It’s a fair question, especially given the expectations, anticipation and naturally cost tied to your wedding day.

However, whenever, I hear this question, my immediate response is “Of course! What self-respecting florist would provide flowers that were anything less than the best?!”

My clients always find it enlightening when I share all that needs and does happen in order for their flowers to be beautiful on their day.

The truth of the matter is that the time and the process required to having your flowers looking their best on your wedding day is a long and carefully planned process that might begin as far as an ocean away long before they come into my hands.

It’s really quite amazing when you stop and consider that flowers are usually grown under very specific circumstances, cut just at the right time and packaged ever so carefully a world away, put onto airplanes and arrive here to be cared for by your florist so that they are in bloom and beautiful for your day.

If there are any words that are synonymous with wedding, they are expensive and the words that always follow shortly after are cost or budget.

While I usually have the opportunity to meet those considering my services in advance of discussing matters of budget,  every once in a while, I receive an email or call from a bride or groom inquiring as to cost of my flowers.

The fact is that while determining the cost of some wedding details may be straightforward, the answer to how much flowers cost or can cost is not always a simple one when it comes to flowers.

There are so many factors, but here are the main ones to consider.

Quantity – the more you’ll need the more it’ll cost. A wedding party with 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen is certainly going to be more costly than one with 3 of each.

The type of flower – Roses are more expensive than carnations, but less expensive than some types of orchids.

The style – While this isn’t always the case. Single stem considerations are going to be less costly than arrangements that are densely packed with dozens of stems.

Your expectations – If you’ve been looking at pictures of celebrity weddings for inspiration, it’s naturally going to cost more than if you were looking at the Better Homes and Gardens variations for weddings.

Regardless of budget, wedding flowers should first and foremost be beautiful and reflective of the spirit of the day in colour and style.

It’s one of the most commonly asked questions when I meet with a couple.

“Will the flowers last?” And it’s usually asked along with a recounting of how the flowers of someone they knew wilted before the ceremony.

Under normal circumstances, the short answer is they absolutely should. The longer answer is that it depends on some many factors.

1. The weather – There is nothing that will save the most well prepared and hydrated a flower on an extremely hot or sub-zero degree day. This will be especially true of the flowers that are out of water, such as the boutonnieres and corsages. To give the flowers the best chance of looking their best, they should be in refrigeration until they are worn.
2. How the flowers are grown and cut before the florist takes them – A florist’s choice of grower and supplier are critical as the process to grow, harvest and prepare flowers for their sometimes long journey to their ultimate destination.
3. The florist’s process for caring for the flowers – Like people, flowers require certain types of food and require a particular kind of environment for them to be in their best condition. The time and effort that it requires is a large part of the service associated with the purchase of your flowers.

If well prepared and with good weather on your side, your flowers should not only look beautiful on your wedding day, they can be enjoyed in the days after by those who get to take them home!