How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba
I hear this question ALL the time. Literally, all the time. And while I can't give you an accurate blanket statement response, I wanted to at least give it a shot and explain some of the behind-the-scenes of wedding flower pricing for you. Because, let’s face it, pricing of everything in 2023 has changed, flowers included!
How much do wedding flowers cost?
If you’re getting married in 2023, you have to be prepared to spend 2023 money.
Over the years, I’ve written multiple blog posts about wedding flower budgets in Manitoba, how much bouquets actually cost, ideas for maximizing your flower budget, and more. I personally think those posts are extremely helpful…except for the fact that in this post-(ish)Covid world w’ere living in, with inflation and costs being what they are, literally everything has changed.
So, I figured it was time to revisit the topic of what wedding flowers actually cost in Manitoba, and hopefully it’s a good time of year for you as you’re planning your 2023 and 2024 weddings!
The other day, I was talking with a wedding planner friend of mine. I had just received an inquiry that was so unrealistic in her budget expectations that I had to vent about it. Her answer was amazing, and it’s everything that you need to keep in mind:
“If you’re planning a wedding in 2023, you have to be willing to spend 2023 money.”
AKA if you’re planning a 200 person wedding at a high end venue, and your floral requests are “lush and full,” you absolutely cannot expect to spend less than the $2500 budget this particular bride had budgeted. In fact, you can’t expect to spend less than probably $7000.
To be clear, inflation hasn’t risen so much that a $2500 budget from a few years ago is now equivalent to a $7000 budget…it’s definitely risen BUT that $2500 budget wouldn’t have been sufficient for that bride’s floral wish list for at least the last 15 years. Maybe never, I don’t know. I’ve only been doing this for 12 years 😉
So, here we go. What do wedding flowers, in Manitoba, in 2023 and beyond, ACTUALLY COST?
Figuring out how much to budget for your wedding flowers can be a major challenge — for most newly engaged couples, it's just going to be a major shot in the dark. Most of the online resources available are in American dollars, from very different markets than we are in, and are written by magazine editors — not florists — who haven't bothered to do their research on how much things actually cost, making their supposedly helpful suggestions to be completely unrealistic. Some of the big magazines and wedding planning sites offer "helpful" wedding budget breakdowns, with a suggestion for spending 10-20% of your overall budget on flowers, but there's a big difference between 10 and 20%!
So, before you even try to figure out a preliminary wedding flower budget, start here:
1) Figure out your priorities and what aspects of the flowers you really care about, and what aspects may be less important.
2) Understand that your budget needs to match your wants and needs list. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on flowers (which is perfectly fine! I was a budget bride, too!), you can't expect the world.
Probably the worst part of my job is finding a way to delicately tell a couple that their wish list is just way too enormous for the amount of money they're comfortable spending. While I adjust some prices on my end, most of what I have to charge is set by the growers and the wholesalers. There are a LOT of hard costs in this industry, which means that as much as we would love to, your floral designers can't just give you everything you want without a price tag attached to them. If you take just one thing away from this entire post, please know this: we aren't trying to rip you off. Believe me, we don't make a lot of money, especially when compared to the intensive work we do. There are simply very definite hard costs in the floral industry, and that just kind of sucks, because it means that we can't necessarily give you as much as we would honestly love to!
There are many things to consider that contribute to the overall amount of money you're spending on wedding flowers, including:
-The flowers themselves (duh).
-The amount of items your florist needs to make (8 bridesmaid bouquets add up really quickly!).
-The time of year (sorry to everyone who wants to get married in February, but all growers increase wholesale flower pricing for the month of Valentine's!).
-What your style is (some design styles require a lot more or less floral than others).
-The supplies required to create a design (you'd be surprised at how much time floral designers spend in Rona!).
-There's also, unfortunately, the border crossing factor. While I love to use locally grown flowers as much as possible, there are many things that just don't grow here in Manitoba. Anytime a flower crosses the border, there are increased expenses. It's a bummer, but a simple reality. What a florist in California might pay $0.50 per stem for, I have to pay $1.50 for.
-You're also paying for the service that you receive and the experience and expertise of the floral designer you've chosen. Perhaps you've chosen to work with someone who's been working with flowers for 15 years. Their experience deserves a higher pay grade. You'd expect to pay an experienced accountant more than a brand new one, wouldn't you? Or maybe you've chosen someone based on their creativity and the unique designs they create. Part of what you're paying for is their brain, which no one else has - being able to access their creativity is a benefit to you!
