We get it - folks are often taken aback by the cost of wedding and event florals! The Spotted Poppy values transparency; read on if you're wondering what goes into the pricing of floral design.

Wedding flowers are often one of the most visually stunning aspects of a couple’s big day—but they can also be one of the most expensive. The cost reflects a complex blend of global agriculture, artistic expertise, time-intensive labor, and logistical precision.

Flowers are cultivated, often in specialized farms across the world, requiring months of care. From the moment a seed is planted, growers must account for soil quality, climate control, pest management, and harvesting schedules. These blooms are perishable, fragile, and often need to be shipped internationally under strict temperature controls to preserve their freshness. That journey—from farm to wholesaler to florist—is intricate and expensive.

Once the flowers arrive in our hands, the process becomes even more specialized. Florists do not merely arrange bouquets; we practice a form of living sculpture. Working with highly perishable materials, we expertly condition each bloom, removing leaves, hydrating stems, and time their peak for the wedding day. This is an artistic skill, honed through years of experience. We are also backed by technical know-how to ensure that floral installations are not only beautiful but structurally sound and safe for guests.

A wedding isn’t just a single day of work for us—it often consumes an entire week. We coordinate with wholesalers, process shipments, build installations, transport arrangements, and sometimes work long overnight hours for on-site setup and teardown. Behind every finished product is a team of professionals managing timing, tools, materials, and contingencies like weather, venue restrictions, and last-minute changes.

Couples who choose to DIY their wedding florals often find themselves overwhelmed. They must research suppliers, figure out bloom availability and quantities, schedule pickups, store flowers in ideal conditions, and learn to design, execute and transport arrangements—all while navigating the stress of wedding planning. The time investment alone is significant.

In short, wedding flowers are expensive because they are the product of global agricultural labor, time-sensitive logistics, and the hands-on expertise of artists who bring a couple’s vision to life with living materials. The beauty and emotional impact they deliver on such a meaningful day is backed by an intricate, behind-the-scenes process.