Wedding Floral Pricing Explained – And How to Make the Most of Your Floral Budget

Photography: Kristine Herman | Planning: Harlene Events

Planning a wedding or event in the San Francisco Bay Area means endless possibilities — stunning venues, diverse styles, and an amazing group of talented vendors to bring your vision to life. Flowers in particular are a big part of setting the tone for your day. But REAL floral artistry? It holds a special power – to tell a story of your personal style, to transform your venue space, and to create unforgettable memories for you and your guests that will last a lifetime in your memories and photos.

When it comes to wedding flowers, many couples experience sticker shock or simply don’t realize what goes into the cost. So let’s break down what’s behind the pricing and—most importantly—how to make the most of your floral budget.

What Goes Into the Cost of Wedding Flowers?

1. The Cost of Flowers Themselves

Fresh, premium flowers are a luxury item — and like any luxury, they come with a cost. Here’s why:

• Sourcing: locally grown, sustainable blooms often have higher labor costs, while rare, out-of-season imported flowers come with high shipping fees

• A long journey to wedding day: Flowers pass through many hands before they even reach your florist (growers, wholesalers, shippers, and market distributors)

• Rising costs & tariffs: Global supply chain issues and tariffs on imported flowers continue to drive up pricing

2. Time, Labor & Custom Craftsmanship

Unlike a grocery store bouquet, wedding florals are fully custom and require high-touch artistry. Your floral designer and team aren’t just picking out flowers, they’re:

• Crafting a unique design that aligns with your wedding style, color palette, and venue

• Collaborating with your planner and vendor team to ensure a cohesive look and feel

• Handling planning & logistics (floral recipes, ordering, site visits, mockups, and sourcing)

• Staffing dozens of team members to prep, design, arrange, pack, setup, and breakdown just one single wedding (even more for larger installations)

3. Logistics & Transportation

Getting flowers from point A to point B (in perfect condition) is not as simple as tossing them in the back of a car. Your florist is factoring in:

• Refrigerated vans & trucks to keep flowers fresh

• Careful packaging & transport systems to prevent damage

• Drive time, gas, and mileage

4. Waste & Overages

Florists intentionally buy extra flowers to ensure the best quality and account for natural loss – bruised petals, wilty or broken stems. Nobody wants wilty flowers on their wedding day! 

5. Beyond Just Flowers: The Extras that Make a Difference 

Florists often provide much more than just flowers, like:

• Unique vessels and vases that elevate the vision 

• Candles and candle accessories to complete the tablescape

• Heavy duty rental structures for arches and installations

Photography: Catherine Marie Taylor | Planning: Lorelle Events

How to Make the Most of Your Floral Budget

• Work with a planner: A good planner will help you prioritize your floral budget strategically and work collaboratively with your florist 

• Be flexible: Trust your florist! Flexibility on flower types, colors, and rentals allow them to create something really special while staying within budget.

• Repurpose Arrangements: Ask your florist about repurposing florals from the ceremony to the reception (when done thoughtfully, this is a great cost-saver).

• Focus on impact areas: Instead of spreading your budget too thin, invest in high-impact designs (like the ceremony backdrop or an epic reception installation) where flowers will have the most wow factor.

Photography: Stephanie Lynn | Planning: Olivia Grace Events

Let’s Bring Your Floral Vision to Life!

Wedding flowers aren’t just a line item; they’re a work of art that powerfully sets the tone – transforming your venue and creating lasting impressions for your guests. 

Inquire here to schedule a consultation, and we can start a journey together that will elevate your vision beyond the imaginable.

How to Plan a Modern Micro Wedding During COVID-19, featured on Martha Stewart Weddings

I’ve watched and worked alongside so many couples who have been forced to rework their wedding plans due to COVID-19, whether that be postponing entirely, downsizing their headcount, or hosting their wedding in a loved one’s backyard. I feel for them and the tough decisions they have to make, especially as they grapple with what elements are most important to them. 

If you find yourself in a similar situation, I’m here to say that regardless of your Plan B or C, you can *still* accomplish a killer sense of style for your reinvented wedding day. One way to look at this scenario is to acknowledge that there’s potential for more opportunity to invest in the small, super intentional details that can make a big impact for you and your guests. 

Scroll on to see some examples of ways to do this, including:

• setting the tone for your design from day one 

• nontraditional floral installations that create experiences for your guests 

• how to warmly welcome (cough, spoil) your VIP guests 

• bold moves when it comes to attire and personal flowers 

• smaller but bolder tablescapes to ensure the most memorable celebration meal 

In collaboration with a phenomenal vendor team, I am so excited to share this inspirational editorial feature with you, recently featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. Read the article How to Plan a Chic, Modern Micro Wedding During COVID-19 here for more design tips and inspiration. 

