How to Price Floral Arrangements

Why Pricing Is Hard for Florists

Pricing is where many florists struggle. The creative side of floristry comes naturally; the commercial side often doesn't. Undercharging is the most common mistake in the industry — and it leads to burnout, resentment, and businesses that don't survive.

The reality is that wedding floristry involves far more than the cost of flowers. There's consultation time, design work, sourcing trips, conditioning, making, delivery, setup, and often a return trip for collection. If your pricing doesn't account for all of that, you're working for less than minimum wage on some of the most demanding days of the year.

This guide walks through a practical pricing framework that ensures you're paid fairly for your skill, time, and materials.

Step 1: Calculate Flower Costs

Start with the raw materials. For each arrangement, list every stem and the wholesale cost.

Wholesale sourcing in the UK

Most UK wedding florists source from:

• Dutch auction via wholesalers — New Covent Garden Flower Market (London), wholesale florists, or online platforms like Triangle Nursery, Wholebloom, or direct from Dutch suppliers
• British flower farms — Flowers from the Farm network, local growers. Seasonal, often better quality, sometimes lower cost
• Direct import — For specific varieties, some florists import directly from growers in the Netherlands, Colombia, or Ecuador

Calculating flower cost per arrangement

For a bridal bouquet example:

Apply the markup: 2.5x to 3x

The industry standard markup for wedding flowers in the UK is 2.5x to 3x the wholesale flower cost.

• 2.5x is appropriate for larger orders, simpler designs, or price-sensitive markets
• 3x is standard for bespoke wedding work with complex design
• Higher markups (3.5x+) apply for specialist sourcing, rare varieties, or premium positioning

Using 3x on our example: £57.40 × 3 = £172.20 for the flower component alone.

Why the markup exists

The markup isn't pure profit. It covers:

• Waste: Not every stem survives conditioning. Budget 10–15% waste on fresh flowers
• Conditioning time: Hours of processing stems before any arranging begins
• Expertise: Your trained eye selects the right stems, rejects poor quality, and knows how to get the best from each variety
• Risk: You're committing to a perishable product weeks in advance

Step 2: Add Sundries

Sundries are the materials beyond flowers that go into every arrangement. They're easy to overlook but add up quickly.

Common sundries

• Floral foam (if used) — £2–£5 per block
• Chicken wire or mesh — for foam-free mechanics
• Floral wire — various gauges, used extensively for buttonholes and wired work
• Floral tape — stem wrap and securing
• Ribbon — bouquet binding, chair ties, pew bows
• Cable ties and string
• Vases, urns, or vessels (if supplied)
• Candles and candle holders
• Pins — pearl, corsage, and boutonniere pins
• Water tubes — for buttonholes and loose stems
• Packaging — boxes, tissue, cellophane for transporting finished pieces

The 15% rule

A practical approach: add 15% of the flower cost to cover sundries. For our bouquet example:

£172.20 × 0.15 = £25.83

This is a rough guide — complex installations with significant mechanics, structures, or hired vessels may need a higher sundries allowance.

Hired vs consumed sundries

Consumed: Foam, wire, tape, ribbon — include in the arrangement cost Hired: Vases, urns, candelabra — charge a hire fee plus a damage deposit or replacement clause in your contract

Vessel hire typically ranges from £5–£20 per item, depending on the piece. Factor in cleaning, storage, and transport costs when setting hire rates.

Step 3: Calculate Labour

This is where most florists undercharge. Your time is valuable, and wedding floristry demands a lot of it.

Time components for a typical wedding

A "simple" wedding might take 15–20 hours of your time. A large, complex wedding with multiple venues and installations can exceed 35 hours.

Setting your hourly rate

UK wedding florists typically charge £25–£50 per hour, depending on:

• Experience and reputation
• Location (London rates are higher)
• Complexity of the work
• Speed and efficiency (experienced florists work faster, so can charge more per hour while still being competitive)

Example: 20 hours × £35/hour = £700 in labour for a mid-range wedding.

Don't forget helper costs

For larger weddings, you'll need an assistant for setup. Budget £12–£18/hour for a trained helper, and include this in your quote.

Step 4: Add Overhead Margin

Your business has running costs beyond individual wedding materials and labour. These must be recovered through your pricing.

Typical overheads for a UK wedding florist

• Studio or workshop rent — even if you work from a home studio, allocate a portion of your housing costs
• Vehicle costs — van lease or purchase, fuel, insurance, maintenance, MOT
• Business insurance — public liability, professional indemnity, product liability (typically £300–£800/year for a florist)
• Tools and equipment — buckets, a flower fridge (if you have one), workbench, cutting tools
• Marketing — website, listing fees, advertising, photography
• Professional development — courses, workshops, industry memberships
• Software — accounting, invoicing, CRM, design tools
• Phone, internet, stationery
• Accountancy fees

Calculating overhead recovery

Method 1: Percentage markup

Add 15–25% to your combined flower + sundries + labour total to cover overheads and profit.

