Florists dilemma

Florists base prices on the types of flowers you are wanting, the amount of them, and whether they are in season. If you have received much cheaper quotes from other florists for the exact same florals, then it is likely one of two things:
1. The more expensive florist is providing more. Maybe they plan to use more flowers to ensure your arrangements and bouquets are very full and lush. Or maybe they are driving further to deliver them. Maybe it will take them longer to set up. Or maybe they offer services the other ones aren’t, such as tear down and take away or maybe they included vases in the price. Make sure you read all the details to see exactly what you are getting for your money.

2. The more expensive florist charges a higher fee for their services. This could be because they have more experience, have been in the business longer, are more talented, are incredibly sought after, etc. Make sure you look at tons of photos from real life weddings they have done, and compare their work.
If you compare the more expensive florist with the cheaper florists, and you are happy with the cheaper florists work and what they offer, then I would just choose one of the less expensive options. I definitely would not haggle with the florist over their prices. They have set a dollar amount they charge for their work that they feel is fair, and it could come off quite insulting if you insinuate you do not feel their work is worth it. If you prefer the more expensive florist’s work, you could be upfront with them about your budget and ask what they could do that is similar to your inspiration photos and within your budget. They can make suggestions of similar/same colored flowers that are less expensive.

Cece is totally right. Also, I think it's totally fair to get quotes from a number of providers and get a breakdown of those costs, then pick the ones you feel have the most experience with the style you are looking for, for the best price!

I wouldn't try to negotiate on the price - the only way to do that, really, is for the florist to reduce the volume/density of the flowers they are using, or reduce the super expensive ones and bump up the cheaper ones, which may result in a look you're not fond of, although it is always possible!

For example, my mum got married in winter, in 1968. She wanted orchids in her bouquet, but the florist simply couldn't get them unless they were shipped in from Singapore, which was very expensive at the time. So, the florist included a single spray for her, rather than making the whole thing out of orchids, thus reducing the cost.

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Thank you for explaining this! I'm not sure if it is okay to walk away when the florists have already made much effort in the proposal. But I guess I will stay with this one.

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Thank you Rosie! This actually makes me feel so much better!

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You're welcome! I hope you love the end result

View Quoted Comment You can always walk away anytime as long as you haven’t signed a contract with them

I definitely agree with CeCe's advice.

I will also add that with flowers specifically, if you wanted to "negotiate" you could do so by looking into seasonal flower options.

For example, if you were mostly focused on colors, you could ask them something to the extent of, "Are there any seasonal flower options in these colors?"

If you have more of a budget, you can mention something like, "I would like to keep my bouquets/floral arrangements for _____/ overall floral budget at...." and then follow it up with,

-"I would like to see what suggestions you have"
-"Would it be possible to focus on ____ colors?"

This is a polite way of letting them know what you are willing to do.

Give them the head's up that you do want to make notes on prices to bring back to your fiancé and see what he thinks. It will let them know as vendors that even though you are being frugal, you don't want to be a pain, and the financial decisions may not be strictly up to you.

If there is an item like ribbon that might bring the cost up, you can mention, "How much more would it be to use___?" and then get confirmation with, "Just for the sake of clarification, that means that now the cost of ______ would go from ____ to ____ and be at__$$?"

Only after you have discussed floral options, mention any promotions they may have going on, and see if they apply. It is completely fair to ask, but don't ask them about a discount if a promotion has already expired.

Take a pen and paper with you if you are visiting in person. Do make all finalized financial communications through email so that way if worst comes to worst, you have a trail.

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Thank you Elly for such a thorough walk-through of the process! This is so helpful!

Do they have a minimum you have to meet? Some florists say you have spend $200 or $3k before they will work with you but you can have any number of things that meet the price minimum. The proposal price is simply for the items/services requested at the time you met with them. You are not bound or required to stick with that because people change their minds all the time. Either way, you do need to be honest and transparent so you are not wasting each other’s time.


All vendors theoretically should be open to negotiation. Some are not (all inclusive venues have this reputation) but you won’t know until you ask. Basically they are working for you. If you don’t like a service or product at one store, you go somewhere else. That is how you work with vendors.

The other thing you could talk to them about in a cost lower capacity, is adding in silk flowers. They make silk flowers really nice these days and they can be used as a base to build upon. They keep costs down significantly.

Also talk to them about seasonal switches for some of your more expensive flowers. If they aren't in season, you can blow an entire budget on a single type of flower.

View Quoted Comment A huge but common misconception is that silks are cheaper than fresh. To get quality silks that look “as good as” fresh you actually end up spending more than you would for fresh. Same is true for greenery only. If you want to stick with fresh flowers and are on a budget, go with inexpensive varieties such as roses or carnations that are in season year round instead of exotic flowers and make sure everything is for the current season when you will be marrying.