Thank you to the amazing Sarah Eichstedt Photography for capturing these beautiful images.

SET THE TONE EARLY ON 

I love when couples choose an intentional paper suite because it truly kicks off the overall design vibe for their day while getting guests so excited for what’s to come. This clean, modern, and unfussy paper suite from Bourne Paper Co. truly set the tone for this day. 

CONSIDER PETITE PERSONAL FLOWERS 

For an intentional and cohesive wedding day design, keep your color palette simple. For this petite bridal bouquet, I honed in on the palette and the ingredient mix. The anthuriums were bold, but softly contrasted by grasses and yarrow to give this bride an intentional look. The perfect pairing for her more laid back bridal jumpsuit from Amsale. 

A petite arrangement of caramel phlox, smokebush, and grasses dress up the groom's sleek suit and modern turtleneck.

SKIP TRADITION

There’s no wedding rule that says you *must* stick with traditional florals. With this install, Lea Stafford Events and I wanted to work with unexpected plant materials instead of florals to create a natural feeling for an intimate ceremony. The contrast of the soft grassy elements against the concrete pillars made for an impactful moment for guests and grounded the ceremony.

It was really important for me to create something entirely sustainable and foam-free. This was primarily designed using potted grasses and moss, so the install was able to be repurposed (and re-potted!) afterwards.

PUT IT ALL ON THE TABLE 

A smaller table setting does not mean you need to skimp on style! 

For this table setting, I wanted to lean into the contract of these black modern wishbone chairs from Theoni Collection against the soft linens and candlelight. So I added textured flower arrangements in modern shallow black vessels, paired with simple ikebana and bud vase arrangements. The table was the perfect spot to bring the different style elements of the day together for one cohesive design, and floral pieces of different shapes and sizes ensured every guest had something beautiful to sit down to. 

SPOIL YOUR GUESTS 

Favor boxes like these from Bestowe Gifting make the perfect VIP perk to spoil your guests, and are a great way to showcase your unique personality and style. 

LET THEM EAT THREE CAKES 

If dessert is important to you, this is an area you could invest more in with a smaller guest count. These miniature multi-tier cakes from Revelry Cakes made for quite the dessert experience. Accents of peach sweet peas, mauve lisianthus, and grasses added one last touch of micro detail. 

For more design tips and inspiration, read the full article How to Plan a Chic, Modern Micro Wedding During COVID-19 on Martha Stewart Weddings here.

Featured on Martha Stewart Weddings

Floral Design | Anastasia Andenmatten

Photography | Sarah Eichstedt Photography

Planning + Design | Lea Stafford Events

Invitation Suite | Bourne Paper Co.

Rentals | Theoni Collection

Cake | Revelry Cakes

Bespoke Gifts | Bestowe Gifting

Jewelry | Shop Esqueleto

Bridal Jumpsuit | Amsale

A Guide to Vision Boarding with Purpose

Two weekends ago I sat on the couch and read the NYTimes. It was cold and rainy outside. If all went according to plan, we would have been in the desert, a place I go once a year during the off-season to rest, reset, and renew inspiration. But life changed very quickly for all of us. 

Then it occurred to me that yes, life is very different now. But can’t we still find inspiration around us? Dream about the future?  

“Hope will not be cancelled. May we lean into the good stuff that remains.”

— Jamie Tworkowski

I think we can all benefit from hope and inspiration right about now. So I’d like to share with you a creative process I implement for both my personal life and my business: vision boarding. Vision boards serve as a tool to not only clarify your goals, but actually manifest destiny. I know it sounds cheesy, but hear me out. Here’s what you’ll find in this post: 

• The truth about vision boards 

• Step-by-step instructions to create an effective vision board 

• 3 real life examples of vision boards

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A VISION BOARD?

A vision board is a physical representation of your aspirations, curated by you and for you, to serve as a tool to help those aspirations come to life. It can be a collage of magazine clippings on a bulletin board, a PDF of imagery that’s saved as your phone’s wallpaper, or anything in between. Also known as a mood board, dream board, inspiration board, or design board.

Think of it as like...Pinterest, but intentional? And without targeted ads.

WHY MAKE A VISION BOARD? 

The majority of people are visual learners. Consider the Law of Attraction, which is the ability to attract into our lives whatever we are focusing on. By putting images in front of you, you are sending a message to the universe about your hopes and dreams, and opening yourself up to inspiration and guidance.