Using our example:

• Flowers (marked up): £172.20
• Sundries: £25.83
• Labour: £35.00 (1 hour for one bouquet)
• Subtotal: £233.03
• Overhead at 20%: £46.61
• Bouquet price: £279.64 → round to £280

Method 2: Annual overhead allocation

Calculate your total annual overheads, divide by the number of weddings you do per year, and add that to each wedding.

Example: £8,000 annual overheads ÷ 30 weddings = £267 per wedding in overhead recovery.

Both methods are valid. Many florists use a combination — percentage markup on individual items plus a delivery/setup charge that recovers vehicle and logistics costs.

Step 5: Build the Quote

Now assemble everything into a professional, itemised quote that the couple can understand and you can stand behind.

Quote structure

A clear wedding florist quote should include:

1. Client details — names, wedding date, venue(s)
2. Personal flowers — bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, buttonholes, corsages, flower girl items (itemised with description and price each)
3. Ceremony flowers — each piece described and priced
4. Reception flowers — centrepieces (price each × quantity), top table, cake flowers, additional venue arrangements
5. Additional items — confetti, petals, any extras
6. Delivery, setup, and breakdown — listed as a line item
7. Vessel hire — if applicable, with terms
8. Total
9. Payment terms — deposit amount, balance due date, payment methods accepted
10. Terms and conditions — substitution clause, cancellation policy, liability

Presenting the quote

• Send as a PDF — it looks professional and prevents accidental edits
• Include photos or sketches where possible — couples engage with visuals
• Offer tiers if the budget is uncertain — a "must-have" list and a "nice-to-have" list gives them flexibility
• Follow up within a week if you haven't heard back — quotes go cold quickly

Common Pricing Mistakes

1. Not charging for your time

Every hour you spend consulting, designing, sourcing, making, and delivering needs to be in the price. "I just love doing it" doesn't pay the bills.

2. Absorbing cost increases

Flower prices fluctuate seasonally and with currency movements. If wholesale costs rise between quoting and ordering, your profit evaporates. Include a clause allowing price adjustment for significant wholesale changes, or quote closer to the event.

3. Underestimating setup time

Venue setup always takes longer than you think. Add 30% buffer time to your estimates, especially for venues you haven't worked at before.

4. Forgetting travel and fuel

A venue 60 miles away means 2+ hours of driving and significant fuel costs. Charge for it.

5. Discounting to win the booking

Cutting your price to compete with a cheaper florist sets a precedent and devalues your work. Compete on quality, service, and portfolio — not price. The couples who choose on price alone are rarely the best clients.

Handling Budget Objections

When a couple says your quote is over their budget:

1. Acknowledge it genuinely — "I understand, and I want to help you get the best result within your budget"
2. Don't immediately discount — instead, adjust the scope
3. Suggest alternatives — fewer centrepieces, simpler ceremony flowers, seasonal substitutions
4. Show the value — explain what they're getting for the investment (your time, skill, and the finished product)
5. Be willing to walk away — if the budget truly doesn't work for you, politely decline. It's better than resenting the project.

Deposit and Payment Structure

A standard UK wedding florist payment structure:

• Deposit: 25–50% to secure the date (non-refundable, credited to final balance)
• Balance: Due 4–6 weeks before the wedding
• Late additions: Any changes after the balance is paid are invoiced separately

Some florists offer a three-payment plan: deposit, interim payment at the midpoint, and final balance. This helps couples with cash flow and gets you paid progressively.

Always take the full balance before the wedding day. Chasing payment after the event is stressful and unprofessional for everyone.

Growing Your Pricing Confidence

The more weddings you do, the more confident your pricing becomes. Track your actual hours and costs on every job, compare to your quotes, and adjust. Over time, you'll quote more accurately and more profitably.

Listing your services on platforms like FolkAir helps you reach couples who are actively looking — and willing to pay — for quality wedding floristry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What markup should a florist use on flowers?

The standard markup for wedding floristry in the UK is 2.5x to 3x the wholesale cost of flowers. This covers not just the flowers themselves but also accounts for waste, conditioning time, and the expertise in selecting quality stems. Some florists use higher markups on premium or specialist blooms.

How much should a florist charge per hour?

UK wedding florists typically charge £25–£50 per hour for their time, though many build this into the arrangement price rather than quoting hourly. Experienced florists with strong portfolios and reputations can charge at the higher end. Remember to include all hours: consultation, design, sourcing, conditioning, making, delivery, setup, and breakdown.

Should florists charge for consultations?

It depends on your business model. Many florists offer a free initial consultation (30–60 minutes) as part of their sales process, then charge for additional meetings. Some charge a consultation fee (£30–£75) that's credited against the final invoice if the couple books. Either approach is valid — the key is being clear about it upfront.

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