce that desired colour in another way.

“Communication is key and if something just isn’t possible or is constrained by budget a professional florist will always come up with an alternative solution.”

Have you found your wedding florist yet?

Check out our suppliers pages here for inspo