-Set up and delivery has a price tag attached to it, too (more on this coming in a future post!).
a few notes on what impacts flower pricing:
Covid:
Covid has affected so many areas of the floral industry. When it first hit, basically every farm worldwide had to lay off staff because they couldn't safely have their employees work, and because there was no demand for flowers. With that, they completely mowed down their crops. Some of these crops are flowers that take multiple years to grow before you can actually cut and produce them. This means we're looking at several years before production returns to full normal. At the same time, Americans decided that everything was "back to normal", causing a huge surge in demand with very limited availbility. Farms are still struggling with financial losses, and prices have increased. And as can expected, covid caused many wrinkles with shipping. Fewer airplanes are in the air, everything associated with crossing the border is more expensive, etc etc. Everything costs more to get here.
Supply and Demand:
Supply and demand, baby. Wedding trends affect pricing. The more people who want the coveted toffee rose, the more expensive they're going to be (and hot dang, they are expensive).
Supply Chain Issues:
Yep, just like the rest of the world, the supply chain is affecting hard goods and supplies in the floral industry. It's definitely getting better, but it's still hard to find the quantity of vases that we want, and the ones we can get are more expensive than they used to be. There are also certain supply products (like floral glue) that are just no longer made.So, how much do wedding bouquets cost?
The graphic below has long been one of my favourites, though the pricing is no longer relevant. My wholesale costs have risen, on average, 30% this past year. So, add 30% minimum to each of these bouquets and I guess you’d be closer to accurate pricing; $150 is now $200, $250 is now $325, and $350 is now $455. The graphic is still a great visual comparison. For those of you who like a certain style but aren't so picky about the types of flowers that are used, be sure to take a closer look - this might give you some thoughts on how you can lower your overall budget!
For reference, my bridal bouquet pricing now starts at $300 each, with some exceptions.
Quill + Oak, a florist friend of mine in Ontario, recently put together this comparison on centrepiece sizing and pricing, and it's also a pretty good estimation on what you could expect to receive in Manitoba!
Floral designs by Quill + Oak | Photos by Olive Photography
I’d suggest that if you’re looking for a nice, medium sized centrepiece, you start your budget at $100 each. A bud vase trio can be more cost-effective, while a tall arrangement you’ll want to budget minimum $250 each, and keep in mind that that is the bare minimum and not the lush, full arrangement you’re seeing on Pinterest and Instagram.
Candles are always a must-add, in my opinion. Whether you’re looking at taper candles, pillar or floating candles, or simple votives, aim for 3-7 per table depending on the centrepiece design and combine smaller votives with larger/taller candles for a more interesting look. But there’s this misconception that candles are the cheap option…I mean, if you’re doing 1 candle on a table, sure. That’s $10-$15. But that’s not what’s shown in the inspo pic that you’re giving me…you’re probably showing me something with $75 worth of candles and rental, per table. Just keep that in mind.
If you’re looking for an arch of some kind, those price ranges can vary wildly. A floral arch is going to be a minimum of $1500 - $2000, but I’d really suggest planning on $3000+ if you want full coverage, double that if the entire back of the arch needs to be covered (most of the time we have a light green coverage on the back). If you like the idea of a single floral piece added to an arch, plan for at least $500 per piece.
So, let's get down to IT. How much can you expect to spend on wedding flowers in Manitoba?
For full service florals (bridal party and family flowers, ceremony decor, reception decor), my clients are spending an average of $7500 + taxes. This might not apply to your specific needs, your guest list, your vision, but I hope that’s helpful as you budget!
And if you need to reduce your spend, here are my top tips for lowering your wedding flower quote:
-Cut out all boutonnieres and corsages. They’re small details that don’t get much attention and are kind of tacky and outdated, anyways.
-Cut or reduce your bridesmaids’ bouquets. I’ve had quite a few weddings this year opt for single roses just for the girls to have something in their hands walking down the aisle. At this Spanish-inspired wedding, the women carried hand fans and it was so chic!
