We all dream about having lots and lots of flowers on our wedding day but most of us also know that flowers can be one of the most expensive items in your wedding budget.
But why are they so expensive? There are a few reasons for this:
Flower Farming
Flowers do not just appear in your local store or wholesaler just like that, the farming process behind flowers is a massive business and requires a lot of skill and care.
Flowers are labour-intensive to grow as well as costly. They need to be planted, watered, fertilized and pruned regularly. Soil, compost, pest control, water systems, cool rooms, greenhouses and most importantly; labour, adds up and increases the cost of flower farming which eventually increases the cost per flower.
Covid
It’s hard to believe but Covid had a big effect on the flower business. During Covid, no weddings, events etc. was allowed so farmers cut back on their flower growth as the demand was so low. Flowers do not grow overnight and in order to have flowers ready for the winter or summer season they have to be planted way in advance. Once Covid was “gone” (kind of) events and weddings started to happen again and the demand increased. Farmers were placed under tremendous pressure to supply flowers again so the flower prices increased due to high demand and low supply.
Flower Bidding
Flowers are sold daily on the flower market via flower bidding. This means each morning there is a flower auction on the market in Johannesburg where farmers display their flowers and all the wholesalers bid on the flowers. The more demand, the higher the bid which results in high flower prices. Flowers are not directly sold to florists by the farmer, but mostly through a third party (the wholesalers on the market) so we as florists also pay a high price.
Fuel Prices
It is no secret that fuel prices is insanely high. Some flowers are imported from overseas or other African countries so when fuel prices rise, so does the import cost and the actual flower cost.
There you have it; a lot of factors contribute to the price of flowers. Prices change on daily and that is why Florists also price flowers high as they actually are very costly. So, if flowers are important to you for your special day, always keep the above in mind. Florists do not overcharge; we also pay a lot for those beautiful flowers on your mood board. Flowers are definitely a luxury wedding item which is worth saving for.