Flowers are an integral part of any wedding design, bringing lushness and life to spaces that might otherwise be cold or cavernous. But whatever their budget, many couples confess to not knowing what to expect when it comes to the price of florals. Going into your appointments informed can help you make smart decisions about where to splurge and where to scale back. And lest you think half the blooms equal half the price, think again—there are a great deal of other factors that go into the cost of your wedding-day arrangements. Adri Smith, owner of Fort Worth–based Moss Floral Designs, created two bouquets of a similar style with two different price tags and breaks down the differences.

Budget $500

Quality and Quantity

This bouquet boasts a whopping 50 stems to the less expensive bouquet’s 40—but Adri assures that simple numbers alone don’t command a higher price point. “It depends on the type of flowers you have,” she says. “There are inexpensive flowers—flowers that can be locally sourced from your neighborhood wholesaler—and expensive flowers that have to be shipped in from growers in other parts of the U.S. or flower farms.”

California Love

Adri incorporated California-grown specialty roses into this bouquet for the “garden feel” they bring. But such specialty blooms add to the bottom line, as they have to be shipped in from out of state. “Almost all of these specialty rose farms are in California,” Adri says.

Size Matters

The dainty blooms used in this bouquet are costly not only because their small size requires more of them but also because they are hyper-seasonal, meaning they have an especially short window of availability. They’re worth it, assures Adri: “They have a great impact and add movement to your arrangement.”

The Long Game

Trailing raw silk ribbon was added to this bouquet, which affects the total price tag. Though optional, the impact it imparts on the final look is undeniable. “Trailing ribbon adds movement, a romantic feel, and color to the overall bouquet,” says Adri. Though there are many choices of ribbon, Adri says it’s worth it to splurge on the good stuff. “Inexpensive ribbon definitely doesn’t give the same effect as raw silk or chiffon,” she says, adding that, regardless of what you choose, “It should pair with your gown—not take away from it.” 

Budget $300

Wrap It Up

Rather than splurge on several feet’s worth of trailing ribbon, budget-conscious brides can opt for a simple traditional wrap. Since the ribbon won’t be visible while you’re holding the bouquet, you could go with a less expensive ribbon. But since you only need three to four inches (instead of several feet), Adri says, “Typically we still wrap the bouquet in the nicer ribbon.”

A Rose by Any Other Name

Standard roses are the stars of this bouquet. Adri used Barista roses, which she loves for their tonal color, and offers a hint for how to give them more oomph: “You can reflex the petals to open the bloom and make them larger and highlight them more.”

Scaling Back

Though Adri used the same Blushing Parasol garden spray roses in the higher-priced option, she cut back on the quantity of these higher-value blooms in this one to save on cost. “I only used two to three in this bouquet but around six to seven in the other,” she says. She filled in with less costly (and still lovely!) scabiosa.

Shop Local 

Staying close to home when sourcing stems can drastically cut down on price. “This bouquet doesn’t have any California garden roses,” Adri points out. Instead, all of the flowers in this arrangement came from local growers—an easy way to maintain a budget without reducing size or denseness of arrangements.

Floral 411

Love this look? Here’s a key to the blooms Adri used in each bouquet.
(Hint: Bring this guide to your floral appointments for easy reference!)

Budget 1

• chocolate cosmos
• deep brown lisianthus
• peach spray roses
• Blushing Parasol
• garden spray roses
• Distant Drums roses
• Barista roses
• Blushing Bride protea
• Honey Dijon roses
• Koko Loko roses

Budget 2

• Butterfly ranunculus
• Barista roses
• Blush scabiosa
• jasmine vine
• Blushing Parasol
• garden spray roses