-Create a couple of large, focal design moments that your guests will interact with, that will set the tone, and simplify the rest. Scaled back candle centrepieces are all you need if you’ve got a killer hanging installation above. Forgo aisle flowers and increase the arch. Eliminate boutonnieres and corsages to add a beautiful floral arrangement at your welcome table.
-Forget about the lie that greenery is cheap. It’s not. Costs on foliage have risen so high that I honestly can’t afford to include much greenery in my floral orders anymore. You get WAY more bang for your buck with colourful floral than you ever will with a couple of stems of greenery.
-Cut out the flowers on your signage. For the last maybe 5 years, everyone has wanted a “floral or greenery touch” on their welcome sign, their seating chart sign, etc etc. Man, this is a waste (in my opinion). Unless you have the budget to really make this special, save the $150 and push it to something that will actually be noticed and make your design more impactful.
Here's what I offer to clients:
-Full Service Floral Design (with a minimum investment budget of $5000)
-Event Design (in addition to floral design, and you can find out more about that here!)
I would love to discuss your wedding flower needs. I can help you narrow down your style, determine what are the most important aspects of the flowers to you (and therefore, where you should focus your budget and where you can reduce your spending), and also come up with some great ideas for unique designs that your friends didn't all have at their weddings.
Don't hesitate to reach out by clicking the button below!
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Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Wedding Flower Budget
Last December, I wrote a 3 part blog series about wedding flower budgets (links to those three posts are at the bottom of this one!) and it was incredibly popular, with both florists and wedding couples alike. I was thinking about that the other day, and with us entering planning season, I thought this would be the perfect time to dust it off - but I wanted to add a little more.
I'll be the first to admit that Stone House Creative is not a "budget" florist. I run a profitable business and I'm both proud and happy about that - I think all businesses deserve to be run profitably. If a business isn't profitable, it has no business being a business! But regardless of how much I charge for wedding flowers, something I hate seeing is when couples are over-promised and under-delivered. So, here are some of my top tips for getting the most of your wedding flower budget.
1) First, HAVE a wedding flower budget!
To start, you must understand that flowers are a luxury item. They are a perishable item, just like the food that you're serving to your guests, often having been flown from halfway around the world and perfectly timed in order to make it here in pristine condition (it's amazing how frequently people don't think about this fact of nature). With that comes a price tag. But simply walking into a florist shop and saying "I don't know how much wedding flowers cost" isn't always helpful - often because that comes along with an enormous gasp that makes a florist feel as though she's done something to personally insult you.
Come prepared with a number that you are both comfortable spending on this luxury item, and one that makes sense for what you're asking for. Most likely, you'll have no idea what wedding flowers cost SO here you'll find a very helpful BUDGET BREAKDOWN of different price ranges associated with pictures to help you get a visual for the size of arrangements that you're interested in. There is absolutely no shame in not having a clue what things cost, and there aren't a lot of helpful resources out there that actually show you want flowers cost, particularly in Manitoba. That link will do so!
2) Discuss with your florist what your primary concerns are.
Is the overall budget your biggest thought? If so, then we (the florists) will make very specific suggestions for lower cost, readily available flower types for you in the colour palette that you want. Maybe your primary focus is your bridal bouquet, and everything else is just background. That's awesome - we'll use the premium flowers in your bouquet, and scale back on the rest of the arrangements. Maybe you couldn't care less what your bouquets look like but you REALLY want flowers on every guest table. Cool! Again, we'll make specific suggestions for the best way we can accomplish this! I might suggest going with a single-ingredient bouquet to keep the bouquet costs at a minimum and then have more fun with different varieties and textures in the reception flowers. The point is, tell us what your top priorities are and then see what we can come up with. It's a large part of our job to be able to create awesome designs that fit your wish list, and we LOVE whenever we get the chance to actually do this!
3) Plan in advance how your arrangements can be re-purposed, and don't forget to let your florist in on this conversation.
I'm a big believer that anything you use at the ceremony should be something that can be re-purposed at the reception. Whether it's two large arrangements set on pedestals at your altar being moved to either side of your head table, or those gorgeous arrangements on your arch being re-purposed into your head table decor or as a backdrop for your cake table, it's great when you can get double-duty out of your ceremony flowers. This is why I'll almost never recommend that a couple opt for aisle bouquets: they're tricky to re-purpose and you'll get a bigger bang for your buck if you keep the focus up on the front. 16 small arrangements on the pews can cost just as much as 2 statement making pieces at the front!