If you’re eye-rolling right now, I totally get it. That used to be me. But then I tried vision boarding and, seriously, I found it really helpful. As a creative process, vision boarding: 

• Takes you away from your daily routine and gets creative juices flowing 

• Brings you clarity, by taking the noisy jumbled thoughts in your head and organizing them into a crystal clear picture of what it is you want 

• Serves as a daily reminder to stay motivated to achieve your goals 

• Opens you up to new sources of inspiration as you start to hone your vision 

HOW CAN I MAKE ONE THAT WORKS FOR ME?

By looking at your vision board as a tool with a specific purpose, rather than just a collage of pretty pictures, it’s more likely to help you manifest your vision. 

Below are 8 steps to creating a vision board that works for you. 

#1 - Have a Purpose 

Think about what areas of your life seem most overwhelming or in need of a change, or a challenge ahead. Lean into that one specific goal as you design your board. Here are some examples of specific purposes: 

• Business - a design visualization for a client 

• Special Event - inspiration for hosting your friend’s bridal shower

• Personal - images that propel your health goals 

• Career - what your dream business looks like 

• Travel - places, people, food for the trip of a lifetime 

• Home - how you envision your first home, or a room makeover

#2 - Set the Mood

I recommend finding some uninterrupted time and space for yourself to do this solo. Grab your beverage of choice, light your fave candle. If you’re into journaling, put pen to paper and list out your goals for the board. If you meditate, or rely on music, do it. By setting the mood, you will find that you’re already on the right path.

#3 - Curate Imagery 

Start by looking around you to find what inspires you most: the architecture in your neighborhood, the views from your window, the colors and textures of your wardrobe, books or magazines, photos from past travels, quotes or lyrics. 

The secret to finding imagery that evokes feelings is to have no agenda. Aim to collect images that speak to you. Avoid the literal interpretations of what you want in your life, and instead simply focus on how an image makes you FEEL. Here are a few platforms I use for this: 

• Pinterest: This tool can be especially overwhelming. But instead of using keywords to find the exact thing you have in mind, simply start saving images that are beautiful to you. From there, Pinterest will serve you related images via the ‘More Ideas’ feature and eventually you’ll find images you love. 

• Instagram: Your feed is likely already curated with images relevant to you, your style, and your aesthetic. Instagram’s Save feature comes in handy. Under ‘Saved’ you can save everything you love in one spot or under separate folders. 

• Tumblr: For tons and tons of images and content 

#4 - Add Variety 

Your vision board doesn’t need to be limited to just images. Try adding color palettes, fabric swatches, quotes or mantras you find inspirational, or sketches. Nothing’s off limits. By adding some variety, the board will have more depth. 

#5 - Simplify, Simplify, Simplify 

It’s okay if you end up with a ton of inspiration. But the point of a vision board is not to overwhelm yourself. It should instead give you clarity when you need it most. Try limiting your board to 7-15 images that truly speak to you. By limiting clutter and chaos on your board, you can limit clutter and chaos in your mind. And a selective vision will feel that much more attainable.

#6 - Choose your Medium

You’ll want to showcase your vision board via a medium that suits your lifestyle.This could be your phone or desktop background, cork board, wire grid panel, or simply a collection of images taped to your wall. 

#7 - Get to Designing   

It’s time to pull everything together. If you’re going the old-fashioned route, all you really need are scissors, glue or tape, and a place to put it all. If you’re going digital, here are a few tools I’ve tried: 

• Adobe: I’ve used both InDesign and Spark for boards before and love them. Note: Adobe is subscription-based and comes with a learning curve. 

• Canva: The most user-friendly and cost-effective in my opinion. Their free version is where I design my floral design clients’ design boards as well as my own vision boards (examples below).

• Google Doc: A familiar tool never fails. This is a simple and free option to organize your images.

#8 - Look at it Daily

Display your vision board prominently in a place you frequent, e.g. above your desk, on your closet door, as your phone background or computer wallpaper. Let it serve as your daily reminder that your dreams can be your reality. 

Here are a few real life examples of vision boards to give you some ideas and help you get started.

SAMPLE A. —

CLIENT DESIGN

SAMPLE B. — MY BUSINESS

SAMPLE C. — MY WEDDING

I hope you feel inspired to try this creative process. At the very least, may this bring you light, or inspiration, or some sense of clarity or purpose during these uncertain times. 

If you end up trying this, let me know!

Follow me on IG @anastasiaandenmatten and send me a DM