Design
The line item clients most often feel they overpaid for
Two designers can quote very differently for what sounds like the same brief, and the reason is rarely the flowers themselves.
Quick answer
How do you cut a floral budget without it showing?
Choose in-season flowers, keep centrepieces low so they need no structure, and concentrate the budget into one installation people will photograph rather than spreading it evenly through the room. Height is usually the single largest saving available.
Floral is usually the least predictable line on an event budget. Two designers can quote very differently for what sounds like the same brief, and the reason is rarely the flowers themselves.
What you are actually paying for
Stems are a minority of a floral quote. The rest is labour, mechanics and logistics: conditioning the flowers, building the arrangements, the frames and vessels that hold an installation up, transporting it without damage, installing on site, and coming back to take it down. An installation that hangs costs more than the same flowers in vases, and almost all of the difference is rigging and time.
Three choices that move the number
- SeasonIn-season flowers are cheaper and better. A specific flower out of season can multiply the cost of an arrangement, and it will not look as good.
- HeightTall centrepieces need a structure and a stable base. Low arrangements do not. This is often the single largest saving available.
- ConcentrationOne substantial installation people photograph beats florals spread evenly through a room. Spread thin, flowers read as budget filler.
Reuse, deliberately
Ceremony arrangements can move to the reception. A backdrop can be broken down into table pieces. This has to be planned, because it needs someone free to do it during the event and it needs the pieces designed to come apart. Decided in advance it is a real saving; suggested on the day it rarely happens.
What to brief, and what to leave open
Give a designer a palette, a mood and a budget, and let them choose the stems. Give them a specific flower list and you have removed their ability to substitute when the market is short or the price has moved, and the quote will carry that risk.
Frequently asked questions
What makes up the cost of a floral quote?
Mostly labour, mechanics and logistics: conditioning the flowers, building the arrangements, the frames and vessels that hold an installation up, transport, installing on site, and coming back to take it down. An installation that hangs costs more than the same flowers in vases, and almost all of that difference is rigging and time.
Can ceremony flowers be reused at the reception?
Yes, if it is planned. The pieces have to be designed to come apart, and someone has to be free to move them during the event. Decided in advance it is a real saving. Suggested on the day it rarely happens.
What should be left to the floral designer?
The stems. Give a palette, a mood and a budget, and let them substitute when the market is short or a price has moved. A fixed flower list removes that flexibility, and the quote will carry the risk instead.
The bottom line
The one thing worth being specific about is scent. Heavily scented flowers on a dining table compete with the food, and some guests react to them. It is an easy thing to say early and an awkward thing to fix late.
Related reading
Continue reading
- How to Choose the Perfect Theme for Your Private EventChoosing the perfect theme for your private event can transform a simple gathering into a memorable experience. A walk through purpose, guest list, budget, venue and atmosphere.
- Outdoor Events in the Bay AreaThe weather is rarely the problem. Wind, temperature swing after sunset, and the ground you are standing on cause more trouble than rain ever does.
- Planning a Celebration of Life When You Are Not Ready ToThe decisions come at the worst possible time, and there are more of them than anyone expects. A short, plain list of what actually has to be decided, and what can wait.
Key takeaways
- Stems are a minority of a floral quote. Labour, mechanics and logistics are the rest.
- In-season flowers are cheaper, and they look better.
- Low arrangements need no structure. Height is where the money goes.
- One installation people photograph beats flowers spread thin through a room.
- Plan any reuse in advance, including who moves the pieces on the day.
Next step
Talk to us about your event
Tell us the date, the guest count and the room you have in mind, and we will tell you what we would do next.