But, please don't make this plan without your florist's input. The reason for this is because we might need to build an arrangement in one way for your ceremony, but if we had known that it would be re-purposed on your sweetheart table, then we would have built it in a different way. It's our job to think about the mechanics behind the flowers, and it's also our expertise - so let us help and make it go as smoothly as possible!
4) Skip the boutonnieres and corsages altogether.
This isn't always a popular opinion, but if you're on a tight flower budget, just don't order any boutonnieres or corsages. It's a similar argument to the aisle bouquets at your ceremony: they may be relatively inexpensive little things on their own, but anything multiplied by 3 moms and 2 grandmas, 6 groomsmen and 2 dads plus the ushers, emcee, special aunties, sponsors, etc. is going to add up really quickly! In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this is the biggest waste of money that is a part of wedding flower budgets and is often a trap that lower budget couples get stuck in. And think about it: if you're spending serious coin on a beautiful groom's suit, why would you want to stick pin-holes in it? Why would your mother want to shove a silly flower on her wrist when she's spent hours trying to find the perfect mother of the bride gown, when a piece of jewellery would look so much better? And truthfully, no matter how cute we florists make these little pieces, they're still fussy / uncomfortable / irritating / challenging to put on and make sure they stay put.
5) Don't just go for the lowest quote that you receive.
I've seen this SO many times in my line of work. Couples shop around a few florists and choose the lowest budget one, without much comparison as to what is going into that quote. If there is a large price difference between quotes, then chances are REALLY good that you are not looking at comparable proposals in the slightest bit. A personal story:
Several years ago, I quoted a couple on the wedding of their dreams. We were slightly over their budget, but we had EVERYTHING included that they could have wanted, all of the little "extras" that they were hoping for. They were so happy with the quote, and I was astonished a few days later to find out that they decided to go with another shop. This shop wasn't known for doing weddings at all, let alone doing a nice job of weddings. They also weren't charging tax, which is a major red flag in my opinion (if a business isn't charging you tax, it means that they're not running their business legally. Is that really who you want to be dealing with? What other areas of their business are they running in a shady way?). That being said, I wasn't surprised to get a call 5 weeks before their wedding begging us to take their wedding again. Why? They had realized that the quote from this other shop, which was marginally less than what we had quoted, was not at ALL comparable to what we were proposing to them. A mock up of a $100 centrepiece that was a measly single white hydrangea and feather in a tall glass made them quickly realize that they hadn't done their proper research, and they'd just looked at the lower price tag. This is the perfect example of over-promising and under-delivering, which is totally unacceptable (and yes, we took their wedding on and did an awesome job of it - and there are lots of great, reputable shops in Winnipeg who would do their absolute best to help you if this is the situation you find yourself in).
When you're comparing different florists, it's much more important that you chose someone who you feel really understands the vision you have for your wedding, and will complement it with great floral designs. Choose the company who got you excited about the flower planning and whose work you love. That florist will be able to make the best suggestions to you on how to get the most of your wedding flower budget.
5) Be flexible.
This probably should have been tip 1, because it's really the most important of them all. If you're concerned about your flower budget, whether it's $500 or $5000, the best thing that you can do to help yourself is to be flexible. Presenting a list of demands to your florist and requiring that he or she fits it into your budget will rarely work in your favour. Instead, I'd suggest that you tell your florist what you're drawn to and what you'd ideally love to see as a general style overview, and then allow her to create an overall plan for you. You might not see flowers filling every table, but you could end up with some of the tables having lush, gorgeous arrangements that make an enormous spotlight with scaled back designs on the other tables - and still within your budget.
This wedding is the perfect example of "be flexib le." The bride, who lived out of town and wanted to minimize her planning stress, told me what her overall vision was, gave me a good idea of her style, and was clear on what budget she was comfortable spending. She knew exactly what she was comfortable spending (and it was a realistic number) but didn’t nitpick the details, which allowed me to make the best decisions for her budget. she let me come up with the entire design plan and we ended up with such a good setup!
