Monday, February 27, 2017

DIY Wedding Flower Budget

The number one question I am asked is about budget.  How much will the flowers cost?  This is hard to answer because there are literally thousands of combinations of flower varieties which contribute to total cost.   However, I can make a few suggestions based on many of the weddings I have done over the years.
To give you an idea of what controls your floral budget I have an equation below to illustrate:

Venue(s) + Time of year + Bridal Party Size + Guest Count = Quantity/Cost of Flowers needed

Example 1:

Church ceremony + Hotel reception + May + 300 guests = $2000+
Garden ceremony + Tent Reception + May +300 guests = $1500+

The difference between the two equations above is the locations.  With outdoor weddings in May, most outdoor plants will be in bloom creating a colorful backdrop to your wedding day and possibly eliminating the need for additional arrangements outside.   Have the same outdoor wedding in March, October, November (and possibly September) and you will need the addition of fresh flowers to add color to muted outdoor backgrounds.

Example 2:

Justice/Court house ceremony + 15 guests + Any Month < $200

With a court house ceremony only the bare minimum is needed, a bouquet, a boutonniere and sometimes corsages and boutonnieres for your guests.

The bigger the ceremony and reception location is usually in line with needing a bigger budget.
Again there are so many different variables that each wedding comes to a different amount needed for the budget.

To help (again, this is to help you estimate your budget and is not the final amount you may or may not spend on wedding flowers) I have put together a google spreadsheet with multiple budget options available:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M2TqR5RIDXhfDmMFp3ZKTfDhqpF_udxtHGdZpiCaM7Q/edit?usp=sharing

It should automatically calculate the subtotal for you.  Delivery and setup fees vary with each wedding depending on how much is transported, how many vehicles/employees are needed and how far the flowers have to travel.

This is the first time I have ever published an interactive worksheet to help brides calculate wedding costs.  I would love any and all feedback so that I can add more worksheets in the future or make the necessary changes to this one.

Happy Planning!