What wedding flowers actually cost

It is the question everyone wants to ask first and usually asks last. So, directly: there is no price list, and anyone who hands you one before seeing your venue has not understood what you are asking for.

That does not make the cost arbitrary. It is shaped by four things, and once you understand them you can read any quote clearly.

1. Volume, not the number of arrangements

Ten low centrepieces cost less than ten tall ones — not because there are fewer of them, but because they take fewer stems, lighter bases and less studio time. When comparing quotes, do not count objects. Ask what height and what density each one has.

2. The flower, and its season

The same arrangement with peonies in May and with peonies in October are two entirely different numbers; in October the peony is imported out of season. This is the largest and least painful lever you have: keep the palette, swap the flower for something seasonal in the same tone, and the result loses nothing while the budget breathes.

What is expensive is rarely the flower. It is insisting on one particular flower, in the wrong month.

3. The scale of the installations

A ceremony arch, a statement above the top table, a ceiling of greenery — these are what change the photographs of the day, and they are also the most demanding. They need structure, transport, a crew and installation time.

When the budget is tight our advice is almost always the same: one strong gesture instead of five moderate ones. A striking entrance that every guest walks through is worth more than discreet touches in six places nobody notices.

4. Distance and logistics

A wedding in central Greece and the identical wedding in the Cyclades do not cost the same. An island adds ferry freight, overnight accommodation for the crew, cold storage and spare material — because if something is damaged in transit there is no second florist around the corner.

This matters especially for destination weddings planned from abroad: build it into the budget from the first conversation rather than discovering it in month eight.

What to ask of every quote

Before comparing numbers, make sure you are comparing the same thing:

• Are installation and same-day strike included?
• Are vessels, bases and candelabra included, or rented separately?
• What happens if it rains, or the venue changes the layout?
• Will someone from the team be present during the ceremony?

Those four questions explain most of the difference between two quotes that appear to say the same thing.

How we work

We do not quote before we know three things: the venue, the guest count, and what actually matters to you. Then we propose a design inside the budget you have given us — and tell you plainly where most of it is going, and why.

If you already have a figure in mind, say it in the first conversation. It does not constrain us; it is the information that lets us design properly.