Photos by Kamp Photography / Planning by Soiree Event Planning / Venue Smith Restaurant
Need more help? Here are some of my favourite budget posts that I mentioned earlier:
How to Maximize Your Wedding Flower Budget: Part 3
I wish that more people would ask me how to maximize their floral budgets! This goes hand in hand with saving money on your wedding flowers and making the best decisions for lower cost budgets. We can make some seriously good things happen if we make the right choices!
This is Part 3 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. We've already talked about How Much Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba, and Misconceptions about Wedding Flower Pricing. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
I wish that more people would ask me how to maximize their floral budgets! This goes hand in hand with saving money on your wedding flowers and making the best decisions for lower cost budgets. We can make some seriously good things happen if we make the right choices!
This is Part 3 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. We've already talked about How Much Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba, and Misconceptions about Wedding Flower Pricing. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
1) Choose 1 focal area and keep the rest simple (bonus points if that focal piece can be used in both the ceremony and reception).
It sounds a bit counter-intuitive, but seriously: spend a big chunk of your budget on one key piece and keep everything else simple. The theory behind this makes a lot of sense: one emphasized focal area does an amazing job of creating the ambiance that you're after. This could be an exaggerated hanging installation above the head table (like at Jynelle's wedding, which was also used for their ceremony!), or it could be a gorgeous, over-sized arrangement at a guest book or entrance table to welcome guests in. I've always wanted to do an incredible, statement-making design around a cake table, set in the middle of the room, so if that sounds like something you'd like, then email me!
2) Use greenery, sparingly.
Fully bound garlands are pretty costly, because they take a lot of product, a lot of time, and because the designer always gets poked by the wire. Kidding ;) That doesn't get factored into the cost but I can't tell you how many times I have cursed a garland for making me bleed!
An awesome alternative is to lightly lay greenery down the tables. You still get that fresh green look while eliminating the high cost. For this wedding, I also included some flower "confetti" - loose blooms and petals tucked in with the greenery for some touches of colour.
3) Opt for bud vases or mini arrangements.
Sometimes all a table needs is a pop of colour. In that case, you don't need to go over the top with a full floral arrangement (and sometimes, those long, rectangular harvest style tables don't even have enough space for a full floral arrangement!). A few bud vases clustered in the centre of a table featuring the accent colours in your palette will make just enough of a statement without breaking the bank. You can expect to spend $5-$15/stem vase.
4) Use a coloured table linen.
Okay, I realize that the table linens actually have nothing to do with the flowers, but this is one of the event design rules that I live by: the biggest impact you can make in a room is with the table linens. Why? They take up SO MUCH visual real estate, that they really set the tone for everything that you see. If you're on a lower flower budget, upgrade from the basic table linen (whether that's with a texture, a metallic, or a pop of colour) to make a statement in the room, and then your florals can be scaled back a bit.
Flower Cost Comparisons
I thought I'd offer you some more specific pricing on some of the most popular wedding flowers and some lower cost alternatives that make for great substitutes!
Left: Peony | Right: Pink O'Hara Garden Rose
This may not be my wisest substitute, since garden roses are still costly flowers, but they are definitely the closest thing to a peony that you can get! Peonies usually range from $15-$18 per stem, while an O'Hara garden rose is a little more reliable at $10-$12 per stem.
Left: Juliet David Austin Garden Rose | Right: Peach Lisianthus
Yes, the garden rose is always going to be the king. But if you're just concerned about getting the right colour, then lisianthus could be a great substitute! The David Austin garden roses are a high-end, very carefully bred family of flowers that will ring in at about $18 per stem, while lisianthus will be more like $5-$7 per stem.
Left: Ranunculus | Right: Spray Roses
Everyone's favourite loonie-sized flower is ALWAYS a ranunculus, but they're pretty stinking expensive and not the most reliable. They have a hollow stem, which means they're more prone to rot. Often out of a bunch of 10, I'll only be able to use 5-7 blooms! This little baby will be around $7-$10 per stem, while the similarly sized and shaped spray rose (with a HUGE range of colours and usually 3-5 blooms per stem!) is a much easier to manage $5 per stem,
Hire an excellent wedding florist in Winnipeg!
Getting married in Manitoba? I might be biased, but flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision in mind or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!
Misconceptions About Wedding Flower Pricing: Part 2
Last week, I kicked off this 3 part series on wedding flower budgets, and today, we're going to look at some misconceptions that are floating around out there about how much wedding flowers cost.
This is Part 2 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. I'll be back soon with more, including tips on how to maximize your floral budget. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
Last week, I kicked off this 3 part series on wedding flower budgets, and today, we're going to look at some misconceptions that are floating around out there about how much wedding flowers cost.
This is Part 2 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. I'll be back soon with more, including tips on how to maximize your floral budget. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
Many of the misconceptions and errors about how much wedding flowers cost are actually coming out from the "pros" who should know better - I'm talking about wedding magazines and blogs.
For example, I recently read an article in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine (of which I am a die-hard fan and have had a subscription to for 10 years!) that listed pricing on a few different centrepiece options...but the price they included for a completed arrangement wasn't even as much as what I would have to pay at a wholesale rate! I have no idea where they got those numbers from, so please take this as a warning: what they publish might not always be correct.
There are a few reasons why they get things wrong: on one hand, their info might be correct for the very particular city that magazine is published in but could be completely unreliable when you cross over to Canada (and to Winnipeg specifically). On the other hand, sometimes they just don't do their research. In the example I gave above, I can only assume that that pricing info just slipped through the fact-checking cracks.
Here are some common misconceptions about how much wedding flowers cost that I hear on a regular basis.
1) Misconception: "I only want to use in-season flowers so they're cheaper."
Truth: "In season" does not necessarily mean cheap. It just means that it's growing and available. Yes, something out of season is going to be MORE expensive, but the reverse isn't necessarily accurate. For example, a peony in season is still going to cost at least $15/stem. That is NOT cheap. But it is available! Out of season, you might be looking at $20+ per stem, which is just plain insane and I would never recommend that you do so.
Speaking of in-season flowers...guys, the VERY best option for cost-effective flowers that are high quality is using locally grown flowers. In Manitoba, we have flowers becoming available usually in the middle of May through the middle of September, depending on the weather. And I LOVE using locally grown flowers! They're hardier, healthier (most are grown chemical free - high five!!), and it's just awesome to also support another small business. That being said, there are a lot of things that simply DO NOT grow in Manitoba, which is a bummer. But some of my favourite flowers to use grow here excellently. Here's a look at a day I spent in the midst of the flowers growing in Southern Manitoba at Lilystone Gardens!
2) Misconception: "Greenery is cheap, right?"
Truth: Yes and no. But in the ways that brides often think? Nope, not necessarily! Yes, I typically get more out of a bunch of greenery than I do out of a bunch of flowers, so it goes farther...but whenever I hear this misconception, it is almost always paired with an image that looks something like this:
Now, I can do this for you. In fact, this is from one of my very favourite 2016 weddings! But somehow, magazines and blogs and Pinterest have given people the idea that greenery garlands running down the length of their tables is going to be budget friendly. Spoiler alert: It's not. For greenery garlands, you can expect to spend about $30-$45/foot (on the higher end for eucalyptus! It’s a budget burner, eucalyptus is). For a 6 foot length (which is what I recommend for an 8 foot table, so you have space on either end in case you need to seat people there), that's $180 - $270 per table. If you want to spend that much, then let's do it! But if not, then I can make some WAY better suggestions for budget-friendly options (and will have more of those on the blog next week!).
3) Misconception: Unfortunately, you can't just tell me how much you're willing to pay for individual things on your floral order - you have to let your floral designer dictate that conversation.
Truth: It's incredibly helpful for you to come up with an overall budget, but then let me deal with the breakdown. I'm trying really hard not to sound like a total jerk when I say this, but this is a really difficult area for wedding florists to navigate and it needs to be addressed. I'll sometimes receive an inquiry saying: "I'm willing to spend $120 on my bridal bouquet, $40 for my bridesmaids, and $4 for each boutonniere." I TOTALLY understand having a specific budget you need to be at, but the problem here is that (unless you've worked in the floral industry) you just don't understand the costs that go into things. Most of my bridal bouquets range from $200 - $250 each, and while I can totally come up with cost-saving solutions, make a more petite size, and so on, when I'm restricted to specific numbers, the back-end math just doesn't work out (and you'd be amazed at how much math there is in floristry!). $4 for a boutonniere doesn't even cover the cost of the flower that I use, let alone the little accents of greenery, and all the time and supplies that go into wiring and taping the entire thing together.
4) Misconception: Why do you charge for set up and delivery?
Truth: Okay, not really a misconception but a question - and a fair question! Every floral designer and rental company charges differing amounts for set up and delivery, but we all charge it - and most of the time, we should be charging more. Here's why:
Before we even get to your venue, we've probably spent 1-2 hours packing all of your centrepieces, one by one, very carefully, into boxes filled with packing materials to keep them safe during transport. We then spend an average of 30-60 minutes loading all of these boxes into our delivery vehicles before we even hit the road. Most venues seem to be about 30-60 minutes away, so there's the travel time, too. If you've been counting, you'll realize that we're already 3 hours in without even setting anything up! The amount of time needed at the venue varies depending on what you've ordered: one centrepiece per table is easy to pop on the table and just takes a few minutes. A larger ceremony installation might need to be designed on-site, which could take 2 hours on its own. I think you get the picture :)
We also spend time cleaning up after ourselves, stashing the boxes somewhere you'll be able to find them, loading and unloading the van at the venue, and driving back to the studio. There's also the cost of staffing, the gas for the vehicles, the cost of larger rental delivery vehicles if your wedding requires more space, and miscellaneous things like parking and insurance.
All of this is time that we're happy to spend in order to make sure that your wedding comes together perfectly, and it means that you don't have to worry about setting anything up yourself or assigning an auntie or a few friends to get to your wedding 6 hours early just to set up. But, it's also time that we spend away from our families, on the weekends, in the summer - and that time deserves to be compensated for.
Did you miss Part 1 of this series (How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba)? Check it out here!
For more info on what an entire wedding costs in Manitoba, this article is filled with helpful details, including price ranges on many different types of vendors you might need for your wedding.
Getting married in Winnipeg? Contact Stone House Creative!
Stone House Creative services Winnipeg and the surrounding areas (Stonewall, East St Paul, Steinbach, Niverville), as well as Clear Lake, Brandon and Kenora/Lake of the Woods. Whether you have something specific in mind or want me to dream up something completely custom for you, reach out to Stone House Creative to check your wedding date. I promise I'll always help you to get the most out of your wedding flower budget, with a stunning end product!
How Much Do Wedding Flowers Cost in Manitoba? Part 1
I hear this question ALL the time. Literally, all the time. And while I can't give you an accurate blanket statement response, I wanted to at least give it a shot and explain some of the behind-the-scenes of wedding flower pricing for you.
This is Part 1 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. I'll be back soon with more, including tips on how to maximize your floral budget and some common misconceptions about wedding flower pricing. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
{Updated for 2021}
I hear this question ALL the time. Literally, all the time. And while I can't give you an accurate blanket statement response, I wanted to at least give it a shot and explain some of the behind-the-scenes of wedding flower pricing for you.
This is Part 1 in a 3 Part series on wedding flower budgets. I'll be back soon with more, including tips on how to maximize your floral budget and some common misconceptions about wedding flower pricing. If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, send me an email to info@stonehouseweddings.com and I'll try my best to address it!
Figuring out how much to budget for your wedding flowers can be a major challenge - for most newly engaged couples, it's just going to be a major shot in the dark. Most of the online resources available are in American dollars, from very different markets than we are in, and are written by magazine editors - not florists - who haven't bothered to do their research on how much things actually cost, making their supposedly helpful suggestions to be completely unrealistic. Some of the big magazines and wedding planning sites offer "helpful" wedding budget breakdowns, with a suggestion for spending 10-20% of your overall budget on flowers, but there's a big difference between 10 and 20%!
So, before you even try to figure out a preliminary wedding flower budget, start here:
1) Figure out your priorities and what aspects of the flowers you really care about, and what aspects may be less important.
2) Understand that your budget needs to match your wants and needs list. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on flowers (which is perfectly fine! I was a budget bride, too!), you can't expect the world.
Probably the worst part of my job is finding a way to delicately tell a couple that their wish list is just way too enormous for the amount of money they're comfortable spending. While I adjust some prices on my end, most of what I have to charge is set by the growers and the wholesalers. There are a LOT of hard costs in this industry, which means that as much as we would love to, your floral designers can't just give you everything you want without a price tag attached to them. If you take just one thing away from this entire post, please know this: we aren't trying to rip you off. Believe me, we don't make a lot of money, especially when compared to the intensive work we do. There are simply very definite hard costs in the floral industry, and that just kind of sucks, because it means that we can't necessarily give you as much as we would honestly love to!
There are many things to consider that contribute to the overall amount of money you're spending on wedding flowers, including:
-The flowers themselves (duh).
-The amount of items your florist needs to make (8 bridesmaid bouquets add up really quickly!).
-The time of year (sorry to everyone who wants to get married in February, but all growers increase wholesale flower pricing for the month of Valentine's!).
-What your style is (some design styles require a lot more or less floral than others).
-The supplies required to create a design (you'd be surprised at how much time floral designers spend in Rona!).
-There's also, unfortunately, the border crossing factor. While I love to use locally grown flowers as much as possible, there are many things that just don't grow here in Manitoba. Anytime a flower crosses the border, there are increased expenses. It's a bummer, but a simple reality. What a florist in California might pay $0.50 per stem for, I have to pay $1.50 for.
-You're also paying for the service that you receive and the experience and expertise of the floral designer you've chosen. Perhaps you've chosen to work with someone who's been working with flowers for 15 years. Their experience deserves a higher pay grade. You'd expect to pay an experienced accountant more than a brand new one, wouldn't you? Or maybe you've chosen someone based on their creativity and the unique designs they create. Part of what you're paying for is their brain, which no one else has - being able to access their creativity is a benefit to you!
-Set up and delivery has a price tag attached to it, too (more on this coming in a future post!).
-Covid Note: There has been a large increase in prices and a large decrease in availability of flowers due to Covid. We’re still waiting for things to settle and shake out, so unfortunately there are a lot of question marks with pricing right now. Expect that for weddings post-covid, you will need to pay more for flowers than in previous years.
So, how much do wedding bouquets cost?
Click the graphic below to find out what makes the difference between a $150 bouquet and a $350 bouquet! This is one of my favourite resources to share with couples for a few reasons - mostly because it's a great visual comparison. For those of you who like a certain style but aren't so picky about the types of flowers that are used, be sure to take a closer look - this might give you some thoughts on how you can lower your overall budget!
For reference, the average cost of the bridal bouquets you'll see in my portfolio range from $250 - $350 each.
Quill + Oak, a florist friend of mine in Ontario, recently put together this comparison on centrepiece sizing and pricing, and it's also a pretty good estimation on what you could expect to receive in Manitoba!
Floral designs by Quill + Oak | Photos by Olive Photography
Want some more resources to compare pricing on? See how different floral centrepieces compare on budget here, and get more details on how much a full wedding tablescape will cost with all of those extras added in (candles, table runners, rental pieces, and so on!).
So, let's get down to brass tacks. How much can you expect to spend on wedding flowers in Manitoba?
For full service florals (bridal party and family flowers, ceremony decor, reception decor), my clients are spending an average of $6300 + taxes. That being said, you don't have to spend this much money, and costs can very quickly skyrocket past this point as well. For an average size wedding with 3 bridesmaids, 150 guests with centrepieces and some sort of floral focal feature at the ceremony, I'd suggest that you will be spending in the realm of $5000 +, once set up and delivery are added in. If you have a larger guest list or a larger bridal party and want to keep your floral budget below $2500, then consider some alternatives - simpler bridesmaid bouquets, lower cost centrepieces or DIY options for some of the table centrepieces, and so on. And of course, if you want to have really lush and full arrangements and bouquets, then I'll be happy to oblige :) Just be prepared for a higher price point.
Here's what I offer to clients:
-Full Service Floral Design (with a minimum investment budget of $3500)
-Event Design (in addition to floral design, and you can find out more about that here!)
I would love to discuss your wedding flower needs. I can help you narrow down your style, determine what are the most important aspects of the flowers to you (and therefore, where you should focus your budget and where you can reduce your spending), and also come up with some great ideas for unique designs that your friends didn't all have at their weddings.
Don't hesitate to reach out by clicking the button below!
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I hear this question ALL the time. Literally, all the time. And while I can't give you an accurate blanket statement response, I wanted to at least give it a shot and explain some of the behind-the-scenes of wedding flower pricing for you. Because, let’s face it, pricing of everything in 2023 has changed, flowers included!